What is incoming mail server and outgoing mail server

In the context of email, an incoming mail server and an outgoing mail server are two types of servers that play crucial roles in sending and receiving emails.

Incoming Mail Server (IMAP or POP3):

The incoming mail server, also known as the mail retrieval server, is responsible for retrieving emails from a remote email server and delivering them to your email client (e.g., Microsoft Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird, or a web-based email client like Gmail).

There are two common protocols used for incoming mail servers:

  1. POP3 (Post Office Protocol version 3): POP3 is a protocol that allows your email client to connect to the mail server, download emails, and then delete them from the server. This means that once you've downloaded your emails, they're no longer stored on the server.
  2. IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol): IMAP is a protocol that allows your email client to connect to the mail server, download emails, and then leave them on the server. This means that you can access your emails from multiple devices and keep them synchronized across all devices.

Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP):

The outgoing mail server, also known as the mail submission server, is responsible for sending emails from your email client to the recipient's email server.

The most common protocol used for outgoing mail servers is SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol). SMTP is a protocol that allows your email client to connect to the mail server, authenticate, and then send emails to the recipient's email server.

Here's a simple example of how it works:

  1. You compose an email in your email client and click the "Send" button.
  2. Your email client connects to the outgoing mail server (SMTP) using your email account credentials.
  3. The outgoing mail server authenticates your email account and then sends the email to the recipient's email server.
  4. The recipient's email server receives the email and stores it in the recipient's inbox.

In summary:

I hope this helps clarify the roles of incoming and outgoing mail servers!