Rackspace is a reliable cloud-based email hosting platform that provides secure and professional email management for businesses. However, many users prefer to use Microsoft Outlook — one of the most popular email clients — for better productivity, offline access, and integrated calendar management. Integrating Rackspace email with Outlook on Mac or Windows allows users to manage their emails, contacts, and tasks from a single interface. This guide explains how to add Rackspace email to Outlook manually, its limitations, and a more efficient alternate solution.

Rackspace is a hosted email service designed for small to medium-sized businesses. It offers secure IMAP/POP email access, spam protection, and compatibility with various email clients. With its user-friendly webmail and mobile accessibility, Rackspace provides a dependable solution for corporate communications.

Microsoft Outlook is a leading desktop-based email client available for both Mac and Windows. It supports multiple email accounts, calendar integration, contact management, and task scheduling. Outlook allows users to manage all their email accounts in one place — making it ideal for professionals and enterprises.

Why Add Rackspace Email to Outlook?

There are several reasons users choose to configure Rackspace mail in Outlook -

• Centralized Email Management – Access multiple accounts from one dashboard.
• Offline Access – View and compose emails without an internet connection.
• Enhanced Productivity – Use features like reminders, scheduling, and calendar synchronization.
• Data Backup & Security – Store local copies of Rackspace emails for safety.
• Better Integration – Sync your Rackspace mailbox with Office apps like Word, Excel, and Teams.

Manual Method – How to Add Rackspace Email to Outlook Mac & Win

You can manually set up your Rackspace email account in Outlook using IMAP or POP settings. Below are the steps for both Windows and Mac versions of Outlook.

For Windows

• Open Outlook on your computer.
• Go to File > Add Account.
• Enter your Rackspace email address and click Connect.
• Choose IMAP or POP (IMAP is recommended).
• Enter the following settings -

Incoming Mail Server (IMAP): secure.emailsrvr.com

Port: 993

Encryption: SSL/TLS

Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP): secure.emailsrvr.com

Port: 465

Encryption: SSL/TLS

• Enter your full Rackspace email address and password.
• Click Next, then Finish to complete the setup.

For Mac

• Open Outlook for Mac.
• Go to Tools > Accounts.
• Click the + icon and select New Account.
• Enter your Rackspace email address and password.
• Choose IMAP as the account type and use the same incoming/outgoing server settings as above.
• Save the configuration. Outlook will verify your credentials and sync your mailbox.

Drawbacks of the Manual Method

While the manual configuration method is free, it comes with several challenges that make it less practical for many users -

• Complex Setup Process – Users need to enter multiple settings manually, which can lead to errors.
• No Backup or Export Options – The method doesn’t create a local backup of Rackspace emails for long-term storage.
• Time-Consuming – Setting up multiple accounts or large mailboxes can take considerable time.
• Limited Migration Flexibility – You cannot easily migrate emails, attachments, or folders to another Outlook profile.
• Data Loss Risk – Improper configuration or synchronization failure may cause missing emails or incomplete data transfer.

Alternate Solution  - Guide on How to Add Rackspace Email to Outlook Mac & Win

For users who want a reliable, fast, and secure solution to move Rackspace emails to Outlook, the CubexSoft Rackspace Backup Tool for Mac & Windows is the best alternative. This professional software allows you to export Rackspace emails directly to Outlook PST format or import them into Outlook 365 accounts effortlessly.

Key Features

• Direct Outlook Export - Save Rackspace emails in PST format for easy import into any Outlook version (Mac or Windows).
• Multiple Export Formats - Convert Rackspace emails to PST, MBOX, EML, PDF, MSG, Office 365, and other formats.
• Batch Backup Support - Transfer multiple Rackspace accounts or mailboxes in a single process.
• Preserves Folder Structure - Keeps all mailbox folders, subfolders, and metadata intact during migration.
• Cross-Platform Compatibility - Available for both Windows and Mac OS.
• Simple GUI - No technical knowledge required to operate the tool.

Steps to Add Rackspace Email to Outlook

• Download and install Rackspace to Outlook Tool on Mac & Windows system.
• Launch the software and enter your Rackspace account credentials.
• The tool will load all mailbox folders automatically.
• Choose PST as the saving format or select Office 365 for direct migration.
• Set the destination path and apply filters if required.
• Click Start Backup to begin the process.

After the backup completes, you can easily import the PST file into any Outlook version on Mac or Windows.

Conclusion

Manually adding Rackspace email to Outlook is possible through IMAP/POP configuration, but it is a lengthy and error-prone process. To ensure quick, secure, and efficient migration without data loss, using the Rackspace Email Backup Tool for Mac & Windows is highly recommended. Whether you are switching platforms or simply backing up your data, this utility offers a seamless and professional solution for both Mac and Windows users.