Add your Host Dada email address to Mozilla Thunderbird on Windows, Mac or Linux. Thunderbird can't detect Host Dada's settings by itself, so you'll enter them manually. It takes about five minutes.
Before you start
- Your full email address and mailbox password. Check they work at Host Dada Webmail first.
- Update Thunderbird to the latest version (Help → About Thunderbird). Newer versions have a redesigned account setup screen, but the fields are the same.
Settings you'll need
| Incoming | Outgoing (SMTP) | |
|---|---|---|
| Protocol | IMAP | SMTP |
| Hostname | imap.hostdada.uk | smtp.hostdada.uk |
| Port | 993 | 587 |
| Connection security | SSL/TLS | STARTTLS |
| Authentication method | Normal password | Normal password |
| Username | Your full email address | Your full email address |
Step-by-step
- Start adding an account. If this is your first account, Thunderbird shows the setup screen when it opens. Otherwise, open the menu (three lines, top right) and choose New → Existing Mail Account. Or go to Account Settings → Account Actions → Add Mail Account.
- Enter your details. Fill in Your full name (the name people see), Email address and Password. Tick Remember password.
- Choose to configure manually. Click Configure manually (it may appear after you click Continue). Don't accept a configuration Thunderbird has guessed, because it usually picks server names based on your own domain, which cause certificate warnings.
- Fill in the incoming server. Protocol: IMAP. Hostname:
imap.hostdada.uk. Port:993. Connection security: SSL/TLS. Authentication method: Normal password. Username: your full email address. - Fill in the outgoing server. Hostname:
smtp.hostdada.uk. Port:587. Connection security: STARTTLS. Authentication method: Normal password. Username: your full email address. - Click Re-test. Thunderbird checks the settings and should report that they were found. If it changes any values, set them back to those above.
- Click Done. Your folders appear in the left pane and Thunderbird starts downloading your email.
Change settings later
- Incoming: Account Settings → your account → Server Settings.
- Outgoing: Account Settings → Outgoing Server (SMTP), select
smtp.hostdada.ukand click Edit. - Signature: Account Settings → your account (the top-level page) → Signature text.
Troubleshooting
"Thunderbird failed to find the settings for your email account"
That's expected. Click Configure manually and enter the settings from the table above.
"Add Security Exception" or a certificate warning
Thunderbird is using a server name like mail.yourbusiness.co.uk. Don't add an exception. Change the hostnames to imap.hostdada.uk and smtp.hostdada.uk. See Certificate warning in my email program.
"Sending of the message failed" or "Login to server failed"
Check the outgoing server uses port 587, STARTTLS and Normal password, with your full email address as the username. If you changed your password recently, Thunderbird may be using the old saved one. Remove it under Settings → Privacy & Security → Saved Passwords and try again. See Can't send email? Troubleshooting checklist.
Last reviewed: October 2026
