Mail2CLOUD
User Guide
What Mail2CLOUD Is
Mail2CLOUD is an automated email backup service. It connects to your mailbox via IMAP or OAuth, downloads your emails, encrypts them, and uploads them directly to your own cloud storage or FTP server. We never store your data — it goes straight to your account. You set it up once and it works continuously.
- 100% rule-based — no AI reads your emails
- Double encryption — files encrypted at rest + optional AES-256 ZIP password
- Zero-disk-touch — compression happens in memory, nothing decrypted on disk
- Progressive — after initial backup, only new emails are processed
- 12+ cloud destinations — Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, S3, FTP, SFTP, and more
Getting Started — 5 Minute Setup
- Subscribe at BOTS4.me/mail2cloud — first month free
- Add your email account at BOTS4.me/bots → Settings → Mail2CLOUD. Gmail and O365 use OAuth (one-click). IMAP needs server details.
- Add your cloud storage — same Settings tab. Google Drive, Dropbox, etc. use OAuth. FTP/SFTP needs server details.
- Turn off Demo Mode when ready — Control tab → Demo Mode → OFF
- Done. Mail2CLOUD runs automatically on schedule. Check your email for the first backup report.
Tip: Start with Demo Mode ON. It scans your mailbox and sends you a preview report showing how many emails would be backed up — without actually downloading or uploading anything.
Understanding the Dashboard
The Mail2CLOUD dashboard at BOTS4.me/bots has the same layout as all BOTS4.me products: three panels.
Additionally, the Settings tab (gear icon) is where you configure email accounts, cloud accounts, backup password, max email age, and webhook URL.
The Logs tab shows real-time activity: what Mail2CLOUD did on each run, any errors, and operation results.
Three Modes Explained
Backup Mode
One-way: Mailbox → Cloud
Your emails are downloaded, encrypted, and uploaded to cloud storage. The mailbox is not modified. This is the default and safest mode.
Restore Mode
One-way: Cloud → Mailbox
Re-upload backed-up emails from cloud back into your mail server. Use for disaster recovery or migrating to a new email provider.
Bidirectional Sync
Two-way: Mailbox ↔ Cloud
Changes on either side (additions, deletions, moves, flag changes) are propagated to the other. Requires Business or Enterprise tier.
Recommendation: Start with Backup mode. It’s the safest — your mailbox is never modified. Switch to Bidirectional Sync only when you need two-way propagation.
Feature Toggles — What Each One Does
Toggle features on/off from the Features panel. Some features require a paid tier (shown as locked for free/basic users).
Settings Explained
How Backup Works
Folder Processing Order
Mail2CLOUD processes smaller folders first. This ensures small folders (like “Personal” or “Projects”) get fully backed up before large folders (like INBOX) consume the per-run email limit. Junk, Spam, Trash, Drafts, and Sent folders are automatically skipped.
Progressive Backup
After the initial full backup, Mail2CLOUD tracks what’s already been synced via manifests (internal state files). On subsequent runs, already-synced folders are skipped entirely. Only new and changed emails are processed — saving time and bandwidth.
Email Age Filtering
The “Max Email Age” setting (default 360 days) determines how far back to look. Only emails within this window are backed up. This prevents backing up ancient emails you no longer need while keeping your recent history safe.
Per-Run Limits
Each run processes up to 500 emails across all folders (configurable). This prevents overloading your email server or cloud storage. Multiple runs will progressively back up your entire mailbox.
File Structure
Each backed-up email becomes a folder (or compressed ZIP) containing the email text (HTML), metadata (JSON), raw source, and all attachments. The folder structure in cloud mirrors your mailbox folders.
Security & Encryption
- At-rest encryption: All files in the temporary buffer are encrypted using system-level encryption. No plaintext email data touches disk.
- AES-256 ZIP encryption: When you set a Backup Password, emails are compressed into AES-256 encrypted ZIP archives. Standard WinZip AES — compatible with any ZIP tool.
- Zero-disk-touch compression: Compression happens entirely in memory (BytesIO). The encrypted ZIP is written directly — no intermediate unencrypted files.
- Buffer cleanup: After successful upload to ALL cloud destinations, the local buffer is immediately deleted. If any upload fails, files are retained for retry.
- We have zero access: Backups go directly to your own cloud account or FTP server. We never store, read, or analyze your email content.
Understanding Your Logs
The Logs tab shows what Mail2CLOUD did on each run. Common messages:
Your First Week
- Set up email + cloud accounts
- Keep Demo Mode ON
- Check the preview report email
- Verify email count and folders look correct
- Review the Logs tab for any errors
- Turn Demo Mode OFF
- First backup will process oldest emails first
- Check cloud storage — verify files appear
- Monitor Backup Progress % in Statistics
- Once 100% — your mailbox is fully backed up
Email Reports
When Email Reports feature is enabled, you receive an HTML email after every operation. The report includes:
- Operation summary: How many emails were synced to cloud, synced to mailbox, deleted, moved
- Duration: How long the operation took
- Errors: Any failures with details
- DEMO badge: When in Demo Mode, the report clearly shows “[DEMO]” and explains no actual transfers occurred
- Upgrade suggestions: If features are locked on your tier, the report mentions what you could unlock
DEMO vs Live reports: In DEMO mode, the report says “X emails would be synced” and shows a “Manage Settings” button. In Live mode, it says “X emails synced” with actual transfer counts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which email providers are supported?
Any IMAP provider, Gmail (OAuth), Outlook/Office 365 (OAuth), and Exchange. If your email supports IMAP, Mail2CLOUD can back it up.
Which cloud storage destinations work?
12+ destinations: Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, Box, AWS S3, Wasabi, Backblaze B2, Azure Blob, FTP, FTPS, SFTP, and WebDAV.
What’s the difference between Backup, Restore, and Sync?
Backup = one-way mailbox → cloud. Restore = one-way cloud → mailbox. Sync = bidirectional with conflict resolution. Start with Backup (safest).
Is my data encrypted?
Yes, always. All files are encrypted at rest during processing. Optionally, set a Backup Password for AES-256 encrypted ZIP archives that only you can open.
How does incremental backup work?
After the initial full backup, Mail2CLOUD tracks what’s already been synced via manifests. Only new and changed emails are processed on subsequent runs.
What happens when I delete an email?
In Sync Mode, when an email is deleted from the server, the backed-up copy is moved to a REMOVED folder (not permanently deleted); auto-cleanup removes old items after the retention period (default 30 days). In Backup mode, previously backed-up copies simply stay in your cloud archive.
Can I restore to a different email account?
The restore function re-uploads backed-up emails to your configured mail server. Contact support for cross-account restore scenarios.
How often does it run?
Mail2CLOUD runs automatically every night — there is no schedule to set. Each run is fast after the initial backup due to progressive processing.
Which folders are skipped?
Junk, Spam, Trash, Drafts, Sent, and any AutoSPAM-managed folders are automatically excluded. Only meaningful email folders are backed up.
What are the tier limits?
Freemium: 50 emails/day, 500/month. Personal: 500/day, 5,000/month. Family: 2,000/day, 15,000/month. Business: 5,000/day, 50,000/month. Enterprise: unlimited. Need more in a given period? Buy an extras pack — extras roll over until you use them (active subscription required).
What does Backup Progress % mean?
It shows what percentage of your eligible emails (within the age limit) have been backed up. Updated daily. When it reaches 100%, your mailbox is fully backed up and only new emails need processing.
Can I use webhooks to get notified?
Yes. Enable Webhooks feature, set your URL in Settings. You’ll receive POST requests with JSON: {event, timestamp, downloaded, uploaded, deleted, errors, duration}. Events: backup_completed, sync_completed, restore_completed.
Troubleshooting
Email validation keeps failing
Check these things:
- Gmail/O365: re-authenticate via OAuth in Settings
- IMAP: verify server address, port (993), and SSL is enabled
- Some providers block automated access — enable “less secure apps” or create an app password
- The validation email may land in Spam — Mail2CLOUD checks Spam folders automatically
Cloud upload fails
Check these things:
- Re-authenticate your cloud storage (OAuth tokens expire)
- FTP/SFTP: verify host, port, and credentials
- Check that the upload folder exists and you have write permissions
- Check available storage space in your cloud account
Backup Progress stuck below 100%
This is normal if:
- You have many emails — it takes multiple runs to process them all (500 per run)
- New emails arrive between runs — the total keeps growing
- Check the Logs tab to confirm backups are running successfully
Reports show all zeros
Check these things:
- If Demo Mode is ON — this is expected (no actual transfers)
- If Demo Mode is OFF — all emails may already be backed up (check Backup Progress %)
- Check that the email account and cloud account are both validated in Settings
📚 Additional Resources
Mail2CLOUD by BOTS4.me
Need help? [email protected]