Internet Message Access Protocol

"IMAP" redirects here. For the NASA spacecraft, see Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe. For the antipsychotic, see Fluspirilene. Not to be confused with MAPI, an email client API.
Internet protocol suite
Application layer
Transport layer
Internet layer
Link layer

In computing, the Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) is an Internet standard protocol used by email clients to retrieve email messages from a mail server over a TCP/IP connection.[1] IMAP is defined by RFC 9051.

IMAP was designed with the goal of permitting complete management of an email box by multiple email clients, therefore clients generally leave messages on the server until the user explicitly deletes them. An IMAP server typically listens on port number 143. IMAP over SSL/TLS (IMAPS) is assigned the port number 993.[2][3]

Virtually all modern e-mail clients and servers support IMAP, which along with the earlier POP3 (Post Office Protocol) are the two most prevalent standard protocols for email retrieval.[4] Many webmail service providers such as Gmail and Outlook.com also provide support for both IMAP and POP3.

  1. ^ Dean, Tamara (2010). Network+ Guide to Networks. Delmar. p. 519. ISBN 978-1-42390245-4. Archived from the original on 2021-02-05. Retrieved 2020-12-25.
  2. ^ Blum, Richard (December 15, 2002). Open Source E-mail Security. Sams Publishing. ISBN 9780672322372. Archived from the original on February 5, 2021. Retrieved December 25, 2020 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ Garfinkel, Simson; Spafford, Gene; Schwartz, Alan (December 15, 2003). Practical UNIX and Internet Security. "O'Reilly Media, Inc.". ISBN 9780596003234. Archived from the original on February 5, 2021. Retrieved December 25, 2020 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ Komarinski, Mark (2000). Red Hat Linux System Administration Handbook. Prentice Hall. p. 179.