Yahoo Mail IMAP and SMTP Settings for Any Email Client

Yahoo Mail IMAP settings cause more confusion than they should, because Yahoo makes two choices that differ from Gmail and Outlook defaults: it requires an app password even if your account does not have two-step verification enabled, and its folder structure includes Bulk Mail and Archive as top-level folders that most clients map incorrectly on first sync.

This guide covers every server hostname, port, and encryption value for IMAP and SMTP, plus POP3 for reference, and explains the folder-mapping quirks before they turn into a sync problem. Generating the app password is covered in a separate guide — if you still need to create one, start there and return here with the password ready.

The short answer#

For IMAP, use imap.mail.yahoo.com on port 993 with SSL/TLS. For outgoing mail, use smtp.mail.yahoo.com on port 465 with SSL/TLS, or port 587 with STARTTLS. Your username is your full Yahoo email address. The password field takes an app password, not your Yahoo login password.

These values work on every IMAP-capable client: Thunderbird, Apple Mail, Outlook, Spark, and any generic email app that supports manual IMAP configuration.

Before you start#

Two requirements apply to every Yahoo IMAP connection, and skipping either causes the setup to fail before the first sync. First, third-party app access must be enabled in Yahoo Mail. Log into Yahoo Mail, open Settings, scroll to the Security section, and confirm that Allow apps that use less secure sign in is turned on. Without this, the connection is refused regardless of the password you use.

Second, you need an app password. Yahoo does not accept your regular account password from a third-party email client, even if your account does not use two-step verification. App passwords are 16-character codes generated from your Yahoo Account Security page, scoped to one app, and revocable independently from your main login.

• Your full Yahoo email address, for example [email protected] — this is the username in every field.
• A 16-character app password from your Yahoo Account Security page, not your login password.
• Third-party app access enabled in Yahoo Mail Settings under Security.
• The email client you are configuring — Thunderbird, Apple Mail, Outlook, or any IMAP-capable app.

Steps: entering Yahoo IMAP settings in your email client#

The server names and ports are the same across every client and platform, but the menu path to reach the account setup screen differs. The steps below cover the most common clients. In each case you fill in the same five values: incoming server hostname, incoming port and encryption, outgoing server hostname, outgoing port and encryption, and your app password.

1. 1

   Open the account setup screen in your client

   In Thunderbird: open Account Settings, then Add Mail Account. In Apple Mail: go to the Mail menu, choose Add Account, select Other Mail Account. In Outlook on Windows: open File, click Add Account, choose Manual setup or additional server types, then select IMAP. In most other clients, look for Add Account or Manage Accounts in settings.

2. 2

   Enter your name and Yahoo address

   Use your full Yahoo email address as both the email address and the username. Some clients autofill the username once you enter the address — confirm it shows the full address including the domain, not just the local part before the @ symbol.

3. 3

   Set the incoming mail server

   Server or hostname: imap.mail.yahoo.com. Port: 993. Encryption or security: SSL/TLS — sometimes labelled just SSL. Do not select STARTTLS or None on port 993; those combinations fail.

4. 4

   Set the outgoing mail server

   Server or hostname: smtp.mail.yahoo.com. Port: 465 with SSL/TLS, or 587 with STARTTLS. Authentication is required — use the same app password. If your client has a separate SMTP username field, enter your full Yahoo address there as well.

5. 5

   Enter the app password

   In the password field for both incoming and outgoing, paste the 16-character app password you generated from your Yahoo Account Security page. Do not type your Yahoo login password — it will fail. Copy and paste rather than typing to avoid transcription errors.

6. 6

   Test and confirm the connection

   Most clients send a test connection after you save. A successful IMAP connection loads your folder list within a few seconds. If the test fails with an authentication error, the app password is usually the cause. If it times out, the port or encryption setting is mismatched.

How settings appear in different clients#

The server hostnames and ports are identical regardless of client, but the label for the encryption field varies. This table shows what each major client calls the equivalent setting so you can match it to the correct Yahoo value without guessing.

How Yahoo folders map in third-party clients#

Yahoo's default folder structure differs from Gmail and Outlook, and two folders cause consistent problems when clients assume standard naming conventions.

Bulk Mail is Yahoo's spam or junk folder. Most IMAP clients look for a folder named Spam, Junk, or Junk Email when they need to file a message reported as spam. When none of those exist on the server, they create a local folder with that name instead, which is invisible to Yahoo's web interface. Messages you report as spam go into this local folder and never train Yahoo's filter. To fix this, subscribe to Bulk Mail in your client's folder manager and then assign it as the Junk or Spam destination in the account settings. The exact label for this setting varies — Thunderbird calls it Junk folder, Apple Mail calls it Junk mailbox.

Archive is a top-level folder on Yahoo, not a subfolder of Inbox. Some clients default to creating an Archive folder inside Inbox when they cannot find one at the root level. After the initial sync, open your client's folder settings and confirm that its Archive function points to Yahoo's existing top-level Archive folder rather than a newly created one nested under Inbox.

What to do when Yahoo Mail won't sync#

Most Yahoo IMAP failures come down to one of five causes: a wrong port and encryption combination, a regular password where an app password is needed, IMAP access disabled in Yahoo's settings, a folder assignment that silently routes messages to the wrong place, or a client that falls back to polling when IMAP IDLE is available. The table below maps each symptom to its cause and the exact fix.

A faster way: connect Yahoo to AI Emaily directly#

If you are configuring Yahoo IMAP because you want better email management — triage, drafting help, or handling multiple accounts in one place — AI Emaily connects Yahoo mailboxes through the same IMAP protocol without requiring manual entry of each setting. The account setup wizard handles the server hostname, port, and encryption automatically. You supply your Yahoo address and app password, and the connection completes in under a minute.

Once connected, AI Emaily maps Bulk Mail to the spam layer and uses Yahoo's top-level Archive folder by default, so neither folder quirk requires manual intervention. It works alongside any Gmail or Outlook accounts you add to the same unified inbox. We build AI Emaily. It comes with a 7-day free trial on the Pro and Autopilot plans if you want to test it before deciding.