Internet Message Access Protocol

Internet Message Access Protocol often identified as the acronym IMAP, it describes the standard method for accessing email from a remote server. IMAP is a client/server protocol and through this process, a user’s email is received and held by their chosen Internet email server. With IMAP, a user can view their email message’s headers and senders via their account’s inbox list and if they choose they can read, save, or delete the message using their remote service, i.e., Yahoo, Gmail, AOL, etc.

Users can also access these messages by setting up a connection between the remote server and their computer system, using a software application, like MS Outlook or Thunderbird. After the connection is configured, messages will be downloaded/transferred to the users computer. When using an IMAP connection, users can create multiple folders and mailboxes on the remote server to better organize their email transmissions. IMAP requires continual server access while users work with their mail interface.

Internet Message Access Protocol is the more sophisticated answer to Post Office Protocol (POP3), and is best conceptualized as a remote file server. It is also very different from Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), which describes the transfer messages between points on the Internet. SMTP is used only for sending messages, while IMAP (and POP3) are used to both send, receive, and read email messages.