mikwat code

We recently switched to Google Apps at work and I have been looking for a way to import my existing email, which was stored on an IMAP server, into Gmail. The answer became clear when I came across Mark Lyon’s GMail Loader (GML), but it was much simpler than I thought. Rather than use GML, all I had to do was move my email from their IMAP folders into the Inbox. Then, I configured Gmail to Get mail from other accounts under Settings » Accounts.

This only works for POP3, which was available on my old mail server, but requires that all email be moved to the Inbox. Gmail downloads 200 messages at a time and checks for mail every hour, so the process can take a long time. Filters, SPAM, and virus checks are performed on each message, so check your Spam folder periodically for misdirected messages. There are several settings that allow you to automatically Archive and label incoming messages. See Google’s Help Center for more information.

So, although GML looks interesting and powerful, using Gmail’s built-in POP3 fetcher was the best solution for me.