{"id":9951,"date":"2026-08-13T06:50:48","date_gmt":"2026-08-13T06:50:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/blog\/?p=9951"},"modified":"2026-08-13T08:00:37","modified_gmt":"2026-08-13T08:00:37","slug":"import-em-client-to-thunderbird","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/blog\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Import eM Client to Thunderbird"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n<div class=\"kk-star-ratings kksr-auto kksr-align-left kksr-valign-top\"\n    data-payload='{&quot;align&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;9951&quot;,&quot;slug&quot;:&quot;default&quot;,&quot;valign&quot;:&quot;top&quot;,&quot;ignore&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;reference&quot;:&quot;auto&quot;,&quot;class&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;count&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;legendonly&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;readonly&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;score&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;starsonly&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;best&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;gap&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;greet&quot;:&quot;Rate this post&quot;,&quot;legend&quot;:&quot;5\\\/5 - (1 vote)&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;24&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;How to Import eM Client to Thunderbird&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:&quot;142.5&quot;,&quot;_legend&quot;:&quot;{score}\\\/{best} - ({count} {votes})&quot;,&quot;font_factor&quot;:&quot;1.25&quot;}'>\n            \n<div class=\"kksr-stars\">\n    \n<div class=\"kksr-stars-inactive\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"1\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"2\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"3\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"4\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"5\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n<div class=\"kksr-stars-active\" style=\"width: 142.5px;\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n                \n\n<div class=\"kksr-legend\" style=\"font-size: 19.2px;\">\n            5\/5 - (1 vote)    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<p>There&#8217;s no direct<strong> &#8216;Import from eM Client&#8217; <\/strong>button in Thunderbird. The two clients use different native formats, so an intermediate step is required depending on where your mail is stored. This guide covers every working method. Free methods first; use paid tools only when the free options fall short.<\/p>\n<p class=\"user-query\"><strong class=\"text-danger\">Tips\u00a0<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Don&#8217;t touch anything in eM Client until you&#8217;ve confirmed Thunderbird received the data correctly. Keep the source intact throughout.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-light-blue ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #0a0a0a;color:#0a0a0a\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #0a0a0a;color:#0a0a0a\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/blog\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\/#What_Can_Actually_Be_Migrated\" >What Can Actually Be Migrated?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/blog\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\/#Method_1_IMAP_Synchronisation\" >Method 1: IMAP Synchronisation<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/blog\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\/#Steps\" >Steps<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/blog\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\/#Method_2_EML_Files_Free_Works_for_Local_Mail\" >Method 2: EML Files (Free Works for Local Mail)<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/blog\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\/#Part_A_Export_from_eM_Client\" >Part A: Export from eM Client<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/blog\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\/#Part_B_Install_ImportExportTools_NG_in_Thunderbird\" >Part B: Install ImportExportTools NG in Thunderbird<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/blog\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\/#Part_C_Import_into_Thunderbird\" >Part C: Import into Thunderbird<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/blog\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\/#Method_3_Importing_MBOX_Files_If_You_Already_Have_Them\" >Method 3: Importing MBOX Files If You Already Have Them<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/blog\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\/#Importing_an_existing_MBOX_file\" >Importing an existing MBOX file<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/blog\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\/#Method_4_MacSonik_EML_Converter_For_Large_Local_Mailboxes\" >Method 4: MacSonik EML Converter (For Large Local Mailboxes)<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/blog\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\/#The_Workflow\" >The Workflow<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/blog\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\/#Whats_Preserved\" >What&#8217;s Preserved?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/blog\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\/#Method_5_MacSonik_MBOX_Converter_For_Processing_MBOX_Files_Before_Import\" >Method 5: MacSonik MBOX Converter (For Processing MBOX Files Before Import)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/blog\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\/#Method_6_MacSonik_IMAP_Backup_Tool_For_IMAP_Account_Switches\" >Method 6: MacSonik IMAP Backup Tool (For IMAP Account Switches)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/blog\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\/#Which_Method_Fits_Your_Situation\" >Which Method Fits Your Situation?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/blog\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\/#Troubleshooting\" >Troubleshooting<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/blog\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\/#Contacts_and_Calendars_Quick_Reference\" >Contacts and Calendars (Quick Reference)<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/blog\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\/#Frequently_Asked_Questions\" >Frequently Asked Questions<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/blog\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\/#Verification_Checklist\" >Verification Checklist<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/blog\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\/#Sources\" >Sources<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Can_Actually_Be_Migrated\"><\/span>What Can Actually Be Migrated?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Email is the straightforward part. Contacts and calendars need separate steps.<\/p>\n<table class=\"table table-bordered\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><strong>Data<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p><strong>Transfers<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p><strong>How<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>Emails<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p>Yes<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p>EML, MBOX, or IMAP<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>Attachments<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p>Yes<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p>Embedded in EML\/MBOX files<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>Folder structure<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p>Partial<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p>IMAP preserves automatically; file-based methods need manual folder setup in Thunderbird<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>Sent Items\/Drafts<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p>Yes<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p>Treat them as folders same process as Inbox<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>Contacts<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p>Separately<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p>Export as vCard (.vcf) from eM Client, import into Thunderbird address book<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>Calendars<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p>Separately<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p>Export as .ics from eM Client, import into Thunderbird Calendar<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>Account settings<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p>No<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p>Configure accounts fresh in Thunderbird<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Contacts and calendars are separate operations. This guide covers email migration only.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Method_1_IMAP_Synchronisation\"><\/span>Method 1: IMAP Synchronisation<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>IMAP syncing is probably the handiest way to get an email stash from an online email provider&#8217;s server. The good news is it works with pretty much any service that&#8217;s got IMAP going &#8211; you&#8217;re talking Gmail, Outlook.com and Yahoo here. Now, when you&#8217;ve got your emails all stored up online, Thunderbird can connect up to your old server and the new one, and just sync all the mail data back and forth.<\/p>\n<p class=\"user-query\"><strong class=\"text-danger\">Tip\u00a0<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Check first: In the<strong> EM Client&#8217;s left panel<\/strong>, look at where your folders sit. If they&#8217;re listed under your email address (e.g., yourname@gmail.com), that&#8217;s server-stored mail. If they&#8217;re under<strong> &#8216;Local Folders,<\/strong>&#8216; skip to Method 2.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Steps\"><\/span>Steps<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li>First, fire up <strong>Thunderbird<\/strong>. Then, <strong>File, New, <\/strong>and <strong>Existing Mail Account<\/strong>\\.<\/li>\n<li>Just fill in the easy stuff, <strong>name<\/strong>, <strong>email address <\/strong>and <strong>password<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Thunderbird detects your server settings automatically in most cases.<\/li>\n<li>When prompted, choose <strong>IMAP <\/strong>not POP3.<\/li>\n<li>Click <strong>Done<\/strong>. Thunderbird syncs your folders from the server.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Folder hierarchy, sent mail, drafts. All preserved because the server manages the structure.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Watch for these<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>First sync <\/strong>is gonna take some time, especially if you&#8217;re talking to big accounts ( 10,000+ emails or something). Thunderbird does a sort-of-intelligent loading process, downloading headers first, then the actual mail. Just leave it be and let it run.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Local-only folders<\/strong> won&#8217;t appear via IMAP. Anything under EM Client&#8217;s &#8216;Local Folders&#8217; needs the EML method below.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Duplicate risk:<\/strong> If you later also import EML files for the same folder, you will get duplicates. Use one method per folder.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Method_2_EML_Files_Free_Works_for_Local_Mail\"><\/span>Method 2: EML Files (Free Works for Local Mail)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>eM Client can save emails as individual .eml files. Thunderbird imports them through a free add-on. This is the standard manual path for local mail.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Part_A_Export_from_eM_Client\"><\/span>Part A: Export from eM Client<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Pick <\/strong>the folder you want to move ( start with your Inbox, probably )\\.<\/li>\n<li>Press <strong>Ctrl+A ( Windows ) <\/strong>or<strong> Cmd+A ( Mac )<\/strong> to select everything.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Right-click<\/strong>, <strong>Save As<\/strong>, and choose a <strong>destination <\/strong>folder on your disk.<\/li>\n<li>eM Client <strong>saves <\/strong>one .eml file per message.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Repeat <\/strong>for each folder: Sent, Drafts, any custom folders.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p class=\"user-query\"><strong class=\"text-danger\">Tip\u00a0<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Mirror your eM Client folder structure on disk before you start. Create \/Export\/Inbox\/,\/Export\/Sent\/,\/Export\/Work\/, whatever matches your layout. You will need this organisation during import.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Part_B_Install_ImportExportTools_NG_in_Thunderbird\"><\/span>Part B: Install ImportExportTools NG in Thunderbird<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Thunderbird doesn&#8217;t import EML natively. You need the <strong>ImportExportTools NG add-on<\/strong> (free):<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Thunderbird<\/strong>, <strong>Tools<\/strong>, and then <strong>Add-ons<\/strong> and <strong>Themes.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Search <strong>&#8220;ImportExportTools NG&#8221;.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Install <\/strong>and <strong>restart <\/strong>Thunderbird.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Part_C_Import_into_Thunderbird\"><\/span>Part C: Import into Thunderbird<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li>In Thunderbird, <strong>create <\/strong>a folder matching the eM Client folder you are importing (right-click Local Folders and New Folder).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Right-click<\/strong> that folder and<strong> ImportExportTools NG, Import messages,<\/strong> <strong>Import <\/strong>EML files from a directory (and subdirectories).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Navigate <\/strong>to your exported folder and <strong>confirm<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Repeat <\/strong>per folder.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p class=\"user-query\"><strong class=\"text-danger\">The Real Limitation\u00a0<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\nA 3,000 email folder becomes 3000 individual .eml files when you export it out &#8211; and importing 10 folders means you&#8217;re looking at 10 separate tasks to get that done. This works fine up to a few hundred emails. Beyond that, it gets slow and repetitive which is where Method 4 helps.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Method_3_Importing_MBOX_Files_If_You_Already_Have_Them\"><\/span>Method 3: Importing MBOX Files If You Already Have Them<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Thunderbird stores emails as MBOX files internally, so if you&#8217;ve got MBOX files from a Google Takeout export, a server backup or a previous migration you can import them right away.<\/p>\n<p class=\"user-query\"><strong class=\"text-danger\">Tip\u00a0<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: eM Client however doesn&#8217;t support MBOX exports natively. If your source is eM Client, your path is: <strong>export <\/strong>EML, <strong>convert <\/strong>to MBOX, and <strong>import<\/strong>. Method 4 handles that conversion.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Importing_an_existing_MBOX_file\"><\/span>Importing an existing MBOX file<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li>Firstly, install <strong>ImportExportTools NG <\/strong>(same as Method 2).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Right-click<\/strong> Local Folders (or any account) in Thunderbird.<\/li>\n<li><strong>ImportExportTools NG<\/strong> and <strong>Import <\/strong>mbox file.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Select <\/strong>your .mbox file and <strong>confirm<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>One MBOX file = one folder. Ten folders = ten imports. For MBOX files above 2-3 GB, the import is slow but completes do not interrupt it.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Method_4_MacSonik_EML_Converter_For_Large_Local_Mailboxes\"><\/span>Method 4: MacSonik EML Converter (For Large Local Mailboxes)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The manual EML approach breaks at scale. If you have thousands of emails across 20 folders, exporting and importing each one manually takes a full day. And still produces errors you do not catch until a week later. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/eml-converter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>MacSonik EML Converter<\/strong><\/a> helps with that. It takes a folder of EML files exported from eM Client and converts them to MBOX in one go. One operation covers all folders. You then import those MBOX files into Thunderbird.<\/p>\n<div class=\"row justify-content-center ms_btn_sec my-3\">\n<div class=\"col-md-6\">\n<ul id=\"myTab\" class=\"nav nav-tabs justify-content-center mb-3\" role=\"tablist\">\n<li class=\"nav-item\"><a id=\"mac-tab\" class=\"nav-link px-4 rounded-0 text-dark active\" role=\"tab\" href=\"#mac\" data-toggle=\"tab\" aria-controls=\"mac\" aria-selected=\"true\"> Mac<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"nav-item\"><a id=\"windows-tab\" class=\"nav-link px-4 rounded-0 text-dark\" role=\"tab\" href=\"#windows\" data-toggle=\"tab\" aria-controls=\"windows\" aria-selected=\"false\"> Windows<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"myTabContent\" class=\"tab-content text-center\">\n<div id=\"mac\" class=\"tab-pane fade show active\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"mac-tab\"><a class=\"btn btn-download mr-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/dl\/macsonik-eml-converter.dmg\"> Download Now<\/a><a class=\"btn btn-buy\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/eml-converter\/buy.php\"> Purchase Now<\/a><\/div>\n<div id=\"windows\" class=\"tab-pane fade\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"windows-tab\"><a class=\"btn btn-download mr-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/dl\/macsonik-eml-converter-win.exe\"> Download Now<\/a><a class=\"btn btn-buy\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/eml-converter\/buy.php\"> Purchase Now<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Workflow\"><\/span>The Workflow<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li>Firstly, <strong>export <\/strong>EML files from eM Client (Method 2, Part A).<\/li>\n<li>Open<strong> MacSonik EML Converter <\/strong>and <strong>add <\/strong>your EML folder.<\/li>\n<li>Select <strong>MBOX <\/strong>as the output format.<\/li>\n<li>Use the <strong>date range filter<\/strong> if you only need specific periods.<\/li>\n<li>Enable duplicate removal if your eM Client had sync overlap.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Run <\/strong>conversion and get one MBOX file per folder.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Import <\/strong>MBOX files into Thunderbird (Method 3).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Whats_Preserved\"><\/span>What&#8217;s Preserved?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<table class=\"table table-bordered\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><strong>Email body, attachments, sender\/recipient metadata, dates<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p><strong>Folder separation; one MBOX per folder<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p><strong>Attachments embedded in the output files<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<table class=\"table table-bordered\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><strong>Free Trial<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The free version processes <strong>50 emails per folder<\/strong>; enough to verify output quality before committing to the full migration.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Product: <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/macsonik.com\/eml-converter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>macsonik.com\/eml-converter\/<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Explore <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/eml-converter\/guide.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>How MacSonik Works in Detail<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Method_5_MacSonik_MBOX_Converter_For_Processing_MBOX_Files_Before_Import\"><\/span>Method 5: MacSonik MBOX Converter (For Processing MBOX Files Before Import)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Once you have MBOX files from Method 4, a Google Takeout export, or a server backup, you can import them directly into Thunderbird. But raw MBOX files sometimes need work first.<\/p>\n<p><strong>When Does This Apply?<\/strong><\/p>\n<table class=\"table table-bordered\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>Converted MBOX files contain duplicates from sync overlap between eM Client and your server<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p>You want to filter by date before importing (e.g., only the last two years)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>MBOX files are oversized and need splitting before import<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p>You are working with Google Takeout MBOX exports, which can be messy<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>The <strong>MacSonik MBOX Converter<\/strong> handles batch processing across multiple MBOX files, with built-in duplicate removal, a date range filter, and no file size cap. You can keep the output in MBOX format which Thunderbird can read, or you can swap it out for <strong>EML<\/strong>, <strong>PST<\/strong>, <strong>PDF <\/strong>or <strong>CSV <\/strong>if you need to change formats at a later stage.<\/p>\n<div class=\"row justify-content-center ms_btn_sec my-3\">\n<div class=\"col-md-6\">\n<ul id=\"myTab\" class=\"nav nav-tabs justify-content-center mb-3\" role=\"tablist\">\n<li class=\"nav-item\"><a id=\"mac-tab\" class=\"nav-link px-4 rounded-0 text-dark active\" role=\"tab\" href=\"#mac\" data-toggle=\"tab\" aria-controls=\"mac\" aria-selected=\"true\"> Mac<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"nav-item\"><a id=\"windows-tab\" class=\"nav-link px-4 rounded-0 text-dark\" role=\"tab\" href=\"#windows\" data-toggle=\"tab\" aria-controls=\"windows\" aria-selected=\"false\"> Windows<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"myTabContent\" class=\"tab-content text-center\">\n<div id=\"mac\" class=\"tab-pane fade show active\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"mac-tab\"><a class=\"btn btn-download mr-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/dl\/Macsonik-mbox-converter-tool.dmg\"> Download Now<\/a><a class=\"btn btn-buy\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/mbox\/converter\/buy.php\"> Purchase Now<\/a><\/div>\n<div id=\"windows\" class=\"tab-pane fade\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"windows-tab\"><a class=\"btn btn-download mr-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/dl\/Macsonik-mbox-converter-tool-windows.exe\"> Download Now<\/a><a class=\"btn btn-buy\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/mbox\/converter\/buy.php\"> Purchase Now<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"user-query\"><strong class=\"text-danger\">Tip\u00a0<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:If your MBOX files are all good to go and in good order you can probably just skip this step and get straight into importing them into Thunderbird (Method 3). This step exists for when they are not.<\/p>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Product<\/strong>: <a href=\"http:\/\/macsonik.com\/mbox\/converter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>macsonik.com\/mbox\/converter\/<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Explore <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/mbox\/converter\/guide.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>How MacSonik Works in Detail<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Method_6_MacSonik_IMAP_Backup_Tool_For_IMAP_Account_Switches\"><\/span>Method 6: MacSonik IMAP Backup Tool (For IMAP Account Switches)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Method 1 covers accessing the same IMAP account in Thunderbird. But sometimes you are not just switching clients you are switching accounts.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Scenarios Where This Matters<\/strong><\/p>\n<table class=\"table table-bordered\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>Moving from a work IMAP account to a personal one<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p>Archiving an old IMAP mailbox before the account is deleted<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>Migrating email from one server to a different one<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p>If you&#8217;re on the verge of giving up on eM Client, maybe it&#8217;s time to pull a full local copy of your live IMAP account.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>MacSonik IMAP Backup Tool <\/strong>connects directly to your IMAP server, downloads your mailbox, and exports to <strong>MBOX<\/strong>, <strong>EML<\/strong>, <strong>PST<\/strong>, or other formats. It also handles IMAP-to-IMAP migration, moving mail between accounts without downloading everything locally first.<\/p>\n<div class=\"row justify-content-center ms_btn_sec my-3\">\n<div class=\"col-md-6\">\n<ul id=\"myTab\" class=\"nav nav-tabs justify-content-center mb-3\" role=\"tablist\">\n<li class=\"nav-item\"><a id=\"mac-tab\" class=\"nav-link px-4 rounded-0 text-dark active\" role=\"tab\" href=\"#mac\" data-toggle=\"tab\" aria-controls=\"mac\" aria-selected=\"true\"> Mac<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"nav-item\"><a id=\"windows-tab\" class=\"nav-link px-4 rounded-0 text-dark\" role=\"tab\" href=\"#windows\" data-toggle=\"tab\" aria-controls=\"windows\" aria-selected=\"false\"> Windows<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"myTabContent\" class=\"tab-content text-center\">\n<div id=\"mac\" class=\"tab-pane fade show active\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"mac-tab\"><a class=\"btn btn-download mr-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/dl\/macsonik-imap-backup.dmg\"> Download Now<\/a><a class=\"btn btn-buy\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/imap-email-backup\/buy.php\"> Purchase Now<\/a><\/div>\n<div id=\"windows\" class=\"tab-pane fade\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"windows-tab\"><a class=\"btn btn-download mr-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/dl\/macsonik-imap-email-backup-win.exe\"> Download Now<\/a><a class=\"btn btn-buy\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/imap-email-backup\/buy.php\"> Purchase Now<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>If you are keeping the same email account and just switching from eM Client to Thunderbird, Method 1 is faster and free. This tool is for moving, archiving, or converting IMAP mailbox data.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Product<\/strong>: <a href=\"http:\/\/macsonik.com\/imap-email-backup\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>macsonik.com\/imap-email-backup\/<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Explore <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/imap-email-backup\/guide.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>How MacSonik Works in Detail<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Which_Method_Fits_Your_Situation\"><\/span>Which Method Fits Your Situation?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<table class=\"table table-bordered\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><strong>Your situation<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p><strong>Use this<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>Mail is on Gmail, Outlook.com, or any IMAP server<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p>Method 1. add the account directly in Thunderbird<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>Local eM Client folders, under a few hundred emails<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p>Method 2. EML export + ImportExportTools NG<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>Local eM Client folders, large mailbox (1,000+ emails)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p>Method 4. MacSonik EML Converter, MBOX, Thunderbird<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>You already have clean MBOX files<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p>Method 3. direct MBOX import<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>MBOX files need deduplication, filtering, or splitting<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p>Method 5. MacSonik MBOX Converter<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>Switching IMAP accounts, not just email clients<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p>Method 6. MacSonik IMAP Backup Tool<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>Mix of server mail and local folders<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p>IMAP for server mail + EML\/Method 4 for local folders<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Troubleshooting\"><\/span>Troubleshooting<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<table class=\"table table-bordered\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><strong>Emails missing after import<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Check whether the EML export actually completed. A folder that had 800 messages in eM Client would logically have 800 .eml files on disk. But if the numbers dont add up, just try re-exporting that folder<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p><strong>Attachments missing<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>EML files embed attachments if the export completed correctly, they are in the file. Double-click a .eml file directly in Windows Explorer or Finder to verify. If the attachment opens there, the import should carry it through.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><strong>Folders not organised correctly<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The EML import method does not reconstruct your folder hierarchy automatically. Create matching folders in Thunderbird first, then import into each one separately. Mass-importing into a single folder loses all structure.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p><strong>Duplicate emails<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>This tends to happen when you try to bring Method 1 and Method 2 together for the same folder we&#8217;ve got IMAP sync pulling from the server and EML import pulling from local files, both trying to do their thing at the same time. Pick one source per folder. The MacSonik EML Converter duplicate removal option cleans up if you already ran both.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><strong>Thunderbird frozen during import<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Normal for large files. MBOX files over 1-2 GB make Thunderbird unresponsive during import. Do not close it. Import by folder rather than everything at once.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p><strong>IMAP sync not showing all folders<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In Thunderbird, right-click your account and Subscribe and make sure all folders are checked. Some IMAP providers do not auto-subscribe new clients to every folder.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Contacts_and_Calendars_Quick_Reference\"><\/span>Contacts and Calendars (Quick Reference)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<table class=\"table table-bordered\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><strong>Contacts<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In eM Client, go to <strong>File <\/strong>-&gt; <strong>Export <\/strong>and choose the option for <strong>vCard<\/strong> (.vcf) &#8211; its pretty straightforward. And in Thunderbird, you can get to it by going to your Address Book and then picking Tools -&gt; Import and then picking out your .vcf file.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p><strong>Calendars<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In the eM client, right click on a calendar and you should see an option to export it as a .ics file. Then over in Thunderbird, head on into <strong>Calendar <\/strong>-&gt; <strong>Events <\/strong>and <strong>Tasks <\/strong>and you&#8217;ll find the option to import the .ics file you just saved.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n<h4 class=\"faq_heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Frequently_Asked_Questions\"><\/span>Frequently Asked Questions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block\">\n<div id=\"faq-question-1786602293091\" class=\"schema-faq-section\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">Q1. Can I import eM Client to Thunderbird without any add-ons?<\/strong>\n<p class=\"schema-faq-answer\"><strong>Ans. <\/strong>Only if your mail is on an IMAP server (Method 1). For local mail stored as EML files, you need the ImportExportTools NG add-on free, two minutes to install.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1786602307676\" class=\"schema-faq-section\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">Q2. Will attachments survive the migration?<\/strong>\n<p class=\"schema-faq-answer\"><strong>Ans.<\/strong> Yes, if the export is completed correctly. EML and MBOX files embed attachments inside the message. Check a few known attachments after importing to confirm.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1786602324442\" class=\"schema-faq-section\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">Q3. What is the difference between IMAP sync and EML import?<\/strong>\n<p class=\"schema-faq-answer\"><strong>Ans.<\/strong> IMAP sync connects Thunderbird to your mail server; email stays on the server and Thunderbird reads it there. EML imports local message files into Thunderbird storage. Do not run both for the same folder.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1786602367994\" class=\"schema-faq-section\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">Q4. Does eM Client export MBOX directly?<\/strong>\n<p class=\"schema-faq-answer\"><strong>Ans. <\/strong>No. eM Client exports EML files. To get MBOX, convert those EML files using the MacSonik EML Converter. Thunderbird then imports the resulting MBOX files.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1786602386354\" class=\"schema-faq-section\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">Q5. Can I migrate only emails from a specific date range?<\/strong>\n<p class=\"schema-faq-answer\"><strong>Ans.<\/strong> Not through eM Client&#8217;s native export. It exports everything in a folder. MacSonik EML Converter has a date range filter that handles this after you&#8217;ve exported from eM Client.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1786602395954\" class=\"schema-faq-section\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">Q6. How do I avoid duplicate emails?<\/strong>\n<p class=\"schema-faq-answer\"><strong>Ans.<\/strong> Pick one method per folder and stick to it. The most common cause is running IMAP sync and EML import for the same folder. The MacSonik EML Converter duplicate removal option cleans up if you have already mixed methods.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1786602410731\" class=\"schema-faq-section\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">Q7. How long does migration take?<\/strong>\n<p class=\"schema-faq-answer\"><strong>Ans. <\/strong>IMAP sync: minutes to several hours depending on mailbox size and internet speed. EML import: fast per file, but the manual folder-by-folder process adds time. A converter handles bulk conversion in one run.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1786602424757\" class=\"schema-faq-section\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">Q8. Do I need to keep eM Client installed?<\/strong>\n<p class=\"schema-faq-answer\"><strong>Ans. <\/strong>No, once you have exported your EML files to disk, eM Client can be closed. Keep it installed until the migration is fully verified.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Verification_Checklist\"><\/span>Verification Checklist<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Before uninstalling eM Client or deleting anything:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Message count matches per folder (check three or four folders, not just Inbox).<\/li>\n<li>Open messages from different years confirm body text and attachments.<\/li>\n<li>Send Items present and readable.<\/li>\n<li>Drafts folder populated if you had drafts.<\/li>\n<li>Search in Thunderbird returns results for a known subject line.<\/li>\n<li>Sender names and dates display correctly.<\/li>\n<li>The subfolder structure matches what you had in eM Client.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"user-query\"><strong class=\"text-danger\">Tips\u00a0<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: If something is off, fix the gap and re-verify before clearing the source data from eM Client.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Sources\"><\/span>Sources<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/addons.thunderbird.net\/en-US\/thunderbird\/addon\/importexporttools-ng\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Thunderbird ImportExportTools NG<\/strong><\/a>:&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/support.mozilla.org\/en-US\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mozilla Thunderbird support<\/a><\/strong>:&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/eml-converter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">MacSonik EML Converter<\/a><\/strong>:<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/mbox\/converter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">MacSonik MBOX Converter<\/a><\/strong>:&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/imap-email-backup\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">MacSonik IMAP Backup Tool<\/a><\/strong>:<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.emclient.com\/webdocumentation\/en\/10.3\/eMClient\/Default.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">eM Client documentation<\/a><\/strong>:&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There&#8217;s no direct &#8216;Import from eM Client&#8217; button in Thunderbird. The two clients use different native formats, so an intermediate<a class=\"read-more ml-1 main-read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/blog\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\/\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":9957,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[63,60,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9951","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-eml-converter-tool","category-imap-backup","category-mbox-converter"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Import eM Client to Thunderbird<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Import eM Client to Thunderbird quickly without losing emails, contacts, or folders. Follow this easy guide or use a faster method.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/blog\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Import eM Client to Thunderbird\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Import eM Client to Thunderbird quickly without losing emails, contacts, or folders. 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Her research on downloading emails from webmail is outstanding. She has given the solution to download emails from webmail clients to a Mac device with all the mailbox items. She\u2019s been into webmail solutions since 2010. In her free time, she reads books and writes technical blogs.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.macsonik.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/ameliajames\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.macsonik.com\\\/blog\\\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\\\/#faq-question-1786602293091\",\"position\":1,\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.macsonik.com\\\/blog\\\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\\\/#faq-question-1786602293091\",\"name\":\"Q1. Can I import eM Client to Thunderbird without any add-ons?\",\"answerCount\":1,\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<strong>Ans. <\\\/strong>Only if your mail is on an IMAP server (Method 1). For local mail stored as EML files, you need the ImportExportTools NG add-on free, two minutes to install.<br>\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.macsonik.com\\\/blog\\\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\\\/#faq-question-1786602307676\",\"position\":2,\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.macsonik.com\\\/blog\\\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\\\/#faq-question-1786602307676\",\"name\":\"Q2. Will attachments survive the migration?\",\"answerCount\":1,\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<strong>Ans.<\\\/strong> Yes, if the export is completed correctly. EML and MBOX files embed attachments inside the message. Check a few known attachments after importing to confirm.<br>\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.macsonik.com\\\/blog\\\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\\\/#faq-question-1786602324442\",\"position\":3,\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.macsonik.com\\\/blog\\\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\\\/#faq-question-1786602324442\",\"name\":\"Q3. What is the difference between IMAP sync and EML import?\",\"answerCount\":1,\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<strong>Ans.<\\\/strong> IMAP sync connects Thunderbird to your mail server; email stays on the server and Thunderbird reads it there. EML imports local message files into Thunderbird storage. 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Her research on downloading emails from webmail is outstanding. She has given the solution to download emails from webmail clients to a Mac device with all the mailbox items. She\u2019s been into webmail solutions since 2010. In her free time, she reads books and writes technical blogs.","url":"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/blog\/author\/ameliajames\/"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/blog\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\/#faq-question-1786602293091","position":1,"url":"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/blog\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\/#faq-question-1786602293091","name":"Q1. Can I import eM Client to Thunderbird without any add-ons?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"<strong>Ans. <\/strong>Only if your mail is on an IMAP server (Method 1). For local mail stored as EML files, you need the ImportExportTools NG add-on free, two minutes to install.<br>","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/blog\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\/#faq-question-1786602307676","position":2,"url":"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/blog\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\/#faq-question-1786602307676","name":"Q2. Will attachments survive the migration?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"<strong>Ans.<\/strong> Yes, if the export is completed correctly. EML and MBOX files embed attachments inside the message. Check a few known attachments after importing to confirm.<br>","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/blog\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\/#faq-question-1786602324442","position":3,"url":"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/blog\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\/#faq-question-1786602324442","name":"Q3. What is the difference between IMAP sync and EML import?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"<strong>Ans.<\/strong> IMAP sync connects Thunderbird to your mail server; email stays on the server and Thunderbird reads it there. EML imports local message files into Thunderbird storage. Do not run both for the same folder.<br>","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/blog\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\/#faq-question-1786602367994","position":4,"url":"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/blog\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\/#faq-question-1786602367994","name":"Q4. Does eM Client export MBOX directly?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"<strong>Ans. <\/strong>No. eM Client exports EML files. To get MBOX, convert those EML files using the MacSonik EML Converter. Thunderbird then imports the resulting MBOX files.<br>","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/blog\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\/#faq-question-1786602386354","position":5,"url":"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/blog\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\/#faq-question-1786602386354","name":"Q5. Can I migrate only emails from a specific date range?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"<strong>Ans.<\/strong> Not through eM Client's native export. It exports everything in a folder. MacSonik EML Converter has a date range filter that handles this after you've exported from eM Client.<br>","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/blog\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\/#faq-question-1786602395954","position":6,"url":"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/blog\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\/#faq-question-1786602395954","name":"Q6. How do I avoid duplicate emails?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"<strong>Ans.<\/strong> Pick one method per folder and stick to it. The most common cause is running IMAP sync and EML import for the same folder. The MacSonik EML Converter duplicate removal option cleans up if you have already mixed methods.<br>","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/blog\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\/#faq-question-1786602410731","position":7,"url":"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/blog\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\/#faq-question-1786602410731","name":"Q7. How long does migration take?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"<strong>Ans. <\/strong>IMAP sync: minutes to several hours depending on mailbox size and internet speed. EML import: fast per file, but the manual folder-by-folder process adds time. A converter handles bulk conversion in one run.<br>","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/blog\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\/#faq-question-1786602424757","position":8,"url":"https:\/\/www.macsonik.com\/blog\/import-em-client-to-thunderbird\/#faq-question-1786602424757","name":"Q8. Do I need to keep eM Client installed?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"<strong>Ans. <\/strong>No, once you have exported your EML files to disk, eM Client can be closed. 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