The Mail Autodiscover feature in Plesk Obsidian for Linux is designed to simplify the process of configuring mail clients, such as Outlook, Thunderbird, and mobile devices. It automatically detects and configures the email server settings (IMAP, POP, SMTP) for a domain’s mail accounts, reducing manual input.
Key Points about the Mail Autodiscover Feature
1. Purpose of Autodiscover
The autodiscover feature helps end-users by automatically setting up their mail clients without the need to manually enter server settings (such as the IMAP/POP and SMTP server names, ports, and security settings). It simplifies email account configuration by automatically supplying the correct mail server details based on the user’s email address.
2. How Autodiscover Works
When a user adds their email account to a mail client, the client sends an Autodiscover request (usually to autodiscover.domain.com or domain.com/autodiscover/autodiscover.xml) to fetch the server configuration. The mail client receives the necessary settings, such as:
- Incoming mail server (IMAP or POP).
- Outgoing mail server (SMTP).
- Port numbers and security settings (SSL/TLS).
- Username and other optional settings.
3. Autodiscover for Domains in Plesk
In Plesk, Autodiscover is enabled by default for email services and can be managed per domain. Plesk creates DNS records for autodiscover.yourdomain.com and related services during domain setup to enable mail autodiscovery.
4. Protocols Supported by Plesk Autodiscover
IMAP, POP3, and SMTP server settings are supplied by the Autodiscover feature. It also supports SSL/TLS settings for secure mail communication.
5. DNS and SRV Records for Autodiscover
To ensure that Autodiscover works properly, Plesk creates DNS SRV records for the domain’s mail service. These records point mail clients to the correct servers for IMAP/POP and SMTP. The typical DNS SRV records created for Autodiscover are:
_autodiscover._tcp.yourdomain.com_imaps._tcp.yourdomain.com_pop3s._tcp.yourdomain.com_smtps._tcp.yourdomain.com
6. Supported Mail Clients
Autodiscover works with various popular mail clients that support this feature, such as:
- Microsoft Outlook (for automatic email account setup).
- Mozilla Thunderbird.
- Apple Mail.
- Mobile devices like Android and iOS.
7. SSL/TLS and Autodiscover
Plesk ensures that mail autodiscovery can work over secure connections. When properly configured, clients will receive SSL/TLS settings, ensuring that the email communication is encrypted.
8. Customising Autodiscover
If you need to adjust or customise the Autodiscover behavior in Plesk (for instance, for a different domain setup or custom mail server), you can modify the DNS SRV records or Autodiscover configuration.
9. Troubleshooting Autodiscover
If Autodiscover is not working correctly:
- Verify that the correct DNS SRV records are in place.
- Ensure that your mail server’s SSL certificates are correctly configured.
- Check your firewall settings to make sure the mail ports (IMAP/POP and SMTP) are open.
- Test using the Microsoft Remote Connectivity Analyser to see if Autodiscover is working for your domain.
10. Enabling/Disabling Autodiscover
In some cases, you may want to disable Autodiscover for specific domains. You can do this by removing or adjusting the DNS records in the Plesk DNS settings.
Example of an Autodiscover SRV Record in Plesk
Here is an example of how an SRV record for autodiscovery might look in Plesk:
| Service | Protocol | Priority | Weight | Port | Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| _autodiscover | _tcp | 0 | 0 | 443 | autodiscover.yourdomain.com |
| _imaps | _tcp | 0 | 0 | 993 | mail.yourdomain.com |
| _smtps | _tcp | 0 | 0 | 465 | mail.yourdomain.com |
How to Enable/Manage Autodiscover in Plesk
1. DNS Setup
Go to Domains > DNS Settings and ensure that the correct SRV and A records for Autodiscover are present.
2. Mail Server Settings
Ensure your mail server (Postfix/Dovecot) is correctly configured to support Autodiscover. You can check mail server settings in Tools & Settings > Mail Server Settings.
3. SSL Configuration
Ensure that SSL certificates for the mail server and Autodiscover domain are valid and properly set up.
Conclusion
The Mail Autodiscover feature in Plesk Obsidian for Linux simplifies the setup of email accounts by automatically detecting mail server settings and configuring mail clients accordingly. It works with popular clients like Outlook and Thunderbird and relies on DNS SRV records and proper mail server configurations. To ensure it works, ensure correct DNS, mail server, and SSL setups.