Export and Restore Email Messages in Roundcube or from Horde Files

Roundcube can export messages and import supported email files, but a message export is not a complete mailbox-account backup. This guide also preserves the useful MBOX recovery topic from the older Horde article; Horde is no longer a current cPanel webmail option.

Export through the installed Roundcube interface

1. Use your host’s trusted HTTPS Webmail address and select the intended mailbox and folder.
2. Select a message and use More > Download (.eml), or the equivalent current-theme action.
3. For multiple messages or a folder, use the available selection/download or folder-export action. Roundcube documents multi-message ZIP downloads and folder export; availability and labels depend on the installed version and configuration.
4. Save the completed files privately. Check actual exported messages, folder coverage, dates and attachments before deleting anything from the server.

Unpack a downloaded ZIP privately to access its EML files when needed. Exporting selected messages does not automatically capture every folder, contacts, calendars, filters, aliases, passwords or server configuration.

Import EML or MBOX carefully

Select the destination folder first, then its Import messages action. Choose a supported MIME/EML or MBOX file and upload it within the configured limits. Do not assume a ZIP containing EML files is accepted directly by an import form that expects messages. Test with a small non-sensitive sample before a large recovery, and consider duplicate messages when repeating an import.

For an older Horde export

cPanel removed Horde in version 108. Do not reinstall an obsolete client to follow the old screenshot. Historical Horde folder actions offered Export as MBOX or compressed MBOX and Import to a selected folder. Preserve existing exports; decompress a copy where necessary and use a compatible current importer. One folder export was never proof of a complete account backup.

Contacts and calendars require their own formats and recovery path. cPanel’s old Horde-conversion scripts are also version-limited, so do not run a historical script name without checking support.

Verify before treating it as recovery

Check message bodies, headers, dates, attachments and destination folders. For complete-mailbox recovery, assess an account/server backup or authorized mail-client export that preserves the required scope. Keep real mail out of public tickets and external archive-checking services. This is recovery guidance, not an InterServer VPS/dedicated migration offer.

References: Roundcube import/export formats and actions; Horde removal; version-limited contacts/calendar conversion.

Reviewed October 15, 2026. Documentation review; no customer mail, remote mailbox or real import/export was accessed or tested.