# How to configure an email account in Thunderbird

> Learn how to add your Kualo email account to Mozilla Thunderbird using the setup wizard or manual configuration.

Source: https://www.kualo.com/knowledgebase/email-other-devices/how-to-configure-an-email-account-in-thunderbird
Updated: 2026-06-09

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This guide walks you through adding your Kualo email account to Mozilla Thunderbird. It assumes you have already downloaded and installed Thunderbird, and that you have [created the email address](/knowledgebase/cpanel-how-tos/how-to-create-an-email-account-in-cpanel) in your hosting account.

## Start the account setup wizard

1. Open Thunderbird. On the home screen, click the **Email** link.

   ![Thunderbird home screen showing the Email link](https://kb-cdn.kualo.com/a0/bd/a0bd1bf8b9571372d1ed958451de38b6b2dedb32.jpg)

   If you do not see that button, click **Tools**, then click **Account Settings**.

   ![Thunderbird Tools menu with Account Settings highlighted](https://kb-cdn.kualo.com/40/41/404192a2919fc5756c2b64281df80a2222dbe139.jpg)

2. In the **Account Settings** window, scroll down and click **Add Email Account**.

   ![Account Settings window with Add Email Account button](https://kb-cdn.kualo.com/c8/eb/c8ebd7e9d8509ca075faaa38262e33857b242f76.jpg)

3. The **Mail Account Setup** wizard opens. Enter the following details, then click **Continue**:
   - **Your name** - as you want it to appear in the From field of outgoing emails
   - **Email address** - your full email address
   - **Password** - the password for that email account

   ![Mail Account Setup wizard showing name, email and password fields](https://kb-cdn.kualo.com/92/34/92347ea402abc856da46be4f8ef1afe22024e93f.jpg)

## Complete automatic setup

Thunderbird will attempt to detect your server settings automatically. If it succeeds, it displays the incoming server, outgoing server and username. Click **Done** to finish.

![Mail Account Setup wizard showing auto-detected server settings and Done button](https://kb-cdn.kualo.com/4c/e9/4ce9b573e4beb39f11a1d32035d8dad195f6322b.jpg)

If auto-detection fails, or if you prefer to enter settings yourself, click **Manual config** and follow the steps below.

## Find your server settings in cPanel

If you need to configure the account manually, you can look up the correct server details in cPanel.

1. [Log in to cPanel](/knowledgebase/cpanel-how-tos/how-to-login-to-cpanel).
2. Go to **Email Accounts** and click **Connect Devices** (or **Set Up Mail Client**) next to the relevant address.

   ![cPanel Email Accounts page showing the Set Up Mail Client option](https://kb-cdn.kualo.com/66/81/66819539996e8d26e50fa5d7a83dd83b67691961.jpg)

3. Scroll down to **Manual Settings** and use the values under **Secure SSL/TLS Settings (Recommended)** for both the incoming and outgoing server.

   ![cPanel manual settings showing SSL/TLS incoming and outgoing server details](https://kb-cdn.kualo.com/ba/b5/bab552f8a9cfac40f78164b3456a8be984cfca31.jpg)

## Configure manual settings in Thunderbird

Enter the server details from cPanel into Thunderbird's manual configuration screen. For the authentication method on both the incoming and outgoing (SMTP) server, set **Authentication** to **Normal password**.

![Thunderbird manual config screen with Authentication set to Normal password](https://kb-cdn.kualo.com/da/be/dabeed5efbeb561c1ad5aa0844ab7cac21ae1aaa.jpg)

:::info
SMTP authentication means Thunderbird logs in to your mail server when sending emails, not just when receiving them. This ensures only you can send mail from your account. In most cases the SMTP username and password are the same as the incoming server credentials.
:::

Once you click **Done**, Thunderbird will connect to your account and you can start sending and receiving email.

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_Source: Kualo Knowledgebase — https://www.kualo.com/knowledgebase/email-other-devices/how-to-configure-an-email-account-in-thunderbird · © Kualo Ltd._