How to manually import MDBOX emails from backups

Question

How do I import MDBOX files from a cPanel-generated backup into an existing email account?

Answer

1. Access the server's command line as the 'root' user via SSH or in WHM / Terminal.

2. Run the following command to import the email.

   # doveadm import -u user@domain.tld mdbox:/path/to/import/files/ "" ALL

   Warning: It is recommended that a backup of the account be taken before performing this procedure.

   Note: If the cPanel backup is compressed, the mail folder needs to be extracted first.

   Note: Replace user@domain.tld and /path/to/import/files/ with the email address for the account and the path to the files to be restored, respectively. The path to the files must end with /.

Additional resources

How to manually locate and extract a file or directory from a cPanel backup