Every term, defined.
Short, plain-English explanations. Each entry links to the deeper guides where the term shows up.
15
Terms
<5 min
Per entry
Plain
English
Linked
Deeply
A–Z
The glossary.
Every email and migration term, defined in one place.
A
- →
a Hybrid Exchange Setup? When It's Worth It
What is hybrid Exchange? A practical explainer of coexistence between on-prem Exchange and Microsoft 365, mail flow, free/busy, and when hybrid is overkill.
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a PST File? Outlook's Local Mailbox Explained
What a PST file is, the difference between ANSI and Unicode PSTs, why they are an admin headache, and how to import them into Exchange or Microsoft 365.
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an App Password? A Plain-English Guide
What an app password is, how to generate one in Gmail, Yahoo, and Apple, and when OAuth is the better path for connecting a migration tool.
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an MX Record? The DNS Switch Behind Cutover
What is an MX record, how priorities and TTLs work, and why flipping the MX record is the moment mail actually moves to your new provider.
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an OST File? Outlook's Offline Cache Explained
What an OST file is, how it relates to PST, why it locks to one Outlook profile, and how to recover mail from an orphaned OST during a migration.
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Autodiscover? Outlook's Setup Mechanism Explained
What is Autodiscover? A practical guide to how Outlook finds Exchange and Microsoft 365 settings, the DNS records involved, and why it breaks during migrations.
D
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DKIM? Signing Email So Receivers Trust You
What is DKIM, how the public key in DNS proves a message is genuine, what selectors are, and how to set up DKIM at the new provider before cutover.
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DMARC? A Plain-English Guide for Migrations
What is DMARC, how policy modes (none, quarantine, reject) work, and what changes during an email migration so your DKIM stays aligned.
I
O
P
S
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SMTP? A Plain-English Guide for Admins
What is SMTP, how it differs from IMAP/POP3, the ports and auth it uses, and where it fits during an email migration without breaking sending.
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SPF? Sender Policy Framework Explained
What is SPF, how the include mechanism works, why the 10-DNS-lookup limit matters, and how to update SPF cleanly when you switch email providers.
T
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the EML Format? A Plain-English Reference
What is an EML file? A practical explainer of the EML single-message format, how it's used in migrations, and how to bulk-import EMLs without losing data.
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the MBOX Format? A Practical Reference
What is mbox? A plain-English explainer of the MBOX mailbox format, its variants, and why it keeps showing up in real email migrations.