{"id":19365,"date":"2025-03-21T23:33:15","date_gmt":"2025-03-22T05:33:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.alavista.mx\/?p=19365"},"modified":"2025-04-08T12:30:03","modified_gmt":"2025-04-08T18:30:03","slug":"mensaje-recuperado-en-el-servidor-al-importar-correos-a-gmail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alavista.mx\/en\/mensaje-recuperado-en-el-servidor-al-importar-correos-a-gmail\/","title":{"rendered":"05. When importing emails to Gmail, what does &quot;Leave a copy of the retrieved message on the server&quot; mean?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Gmail offers the option to import emails from other accounts to consolidate message management into a single inbox. Within this setting, there&#039;s one option that often raises questions: <strong>\u201cLeave a copy of the recovered message on the server\u201d<\/strong>In this article, we explain what it means, how it works, and when you should check or uncheck it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>So, should you check or not check \u201cLeave a copy of the retrieved message on the server\u201d in Gmail?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How does this option work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When Gmail imports emails from another account, you can do one of two things:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Keep a copy on the original server<\/strong> (checked): Gmail downloads emails, but does not delete them from the source account.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Move emails to Gmail and delete them from the original server<\/strong> (unchecked): Gmail attempts to delete messages from the source server once they have been imported.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>This setting directly impacts the availability of emails in the original account after the import.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When should I check \u201cLeave a copy of the retrieved message on the server\u201d?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Checking this option is recommended if:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>You access your email from different devices or email clients.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You want to make sure a copy of your emails remains on the original server as a backup.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You have no space problems in the original account.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Advantages of checking the box:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2714 Allows you to access emails from multiple platforms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2714 Prevents accidental loss of important emails. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2714 Facilitates a gradual transition to Gmail without affecting the original account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Disadvantages:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u274c May result in excessive space consumption in the source account. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u274c Does not free up storage in the original account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When to uncheck it?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If the box is unchecked, Gmail will attempt to delete emails from the original server after importing them. This is recommended if:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>You want to completely migrate your emails to Gmail.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You want to free up space in the source account.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You don&#039;t need to access emails from the original account.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Advantages of unchecking the box:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2714 Reduces storage consumption on the original account. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2714 Centralize all your information in Gmail. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2714 Avoid the accumulation of duplicate emails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Disadvantages:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u274c This could result in lost emails if something goes wrong during import. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u274c Some servers do not allow automatic deletion of emails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The relationship with the POP3 protocol<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Gmail uses the protocol <strong>POP3 (Post Office Protocol version 3)<\/strong> to import emails. This protocol traditionally downloads messages and deletes them from the original server. However, the &quot;leave a copy&quot; option is an extension that allows you to keep them in the source account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#039;s important to note that some email providers may ignore Gmail settings and not delete emails, even if the box is unchecked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Summary of implications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><th>Configuration<\/th><th>Effect on the original server<\/th><th>Effect on Gmail<\/th><th>Recommended if\u2026<\/th><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Checked box<\/strong><\/td><td>Keeps a copy of the emails<\/td><td>Copy emails and back them up<\/td><td>You need access from multiple devices or an additional backup.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Unchecked box<\/strong><\/td><td>Gmail attempts to delete emails (not always guaranteed)<\/td><td>Copy emails and back them up<\/td><td>You want to completely migrate to Gmail and free up space in your original account.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final conclusions and recommendations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To properly configure email import in Gmail, follow these recommendations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2705 <strong>If you access your email from multiple devices or clients<\/strong>, check the box to keep a copy on the original server. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2705 <strong>If you are migrating your email to Gmail and want to free up space<\/strong>, uncheck the box (but check your email provider&#039;s settings to make sure the emails are actually deleted). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2705 <strong>Monitor storage space<\/strong> from the original account after the import to confirm that the settings are working as you expect. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2705 <strong>Check with your email provider<\/strong> If you have any questions about how to handle message deletion after import.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Regardless of the settings you choose, all imported emails will remain secure in your Gmail account. The key is to choose the settings that best suit your needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We hope this guide helps you better manage your Gmail!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Sources cited<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Configure Gmail as your Mail Client \u2013 Valice, accessed: March 21, 2025, <a href=\"https:\/\/valice.com\/docs\/configure-gmail-as-your-mail-client\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/valice.com\/docs\/configure-gmail-as-your-mail-client\/<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How to import your domain email account into your Gmail account \u2013 HostPapa, accessed: March 21, 2025, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hostpapa.com\/knowledgebase\/how-to-import-your-domain-email-account-into-your-gmail-account\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.hostpapa.com\/knowledgebase\/how-to-import-your-domain-email-account-into-your-gmail-account\/<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Setup POP3 and SMTP for Gmail \u2013 Support | one.com, accessed: March 21, 2025, <a href=\"https:\/\/help.one.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/115005887045-Setup-POP3-and-SMTP-for-Gmail\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/help.one.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/115005887045-Setup-POP3-and-SMTP-for-Gmail<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Check mail from other accounts using POP3 \u2013 YouTube, accessed: March 21, 2025, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Lz5YT4vORZo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Lz5YT4vORZo<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Gmail doesn&#039;t delete mails from other account&#039;s server after importing, accessed: March 21, 2025, <a href=\"https:\/\/webapps.stackexchange.com\/questions\/30115\/gmail-doesn-t-delete-mails-from-other-accounts-server-after-importing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/webapps.stackexchange.com\/questions\/30115\/gmail-doesn-t-delete-mails-from-other-accounts-server-after-importing<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gmail offers the option to import emails from other accounts to consolidate message management into a single inbox. Within this setting, there&#039;s one option that often raises questions: &quot;Leave a copy of the retrieved message on the server.&quot; In this article, we explain what it means, how it works, and when you should select or unselect it.<\/p>\n<p>So, should you check or not check \u201cLeave a copy of the retrieved message on the server\u201d in Gmail?<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":19366,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19365","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tips"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alavista.mx\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19365","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alavista.mx\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alavista.mx\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alavista.mx\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alavista.mx\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19365"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.alavista.mx\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19365\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19716,"href":"https:\/\/www.alavista.mx\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19365\/revisions\/19716"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alavista.mx\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19366"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alavista.mx\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19365"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alavista.mx\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19365"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alavista.mx\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19365"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}