Set Up Roundcube Webmail on DirectAdmin

Roundcube is the open-source webmail client bundled with DirectAdmin. It lets you read, compose, and manage your @domain email from any web browser — no software installation required. Whether you're on Windows, macOS, Android, or iOS, you can access your business email just by visiting a URL.

This guide covers everything from creating your email account in DirectAdmin, accessing Roundcube for the first time, configuring your sender identity and signature, setting up mail filters, and troubleshooting common issues.

Step 1: Create an Email Account in DirectAdmin

Before using Roundcube, you need at least one email account. If you already have one, skip to Step 2.

1. Log in to DirectAdmin at yourdomain.com:2222
2. Navigate to Email Manager → Email Accounts
3. Click Create Account
4. Fill in the details:
   • Username: the part before @ (e.g., info, support, hello)
   • Password: use a strong password — at least 12 characters with numbers and symbols
   • Quota: disk space for this mailbox — 1,000 MB or more is recommended for active use
5. Click Create to save

Step 2: Access Roundcube Webmail

Option A: Through DirectAdmin

1. Log in to DirectAdmin → Email Manager → Webmail
2. Select Roundcube from the webmail client list
3. You'll be redirected to the Roundcube login page
4. Enter your full email address (e.g., [email protected]) and your password

Option B: Direct URL

You can bookmark and access Roundcube directly without logging into DirectAdmin:

https://yourdomain.com/roundcube/
# or
https://webmail.yourdomain.com/

Step 3: Configure Roundcube for the First Time

Set Your Display Name and Signature

1. Click the Settings gear icon in the top-right corner
2. Go to Identities
3. Click your email address to edit it
4. Set Display Name — this is what recipients see as the sender name (e.g., "AsiaGB Support Team")
5. Add a Signature with your name, title, phone, and website
6. Enable HTML Signature if you want to include formatting or a logo image
7. Click Save

Set Your Timezone

1. Settings → Preferences → User Interface
2. Select your Timezone (e.g., Asia/Bangkok for UTC+7)
3. Choose your preferred Date Format
4. Save

Adjust the Reading Pane Layout

Go to Settings → Preferences → Mailbox View to choose how messages are displayed. The "horizontal split" view (list on top, preview below) works well for most users. Set "Messages per page" to 25–50 depending on your preference.

Composing and Managing Email

Sending Email with Attachments

Click Compose to open the message editor:

• To: type recipient addresses (separate multiple with a comma or press Enter)
• CC / BCC: click the "+ CC" or "+ BCC" links to expand those fields
• Subject: keep it specific and descriptive
• Body: switch between Plain Text and HTML (Rich Text) using the toolbar
• Attach files: click the paperclip icon or drag files directly into the compose window

Creating Folders

Roundcube includes default folders: Inbox, Sent, Drafts, Junk, Trash. Create custom folders to stay organized:

1. Right-click in the left-side Folders panel
2. Select Create Folder
3. Name it (e.g., "Clients", "Invoices", "Project-Alpha")
4. Choose a parent folder if you want nested organization

Automatic Mail Filters (Sieve)

Roundcube supports server-side Sieve filters that automatically sort, move, or flag incoming email:

1. Go to Settings → Filters
2. Click Create Filter
3. Define a condition (e.g., "From contains @newsletter.example") and an action (e.g., "Move to Newsletters folder")
4. Save — the filter runs on the server, so it works even when Roundcube is not open

Using Roundcube Alongside an Email Client

Roundcube and desktop/mobile email clients (Outlook, Thunderbird, Apple Mail) can be used simultaneously — all connected via IMAP to the same mailbox. Reading an email in Roundcube marks it as read in Outlook too, and vice versa.

IMAP / SMTP Settings for Your Email Client

# Incoming Mail (IMAP)
Server: mail.yourdomain.com
Port: 993 (SSL/TLS)  or  143 (STARTTLS)
Encryption: SSL/TLS

# Outgoing Mail (SMTP)
Server: mail.yourdomain.com
Port: 465 (SSL/TLS)  or  587 (STARTTLS)
Encryption: SSL/TLS

# Authentication
Username: your full email address (e.g., [email protected])
Password: your email account password

Troubleshooting Common Issues

"Wrong Username or Password" on Login

• Make sure you're entering your full email address as the username — not just the local part before @
• Passwords are case-sensitive — check Caps Lock
• Reset the password in DirectAdmin → Email Manager → Edit Account

Cannot Send Email (SMTP Error)

• Check that your Hosting plan has email sending enabled
• Verify your SPF record is correctly configured in DNS
• Contact AsiaGB support to check if SMTP is blocked on port 465 for your account

Inbox Quota Full — New Email Bouncing

• Log in to Roundcube and move old emails to a subfolder or delete them
• Empty the Trash folder (Roundcube does not auto-empty trash)
• Increase the quota for the account in DirectAdmin → Email Manager

Setting Up Vacation Auto-Reply in Roundcube

When you're away from the office or on holiday, Roundcube can automatically reply to incoming messages using a server-side Vacation Notice (powered by Sieve):

1. Go to Settings → Filters → Vacation Notice
2. Enable Activate Vacation
3. Enter a Subject — e.g., "Out of Office: Back on January 15, 2026"
4. Write your Message Body — include your return date and an emergency contact if needed
5. Set the Interval — number of days before the same sender receives another auto-reply (7 days is a sensible default)
6. Save

Roundcube Security Best Practices

Business email accounts are frequent targets for phishing and brute-force attacks. These habits will significantly improve your security:

Use a strong, unique password

Your email account password should be at least 12 characters long, mixing upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Never reuse the same password for DirectAdmin, FTP, or other services — a compromise of one will not cascade to others.

Recognise phishing attempts

Never click links in emails asking you to enter credentials, even if the message appears to come from a bank or familiar service provider. Always type URLs directly in your browser. Always check the actual From address (not just the display name) before acting on a request.

Review your Sent Items after logging in

If your account is compromised, spam is often sent without your knowledge and appears in Sent Items. Making it a habit to glance at Sent Items helps you catch unusual activity early.

Quick reference — warning signs

Using Roundcube on Mobile

Roundcube is fully responsive and works in mobile browsers. You can add it to your Home Screen like a native app — no App Store download needed:

Add to Home Screen on iOS (Safari)

1. Open Safari and navigate to your Roundcube URL
2. Tap the Share button (box with an arrow pointing up)
3. Select Add to Home Screen
4. Name it (e.g., "Work Email") and tap Add

Add to Home Screen on Android (Chrome)

1. Open Chrome and navigate to your Roundcube URL
2. Tap the three-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner
3. Select Add to Home screen
4. Confirm the name and tap Add

Roundcube vs OX App Suite

Roundcube covers all basic email needs. For teams that need integrated calendar, task management, and cloud storage, AsiaGB's Professional Email with OX App Suite at 71.87 THB/user/month offers a more complete platform:

• Roundcube — email-only, included free with all Hosting plans
• OX App Suite — email + calendar + contacts + tasks + cloud drive; ideal for businesses

FAQ

Where does Roundcube store my emails?

All emails remain on the mail server via IMAP. Roundcube is purely a web interface — it does not download emails to your local device. This means you can access your full mailbox from any device at any time, but you need sufficient mailbox quota on the server.

Can I use Roundcube on my phone?

Yes — Roundcube is fully responsive and works in mobile browsers. However, for a native app experience on Android or iOS, you may prefer to set up your email account using IMAP in the default Mail app or Gmail app with the settings shown above.

How do I add an email alias identity in Roundcube?

Go to Settings → Identities → Add Identity. Enter the alias address (e.g., [email protected]) as the email. When you compose a new message, you can choose which identity to send from using the "From" dropdown.