IMAP

Internet Messaging Access Protocol (IMAP) is the internet standard responsible for retrieving emails from a receiving email server and placing them in recipients’ inboxes.

When an email travels from a sender’s email address to a receiver’s inbox, it’s relayed via the Application Programming Interface (API) or Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) to an email exchange server. Then, the API or SMTP relays the message onward to a receiving email server, which accepts or rejects the email. If it accepts, the email waits there until the receiver is ready to retrieve the message. At this point, IMAP delivers the email to the recipient’s inbox.