IMAP is a
Email Protocol allowing a
Client to access and manipulate
Email messages on a
Server. It permits manipulation of remote message folders (mailboxes) in a way that is functionally equivalent to local mailboxes. IMAP includes operations for creating, deleting, and renaming mailboxes; checking for new messages; permanently removing messages; searching; and selective fetching of message attributes, texts, and portions thereof. It does not specify a means of posting mail; this function is handled by a mail transfer protocol such as
SMTP. IMAP is newer and more powerful than
POP, which is used for the same application area.