Step By Step Synology Email Backup Guide

Email backups on Synology NAS or normal desktops are rarely set up because someone feels inspired to do it. They are usually set up after something breaks, goes missing, or becomes difficult to retrieve at the exact moment it is needed. A Synology NAS is a bit different, because it shifts email from being a remote service you hope behaves well into something you can treat like any other local system you maintain.

This Step By Step Synology Email Backup Guide focuses on turning your idea of a reliable backup system into a working setup using Mail Backup X on a Synology NAS. The guide walks through how the system is installed, how it runs once left alone, and what you should expect to see when it is doing its job correctly.

The goal is to reach a stable, repeatable state where email backups exist on Synology NAS under a predictable state.

Here is step by step guide with screenshots :- https://mailbackupxforsynology.mailbackupx.com/

Phase 1: Installing the Container Environment

To run Mail Backup X and start backing up emails on your Synology NAS, you must first have the environment necessary to host containers. Synology provides this through the Container Manager package.

Begin by accessing the DiskStation Manager (DSM) interface through your web browser.

Once logged in, open the Package Center and use the search function to locate "Container Manager” or “Docker.”

Initiate the installation and wait for the system to complete the process. It won’t take more than two minutes.

Once installed, you will find Container Manager (or Docker) in your main application menu. You can open it and see your system's current container resource usage and health.

 Phase 2: Acquiring the Mail Backup X Image

With the environment ready, the next step in this process of setting up Synology NAS email backup setup is to download the Mail Backup X software image from the public registry.

Within Container Manager, navigate to the Registry tab. It’s on the left sidebar/navigation panel. Then Search for the official Mail Backup X image and select the desired version or tag, typically the "latest" build is preferred for standard deployments.

After selecting the image, the NAS will begin downloading the files. You can monitor this progress in the Image tab, where the software will appear once it is fully downloaded and ready for deployment.

Phase 3: Network and Port Configuration

Now, the process involves configuring how the container communicates with your local network.

Create a new container using the downloaded image. During the initial setup, you will be prompted to choose a network mode; selecting the "bridge" network is generally the most effective way to allow the container to communicate while remaining isolated.

You must also define a port mapping. This maps a local port on your Synology NAS to the internal port used by the container, allowing you to access the Mail Backup X web interface through your browser using your NAS IP address.

Phase 4: Storage and Volume Mapping

For your email backups to persist across updates or system restarts, the container must be linked to a physical folder on your NAS.

Navigate to the volume settings within the container creation wizard. You will need to map a folder on your Synology NAS to the internal data directory of the container. If you do not already have a dedicated directory, you can create a new folder (e.g., "Mail-Backups") directly through the file selection dialog. Confirming this mapping ensures that all email data downloaded by the software is saved directly onto your NAS hard drives rather than inside the temporary container storage.

Phase 5: Initial Initialization and Activation

Once the container is running, the remainder of the setup takes place within the Mail Backup X web interface.

Access the interface by entering your NAS IP address followed by the port number assigned earlier.

On your first visit, you can login with the default credentials, and then you will be required to change the default administrative credentials to secure the installation.

At this stage, you will also be presented with licensing options. If you are evaluating the software, you can activate the trial version to access the full feature set for a limited period. Once the trial or license is active, the dashboard will initialize.

Phase 6: Configuring Authentication Helpers

To back up modern email services like Gmail, the software requires a secure link with the account. This is facilitated using an OAuth extension available on Chrome Extension store.

For the most seamless experience, install the Mail Backup X OAuth Helper extension in your web browser. This extension assists in the secure exchange of authentication tokens between Google’s servers and the application running on your NAS. This is a one-time configuration step that simplifies the process of granting the necessary permissions for email access.

 Phase 7: Creating Backup Profiles

The final step is to select the very email account that you want to back up on your Synology NAS device.

After the tool is activated (via license or trial version), you will be able to access the main dashboard.

From the dashboard, create a new backup profile. You will select the service provider, such as Google or Outlook, and follow the authentication prompts to grant Mail Backup X access to the mailbox.

Once authenticated, you have to define the backup settings:

-          choosing specific folders to include or exclude

-          setting the frequency of the backup tasks.

After the profile is saved, the system will begin the initial ingestion of your emails.

Completion and Verification

With the profiles active, Mail Backup X will operate in the background as a persistent service for email backup on your Synology NAS. You can verify the integrity of your backups by navigating to the dashboard, where you can view imported emails, check the status of multiple accounts, and review activity logs.

The system is now fully configured as a stable, local archive of your digital correspondence, ensuring that your data remains accessible and secure regardless of the status of your live email provider.

From here, the setup does not really “end” so much as it recedes. The Synology NAS email backup you have created continues to grow, shaped by real usage rather than configuration choices. Over days and weeks, its value becomes clearer in small, practical moments, such as when a message needs to be referenced, an attachment needs to be recovered, or an account changes and the historical record remains intact.

If the system is currently running under a trial, this period functions as a live proving ground rather, allowing you to see how the archive behaves over time, how it fits into your workflow, and whether it earns a permanent place on your NAS. If you are already using a licensed version, the same logic applies: the work now is simply to let the system run and do what it was set up to do – to back up your emails on Synology NAS with precision and reliability.