Written by Jennifer Walsh. Reviewed for technical accuracy by Shubham Dixit, Independent Expert in Email Forensics and Data File Conversion.
Shubham is an independent external reviewer and not an employee of PCDOTS.
Quick answer. AOL Mail has no import on its website, and it will not accept your normal password from an email client. To import EML to AOL Mail, generate an app-specific password, add AOL as an IMAP account in Thunderbird or Apple Mail, and drop your EML files into an AOL folder so they sync up. A tool can upload them in bulk.
On this page
How EML gets into AOL Mail?
Two facts about AOL shape this whole task. First, the AOL Mail website has no import, there is nowhere to upload an EML file through the browser. Second, AOL Mail is an IMAP service, so the way in is a mail client, you connect a client to your AOL account, drop the EML files into an AOL folder, and they sync up to your account.
There is one catch that trips almost everyone, and it is worth knowing before you start. AOL will not accept your normal password from Thunderbird, Apple Mail or Outlook. You have to create an app-specific password first. Sort that out and the rest is genuinely quick.
The mail rides in through a client, but AOL’s door only opens with an app-specific password.
“Ninety percent of the trouble people have moving mail into AOL is the password. AOL, like Yahoo, blocks your normal password from outside clients, so Thunderbird just keeps saying the login failed, and folks assume the EML is the problem when it is not. Generate the app-specific password first and the connection works on the first try. After that, EML into AOL is ordinary IMAP, you drop the files in a folder and they sync up, attachments and all.” Shubham Dixit, Email Migration reviewer (draft, pending approval)
First, the app-specific password
Do this before you touch a mail client, it saves the most common headache. Because AOL uses extra sign-in security, your everyday AOL password will not work from a third-party client, you need a one-off app-specific password.
Sign in to AOL, open your account security settings, find Generate app password or Manage app passwords, and create one for mail. AOL shows you a short password once, copy it. That is what you type into the client or the tool in place of your normal password.
Import the EML through a client
With the app-specific password ready, any IMAP client works, Thunderbird, Apple Mail or Outlook. The idea is the same in each, add AOL, then move the EML into an AOL folder.
Add AOL as an IMAP account. In your client, add your AOL address as an IMAP account. The incoming server is imap.aol.com, port 993, with SSL. Use the app-specific password when it asks.
Bring the EML in. EML files can usually be dragged straight into a folder. In Thunderbird you can also use the free ImportExportTools NG add-on to import a folder of EML files at once.
Move them into AOL. Drag the imported messages into a folder under your AOL account in the client. Because it is IMAP, they upload to AOL as you drop them and appear in AOL Mail shortly after, with their attachments.
The bulk way, a tool
Here is where EML gets awkward, it is one file per message, so a big archive can be hundreds or thousands of little files, and dragging those through a client is slow. For that, a converter uploads them to AOL over IMAP directly. The PCDOTS EML Converter loads EML files or a whole folder and sends them straight into your AOL account over IMAP, in bulk, keeping attachments and headers. Two honest notes, it runs on Windows, and it needs the same app-specific password any outside connection to AOL does. A free version uploads the first ten items per folder so you can test it first.
EML is one file per message, so a large set is a lot of files to move at once.
The tool route, for a large set of EML files.
Here are the steps with the screens.
Step 1. Install and run the converter on Windows, then open the menu.
Step 2. Choose Email Data Files, EML, and add your files or folder.
Step 3. Open the Export menu and select IMAP.
Step 4. Enter your AOL address, imap.aol.com and the app-specific password, then Save to upload.
For related EML tasks, see our guides to import EML files to Thunderbird and, for AOL’s sibling service, import mail into Yahoo, and you can open a message first with a free EML file viewer.
The methods compared
Both need the app-specific password. Match the route to how many EML files you have.
| Method | Best for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| IMAP client, drag into AOL | A handful of EML, free | imap.aol.com, app password needed |
| Thunderbird with the add-on | A folder of EML, free | Import many, then drag to AOL |
| EML Converter tool | Hundreds of EML files | Windows, uploads over IMAP |
Frequently asked questions
Can I import EML in the AOL Mail website?
No. AOL’s website has no import. You add AOL to an IMAP client, drop the EML into an AOL folder, and it syncs up to your account.
Why does AOL reject my password in Thunderbird?
AOL blocks normal passwords from third-party clients. You need an app-specific password, generate one in your AOL account security settings and use that instead.
What are the AOL IMAP settings?
The incoming server is imap.aol.com on port 993 with SSL, and you sign in with your AOL address and the app-specific password rather than your normal one.
How do I import EML to AOL Mail for free?
Create an app-specific password, add AOL as an IMAP account in Thunderbird or Apple Mail, then drag your EML files into an AOL folder so they upload.
Do attachments come across?
Yes. EML files carry their attachments, and moving them over IMAP uploads the full message, attachments and headers included.
Can I import a lot of EML files at once?
Yes. Thunderbird’s add-on imports a folder at once, and a converter uploads a large batch to AOL over IMAP, which is far quicker than dragging hundreds of files.
Sort the password, then it is easy
If you take one thing from this, let it be the order. Generate the AOL app-specific password before anything else, because that single step is what blocks most people, and once it is done the rest is plain IMAP. Add AOL to Thunderbird or Apple Mail with imap.aol.com and that password, then drag your EML into an AOL folder and let it sync. Save the converter for when you have a large pile of EML files and dragging would take all afternoon. Get the password right first, and importing EML to AOL Mail turns out to be one of the easier moves you will make.
