AliCloud Enterprise Mail · Complete Setup Guide
AliCloud Enterprise Mail (including the "Foreign Trade Mail" bundled by Alibaba.com International) is a common enterprise email service for foreign trade. Binding it to Laifaxin requires two roles working together:
| Who | What | Required |
|---|---|---|
| Admin | Enable "Allow Third-Party Clients" + "IMAP/SMTP Service" in the console | Yes |
| You (user) | Generate the "Client Security Password" in the web UI | Yes |
→ When binding, fill the password field with the Client Security Password (not your AliCloud mail login password).
AliCloud Enterprise Mail has two editions, with different server addresses — don't mix them up:
| Edition | Login Entry | Server Prefix |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Enterprise Mail | qiye.aliyun.com | imap.qiye.aliyun.com |
| Foreign Trade Mail (bundled with International) | mail.alibaba.com | imap.alibaba.com |
→ Confirm which edition you have first, then copy the matching server address.
1. Server Parameters
Standard Enterprise Mail (qiye.aliyun.com)
| Protocol | Use | Server | SSL Port |
|---|---|---|---|
| IMAP | Receive | imap.qiye.aliyun.com | 993 |
| SMTP | Send | smtp.qiye.aliyun.com | 465 |
Foreign Trade Mail · Bundled with International (mail.alibaba.com)
| Protocol | Use | Server | SSL Port |
|---|---|---|---|
| IMAP | Receive | imap.alibaba.com | 993 |
| SMTP | Send | smtp.alibaba.com | 465 |
Encryption: SSL / TLS
2. Admin: Enable 2 Services in the Console (Role 1)
Before the user can generate a password, the enterprise admin enables two services in the console.
2.1 Enable "Allow Third-Party Clients"
- Log in to the admin console at qiye.aliyun.com/admin
- Go to Security Management → Account Security Policy
- Find Allow Use of Third-Party Clients and enable it — you can enable it for all members / a specific department / specific accounts. Best practice: principle of least privilege — enable only for members who actually need third-party clients
2.2 Enable "IMAP/SMTP Service"
- In the admin console, edit the specific user account
- Check Enable IMAP/SMTP Service and save
Foreign Trade Mail (mail.alibaba.com) users should check and enable the IMAP/SMTP service in the mailbox settings page.
3. User: Generate the Client Security Password (Role 2)
After the admin authorizes, the mailbox user logs in to their own web mailbox.
3.1 Enable the Feature and Generate the Password
- Go to mailbox settings → Account & Security
- Find Third-Party Client Security Password and enable it
- Click Generate New Password
3.2 Complete Phone Verification
Follow the prompt and complete phone code verification:
3.3 Add a Note → Copy the Password
The password is generated → add a purpose note (we suggest Laifaxin) → click OK → copy the password immediately:
Generated passwords appear in a list. When a device is no longer used, delete the corresponding password in the list — access from that device is revoked immediately without affecting other devices.
4. Bind in Laifaxin
Go to Laifaxin email account and add the AliCloud enterprise mailbox:
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Email address | Full enterprise email, e.g. yourname@yourcompany.com |
| Password | Paste the Client Security Password (NOT the login password!) |
| IMAP server | Standard imap.qiye.aliyun.com / Foreign Trade imap.alibaba.com · Port 993 · SSL |
| SMTP server | Standard smtp.qiye.aliyun.com / Foreign Trade smtp.alibaba.com · Port 465 · SSL |
Once verified, the mailbox status shows Normal — binding successful:
After binding, turn on mail sync + notifications (see Check New Emails).
Pitfall Summary
| Pitfall | Consequence | How to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Standard edition entered with Foreign Trade Mail's server (or vice versa) | Send/receive fails | Confirm the edition first: qiye.aliyun.com → *.qiye.aliyun.com; mail.alibaba.com → *.alibaba.com |
| Admin didn't enable "Third-Party Client" / "IMAP/SMTP" | User can't generate a password / binding fails | Admin must complete the 2 console settings in section 2 |
| Binding with the AliCloud login password | Authentication failed | Must use the Client Security Password, not the login password |
| Closed popup without copying | Password lost | Go to "Account & Security", delete the old one, regenerate |
| Port set to 25 / 143 | No encryption / blocked | Use SSL: IMAP 993 / SMTP 465 |
| Using enterprise mailbox for bulk sending | Company domain goes to spam, hurts the whole org | Use a quality channel for bulk; reserve the enterprise mailbox for 1-on-1 |
FAQ
Q1 · What's the difference between the Standard edition and Foreign Trade Mail?
The core functionality is similar; the main difference is the server addresses:
| Dimension | Standard Enterprise Mail | Foreign Trade Mail (Intl. bundle) |
|---|---|---|
| Login entry | qiye.aliyun.com | mail.alibaba.com |
| IMAP / SMTP | *.qiye.aliyun.com | *.alibaba.com |
| Source | Paid by the company | Bundled with Alibaba.com International |
→ Same setup flow, only the server addresses differ. Confirm your edition first.
Q2 · Why does the admin need to enable permissions first?
This is the enterprise mailbox's security policy: the company centrally controls "third-party app access" to prevent employees from arbitrarily authorizing apps to access corporate mail data.
→ Without "Allow Third-Party Clients" + "IMAP/SMTP Service" enabled by the admin, the user has no entry point even to generate a password. If you are the admin yourself, perform both roles.
Q3 · What if I forget / lose the Client Security Password?
Cannot be recovered, but easy to handle — AliCloud's client passwords are manageable and revocable:
- Log in to the web UI → Account & Security → Third-Party Client Security Password
- Delete the old password entry in the list
- Click Generate New Password to create a new one → re-bind in Laifaxin
Q4 · Is an admin always required for AliCloud Enterprise Mail setup?
Yes. "Allow Third-Party Clients" and "IMAP/SMTP Service" must be enabled by the admin in the console. Only after that can the user generate the Client Security Password.
→ If you're not the admin, ask your company IT / mailbox admin to enable it first.
Q5 · Is AliCloud Enterprise Mail suitable for foreign trade?
Yes. Especially Foreign Trade Mail — it's purpose-built by Alibaba for International users, integrated with the Alibaba.com International ecosystem, well-suited to foreign trade.
But bulk sending should still go through a quality channel — sending bulk directly from the enterprise mailbox damages the company domain reputation.
Q6 · How many emails can I send per day with AliCloud? How to warm up?
The daily send limit varies by plan; don't run outreach at the cap:
| Stage | Daily send | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 (newly bound) | Start at 50 | 5–10 min interval |
| Weeks 2–4 | 100–200 | Watch bounce rate (keep ≤ 3%) |
| Stable phase | Up to 300 | Bulk sends via quality channel |
Learning Suggestions
| Stage | Suggestion |
|---|---|
| Confirm the edition first | Standard or Foreign Trade Mail? Determines which server set to use |
| Admin enables the 2 services | Allow Third-Party Clients + IMAP/SMTP Service |
| User generates the password | Account & Security → Third-Party Client Security Password → Generate |
| One client, one password + note | Each client gets its own password with a clear note (e.g. Laifaxin / iPhone Mail) |
| Periodic cleanup | Delete passwords for devices you no longer use, in the password list |
| Use a quality channel for bulk | For mass sends, don't send directly from the enterprise mailbox — use the quality channel |
Related Features
| Topic | Link | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Enterprise Mailbox Overview | 200-qiyeyouxiang-enterprise-mailbox | Quick reference for 7 major enterprise mailboxes |
| 263 Enterprise Mail | 202-263-qiyeyouxiang-263-business-mail | Another Chinese enterprise mailbox setup |
| Email Account Setup | email-account | Binding flow + error code troubleshooting |
| Check New Emails | check-new-emails | Turn on sync after binding |
| Bulk Sending | email-mass-sending | Use a quality channel for mass sends |
Scroll to the bottom of this page and scan the support WeChat QR code (in the footer) for 1-on-1 help — real-time during business hours, replied first thing the next morning otherwise.
About AliCloud Enterprise Mail
What is AliCloud Enterprise Mail?
AliCloud Enterprise Mail is AliCloud's self-developed enterprise email service — stable, secure, professional. After binding DingTalk with the mailbox account, employees can send/receive email through DingTalk chat-style, with calendar sync across devices.
It has two common editions:
| Edition | Description |
|---|---|
| Standard Enterprise Mail | Paid by the company, uses own domain, qiye.aliyun.com |
| Foreign Trade Mail | Bundled by Alibaba.com International as a member benefit, mail.alibaba.com |
Is Foreign Trade Mail worth using?
Worth using for foreign trade teams. Foreign Trade Mail is purpose-built by Alibaba for International sellers:
- Integrated with the Alibaba.com International account ecosystem
- Free for International members — low cost
- Uses own domain — looks professional to overseas clients
→ If your team is already on Alibaba.com International, Foreign Trade Mail is the natural choice.
AliCloud Client Security Password Mechanism
AliCloud Enterprise Mail uses the Client Security Password to isolate third-party clients from the main account:
| Dimension | Login password | Client Security Password |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Log in to AliCloud web mailbox | For third-party clients (Laifaxin, etc.) |
| Generation | Set at registration | Generated under "Account & Security" in the web UI, requires phone verification |
| Management | — | List-based management, can delete individual entries |
| Leak risk | Main account compromised | Only that device affected, delete to invalidate |
→ Setting up Laifaxin requires the Client Security Password, not the login password.
AliCloud Enterprise Mail Setup Summary
- Admin: Console → enable "Allow Third-Party Clients" + "IMAP/SMTP Service"
- User: Web UI "Account & Security" → enable "Third-Party Client Security Password" → generate (phone verification)
- Add note, copy password
- Bind in Laifaxin: Email + Client Security Password + server parameters for the matching edition
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