Choose the connection for each mailbox

Before you begin

• Bring your own working proxy if you need one. NodeMail does not supply or sell dedicated IP addresses.
• For Clash, have a subscription or YAML profile available. For manual SOCKS5, have the server host, port and any required credentials.
• Make sure the mail provider permits IMAP/SMTP access. A proxy changes the route; it does not grant mailbox access.

Set up in NodeMail

1. Open Settings and add the required configuration under Proxy Profiles: a Clash subscription, an imported Clash YAML file or a manual SOCKS node.
2. Open the mailbox account form. In Connection, choose Direct, Clash Node or Manual SOCKS5.
3. For Clash Node, select the profile and then a named node if available. Any leaves the node selection unspecified; choose a named node when you intend a particular binding.
4. For Manual SOCKS5, select the saved manual node. For Direct, no proxy profile is needed.
5. Save the account and wait for verification. Test incoming mail and send a message to an address you control; browser reachability alone does not test mail ports.
6. Select that single mailbox in the workspace when checking its public-IP status. Recheck the connection after changing the upstream profile or credentials.

Three connection choices

Direct uses the mailbox’s direct network connection. Clash Node uses a saved Clash profile and optional named node. Manual SOCKS5 uses a saved manual node.

The new-account form selects Clash Node when a Clash profile is already available; otherwise it starts with Direct. Always check the current choice before authorizing or saving the mailbox.

A saved binding and an upstream IP are different

The binding records which profile and node the account should use. Address stability, routing policy and availability also depend on your proxy provider and configuration.

NodeMail does not guarantee fixed or unshared IPs, uninterrupted connections, or prevention of account linking. Multiple mailboxes may use the same node.

Understand scope and rotation

The public-IP display belongs to a selected mailbox. With multiple accounts in All Mailboxes, NodeMail does not show a single address as the exit for all accounts.

When rotation is not enabled, accounts can use their own fixed node bindings independently. Active rotation within a shared profile introduces scheduling between node groups; it should not be described as continuous independent access on every node.

Troubleshooting

No profile is available in the account form

Add the matching profile type first. Clash Node lists Clash profiles; Manual SOCKS5 lists manual nodes. A profile of the other type will not appear in that selector.

The browser opens but mail times out

Check the IMAP and SMTP hosts, ports and encryption, and whether the upstream route permits those connections. A successful website request tests a different connection.

The address differs from what you expected

Check the selected account, profile and named node. Any does not identify a fixed node, and the upstream provider controls the public address. An account binding is not a promise of an exclusive IP.

Other mailboxes pause during node rotation

If rotation is enabled for a shared Clash profile, selecting a different node can pause accounts on other nodes while accounts on the active node resume. Review the shared profile’s rotation state before expecting every mailbox to stay connected simultaneously.

Related guides

• Manage multiple mailboxes in one Mac workspace
• Set up Gmail in NodeMail on your Mac
• Add Outlook or Hotmail with Microsoft OAuth
• All mailbox setup guides

References and maintenance

• NodeMail: Account and connection setup
• NodeMail: Privacy policy

NodeMail desktop-feature documentation maintainer

2026-09-12 — Added this guide on September 12, 2026; checked the account connection controls, saved binding, public-IP scope and shared-profile rotation behavior.

Found a changed setting? Contact support@nodemail.app.