IMAP Tab

Connect your email inbox so Stellar can retrieve verification codes automatically.

The IMAP tab connects Stellar to an email inbox so it can automatically retrieve verification codes sent by supported retailers. These codes are also called OTPs (one-time passwords). Instead of copying a code from your inbox into Stellar yourself, IMAP lets Stellar read it when a task needs it.

In Stellar AIO 4.0, open IMAP directly from the sidebar. It is separate from Accounts, which stores your retailer login credentials. Older guides and videos may call an IMAP connection an “IMAP session.”

Video Guide

This video shows an older Stellar interface. The email setup concepts are still useful, but follow the written steps below for the current 4.0 buttons and layout.

Before you begin

• Use an inbox that receives the verification emails for the retail accounts you are running. If you use email forwarding, connect the inbox that receives the forwarded messages.
• Prepare the email provider’s required login method. Gmail requires an app password, not your normal Gmail password. An app password is a separate password generated by your email provider for an app such as Stellar.
• For retailer accounts used with Stellar, use email-and-password sign-in without account 2FA, passkeys or additional sign-in protections, unless the retailer guide specifies an exception. Amazon Request Login is the exception: keep Amazon’s required 2-Step Verification (2SV) authenticator setup and save its authenticator key as shown in the Amazon guide. These instructions concern retailer accounts, not your email inbox. Keep Gmail’s 2-Step Verification enabled so you can create and use its app password.

1. Prepare a Gmail app password

If you already have a working Gmail app password for Stellar, continue to the next section.

1. Sign into the Gmail account you want Stellar to read. Open your profile menu and choose Manage your Google Account.

Open Security (or Security & sign-in) and enable 2-Step Verification if it is not already on.

Search your Google Account settings for App passwords. Sign in again if Google asks you to. Create an app password with a recognizable name such as Stellar.

Copy the generated app password. You will paste it into Stellar’s Password / App Password field. Keep it private, just like a password.

The retained Google screenshots illustrate where to look; Google may change its layout. If App passwords is missing, check Google’s app-password help. Some account types or security settings may not offer it.

2. Add and connect your inbox

1. Open IMAP in Stellar’s sidebar.
2. Select Add Account.

The IMAP tab has its own account and connection controls in Stellar 4.0.

Complete the Add IMAP Account form:

• Account Name: A label you can recognize when selecting this inbox for tasks, such as Main Inbox.
• Host: Your email provider. Choose Gmail for a Gmail inbox, including a Gmail inbox receiving forwarded emails.
• Email: The full address of the inbox Stellar should read.
• Password / App Password: The password required by that provider. For Gmail, paste the app password you just generated.

Enter the inbox’s details, then select Add & Connect.

Select Add & Connect and check the account’s Status. Wait for Ready before relying on IMAP for your tasks. Ready confirms the inbox connection; it does not mean a retail task has logged in or checked out.

3. Select IMAP in your tasks

1. Open the appropriate retailer task group in Tasks.
2. Create or edit the task and find its verification-method selector. In current modes such as Target, this is called OTP Input. Select IMAP when you want Stellar to retrieve supported email codes automatically.
3. If the mode also offers an inbox selector, choose the connected inbox that receives that account’s verification emails. Fields vary by retailer and mode; follow the retailer guide, then save the task settings.
4. Follow the retailer’s guide to run the task. When that retailer emails a supported verification code, Stellar can retrieve it from the selected inbox.

Example: For Target, connect the inbox receiving your Target verification emails in the IMAP tab, then choose IMAP in the task’s OTP Input menu. The current Target form does not have the old IMAP Session selector. A connected inbox and the correct task verification method are both part of the setup.

IMAP reads email verification codes. It does not receive SMS codes or replace a captcha harvester.

Using tasks without IMAP

To enter codes yourself, choose Manual in the task’s OTP Input or verification-method selector when offered. When a code is required, Stellar opens a prompt for you to enter it. Do not assume that leaving an IMAP field empty selects Manual; follow the current retailer guide for that mode.

For manual code entry, install Google Chrome on the computer running Stellar and create at least one captcha harvester in Harvesters. Keep access to the relevant inbox so you can enter the code when prompted. IMAP is recommended for a faster, hands-free setup.

Optional: forward emails to one main inbox

A master email is simply one inbox that receives forwarded messages from your other email accounts. This lets you connect one inbox in Stellar instead of adding each source inbox separately.

1. Choose the inbox that will receive the forwarded messages.
2. Enable forwarding in each source email account and complete any confirmation required by the email provider.
3. Send a test email to each source address and confirm that it arrives in the main inbox.
4. Add the main inbox’s email address and app password to Stellar. Choose its provider as the Host.
5. Choose IMAP as the verification method in the relevant tasks. If the mode also offers an inbox selector, select the connected inbox receiving those emails.

Gmail forwarding: Open Gmail settings, choose See all settings → Forwarding and POP/IMAP → Add a forwarding address, and enter the main inbox address. Confirm the request from that inbox, then enable Forward a copy of incoming mail and save your changes.

Outlook forwarding: Use Outlook’s forwarding settings or a forwarding rule to send incoming mail to your main inbox. See Microsoft’s forwarding instructions for your Outlook version.

Using Outlook addresses with Stellar: Keep the forwarding approach from the previous guide: forward verification emails to a supported inbox such as Gmail, then connect that Gmail inbox in Stellar. Outlook.com requires Modern Authentication; a normal password or app password is not a substitute for that requirement.

Labels or filters can help you identify forwarded emails. Check forwarding periodically and make sure verification messages are reaching the inbox Stellar is connected to.

Managing your IMAP accounts

• Connect All / Disconnect All: Connect or disconnect your IMAP accounts. Disconnecting stops the inbox connection, so keep the required inbox connected while tasks need email codes.
• Search IMAP Accounts / All Statuses: Find an inbox or narrow the list by its status.
• Row controls: Use the account’s connect/disconnect control or edit icon to manage that inbox.
• More: Contains Show Passwords, Export CSV, and Delete Selected. Keep passwords and exported account files private.

Import several inboxes

Select Import, choose the Default Host, and enter one account per line. The form supports email;password and email:password. For Gmail, the password portion is the app password. Select Import & Connect, then check each account’s status. For a simple setup, import accounts from the same provider together.

If something is not working

• Login failed (check password / app password): Check the Host and full email address. For Gmail, confirm that you entered the app password and that 2-Step Verification is still enabled. Update the account details and reconnect.
• Ready, but a task is waiting for a code: Check that the task uses IMAP as its verification method and that the retailer’s email actually arrived in the connected inbox. If the mode offers an inbox selector, check that selection too. If you use forwarding, check both the source inbox and the destination inbox.
• Emails arrive in the wrong place: Review forwarding rules, filters, and spam folders. Test forwarding again before a drop.
• Manual code window is not appearing: Confirm Chrome is installed and at least one captcha harvester has been created on the computer running Stellar.

If you still need help, contact Stellar support with the status message and retailer you are running. Hide email credentials and app passwords in any screenshots.

---