---
name: "doveadm-import"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "dovecot"
version: "2.4.5-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/doveadm-import"
---

# doveadm-import(1)

Import messages matching given search query

## NAME

**doveadm-import** - Import messages matching given search query

## SYNOPSIS

**doveadm** \[*GLOBAL OPTIONS*\] **import** \[**-S** *socket\_path*\] \[**-U** *source\_user*\] \[**-s**\] **-A** *source\_mail\_driver*:*source\_mail\_path*

**doveadm** \[*GLOBAL OPTIONS*\] **import** \[**-S** *socket\_path*\] \[**-U** *source\_user*\] \[**-s**\] **-F** *file* *source\_mail\_driver*:*source\_mail\_path*

**doveadm** \[*GLOBAL OPTIONS*\] **import** \[**-S** *socket\_path*\] \[**-U** *source\_user*\] \[**-s**\] **-u** *user* *source\_mail\_driver*:*source\_mail\_path*

## DESCRIPTION

This command can be used to import mails from another mail storage specified by *source\_mail\_driver*, *source\_mail\_path*, and other settings specified via **-p** parameters to one or more user's mailboxes. All the mailboxes are imported under the given *dest\_parent* mailbox, or to root level if *dest\_parent* is empty (""). The *search\_query* can be used to restrict which mailboxes or messages are imported. By default the import is done in destination user's context, you can use -U to change this.

In the first form, the mails will be imported for all users.

In the second form, the mails will be imported for all users listed in the given *file*.

In the final form, the mails will be imported only for given *user* (s).

## GLOBAL OPTIONS

Global [doveadm(1)](/doveadm/1.md) *options*:

- **-D**

  Enables *verbosity* and debug messages.

- **-O**

  Do not read any config file, just use defaults. The **dovecot\_storage\_version** setting defaults to the latest version, but can be overridden with **-o**.

- **-k**

  Preserve entire environment for doveadm, not just **import\_environment** setting.

- **-v**

  Enables verbosity, including progress counter.

- **-i** *instance-name*

  If using multiple Dovecot instances, choose the config file based on this instance name.

  See **instance\_name** setting for more information.

- **-c** *config-file*

  Read configuration from the given *config-file*. By default it first reads config socket, and then falls back to */etc/dovecot/dovecot.conf*. You can also point this to config socket of some instance running compatible version.

- **-o** *setting***=***value*

  Overrides the configuration *setting* from */etc/dovecot/dovecot.conf* and from the userdb with the given *value*. In order to override multiple settings, the **-o** option may be specified multiple times.

## OPTIONS

- **-A**

  If the **-A** option is present, the *command* will be performed for all users. Using this option in combination with system users from **userdb { driver = passwd }** is not recommended, because it contains also users with a lower UID than the one configured with the **first\_valid\_uid** setting.

  When the SQL userdb module is used, make sure that the **userdb\_sql\_iterate\_query** setting setting matches your database layout.

  When using the LDAP userdb module, make sure that the **userdb\_fields** setting and **userdb\_ldap\_iterate\_fields** setting settings match your LDAP schema. Otherwise [doveadm(1)](/doveadm/1.md) will be unable to iterate over all users.

- **-F** *file*

  Execute the *command* for all the users in the *file*. This is similar to the **-A** option, but instead of getting the list of users from the userdb, they are read from the given *file*. The *file* contains one username per line.

- **--no-userdb-lookup**

  Do not perform userdb lookup. Use the **USER** environment variable to specify the username.

- **-S** *socket\_path*

  The option's argument is either an absolute path to a local UNIX domain socket, or a hostname and port (*hostname*:*port*), in order to connect a remote host via a TCP socket.

  This allows an administrator to execute [doveadm(1)](/doveadm/1.md) mail commands through the given socket.

- **-p** *setting***=***value*

  Overrides the configuration *setting* for source storage.

- **-s**

  When the **-s** option is present, *dest\_parent* and all new mailboxes under it will be subscribed to.

- **-U username**

  When the **-U** option is present, the source box is opened with given username.

- **-u** *user/mask*

  Run the *command* only for the given *user*. It's also possible to use '**\***' and '**?**' wildcards (e.g. -u \*@example.org).

## ARGUMENTS

*dest\_parent*

The name of the destination mailbox, under which the mails should be imported. [doveadm(1)](/doveadm/1.md) will create the *dest\_parent* mailbox if it doesn't exist.

*search\_query*

Copy messages matching this search query. See [doveadm-search-query(7)](/doveadm-search-query/7.md) for details.

*source\_mail\_driver*:*source\_mail\_path*

This argument specifies the *mail\_driver* and *mail\_path* settings for the source location. The **-p** parameter can optionally be used to specify additional settings. For example: **maildir:/backup/20101126/jane.doe/Maildir** or **-p mail\_alt\_path=/nfsmount/john.doe/mdbox mdbox:/srv/mail/john.doe/mdbox**

## EXAMPLE

This example imports all mails from a backup under a *backup-20101026* mailbox:

```
doveadm import -u jane.doe@example.org \
  mdbox:/backup/20101026/jane.doe/mdbox backup-20101026 all
```

Another example that imports only messages from *⟨foo@example.org⟩* in the backup mdbox's INBOX to jane's INBOX:

```
doveadm import -u jane.doe@example.org \
  mdbox:~/mdbox-backup "" mailbox INBOX from foo@example.org
```

## REPORTING BUGS

Report bugs, including *doveconf -n* output, to the Dovecot Mailing List *⟨dovecot@dovecot.org⟩*. Information about reporting bugs is available at: *⟨https://dovecot.org/bugreport.html⟩*

## SEE ALSO

[doveadm(1)](/doveadm/1.md), [doveadm-search-query(7)](/doveadm-search-query/7.md)