IMAP Foldernames in wrong language

Problem reported by Rudolf - 10/16/2025 at 2:11 AM

Submitted

Hello, we have this issue for some years. When i add in Outlook (German) an IMAP Account, some of the Foldernames are in English. It does not matter if i use an existing mailbox or create a new one. In webmail they are in german. currently i am using version 9378.

I tried this with Outlook 2021, 2024 and MS365. There were never german names (in former SM versions the names were also always mixed in german and english).

If i add it in MAPI or EWS, the foldernames are in german. Now i have some customers who want the names in german, so i am writing this question again: Why are the names from IMAP Mailboxes not in the right language?

regards

Rudolf

10 Replies

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Rudolf Replied

11/12/2025 at 11:57 PM

Should i open a ticket? Nobody out there who has the same problem as i have?

Derek Curtis Replied

11/13/2025 at 6:40 AM

Employee Post

Hi, Rudolf

Make sure that the account is set up to use a German locale in webmail, and that the client is set to use German as well. Those folder names should translate over for IMAP just as they do for MAPI/EWS.

Derek Curtis COO SmarterTools Inc. www.smartertools.com

Brian Bjerring-Jensen - VonBjerring GmbH Replied

11/13/2025 at 7:20 AM

They dont. IN outlook there is both an inbox and indbakke in danish.

We switched to english for that reason.

Derek Curtis Replied

11/13/2025 at 7:28 AM

Employee Post

Brian, does "Inbox" translate for you like it does for Rudolf?

Derek Curtis COO SmarterTools Inc. www.smartertools.com

Brian Bjerring-Jensen - VonBjerring GmbH Replied

11/13/2025 at 7:43 AM

Yes. Its called indbakke and there is also an inbox in the foldertree. I switched to english for that reason and made a new profile.

Derek Curtis Replied

11/13/2025 at 7:51 AM

Employee Post

I did find this suggestion from Herbert: https://portal.smartertools.com/community/a96761/imap-in-outlook-2019_-folder-names-in-mixed-languages.aspx#148574

Derek Curtis COO SmarterTools Inc. www.smartertools.com

Rudolf Replied

11/13/2025 at 10:32 AM

Changing the root folder is no solution and it does not work, if you use for example mixed techs for accessing. IMAP and MAPI for the same account. It creates a whole new folder structure on the base Inbox-Folder.
This bug exists for several years. Most of our customers does not mention it, but some want german folder names.

Oliver Replied

11/13/2025 at 1:25 PM

The following works for me:

- Open "Mail (Microsoft Outlook)" in the Control Panel.

- Select "Email Accounts."

- Select the relevant IMAP account.

- Go to "More Settings" -> "Advanced."

- Enter "INBOX" in the "Path to the root folder" field. (Important: Use capital letters, as shown here.)

- Confirm everything with "OK" and start Outlook.

Outlook freezes as soon as I make this change.

- Close Outlook.

- Open "Mail (Microsoft Outlook)" in the Control Panel.

- Select "Email Accounts."

- Select the IMAP account in question.

- Go to "More Settings" -> Advanced.

- Enter "Inbox" in the root directory path. (Important: Use the correct spelling, as shown here.)

- Confirm everything with OK and start Outlook.

Now the remaining IMAP folders are also displayed in German.

I hope this helps.

Rudolf Replied

11/13/2025 at 2:22 PM

Sorry, but this does not help. It creates the "system" folders new in the root inbox Folder. So all of the existing Sent, Deleted or Draft Folders are gone. It creates a new folder hierarchy up on the base of the inbox folder and not on the base of the root folder.
Normally: Mailbox Root (Level 0), and then Inbox, Sent Items, Deleted Items, Drafts, Outbox parallel (all Level 1)
With your solution: Mailbox Root (Level 0), then Inbox (Level 1). In the Inbox it creates the new folders Inbox, Sent Items, Deleted Items, Drafts and so on (all Level 2).
I already tried this as Derek's Link to the suggestion from Herbert. But if you have more devices (Tablet, Phone, Outlook, emClient), the folders are different or are not synced right.

Oliver Replied

11/13/2025 at 2:54 PM

Too bad, it worked for me. But I only have the account in Outlook with MAPI or IMAP and iOS (ActiveSync). All folders are at level 0 here. It probably has to do with the large number of client applications you have. I used to have this problem often with IMAP mailboxes on a Dovecot mail server. iOS renamed the IMAP folders differently than Outlook, which always caused confusion.

The cleanest solution would be ActiveSync for iOS and Android, MAPI for Outlook, and EWS for emClient and Outlook for macOS. It would be great if, instead of the MS protocols, there were finally a uniform, cleanly functioning, and open protocol with the same range of functions. Because IMAP is not an alternative.

Sorry, I digressed a bit.

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