To read and send email from your SmartXHosting mailbox in a web browser, you sign in to the webmail interface. This tutorial walks through the mobile and desktop webmail sign-in flow, the options that control session length, and the most common sign-in problems UK customers run into.
Webmail is the browser interface to your SmartXHosting mailbox. Unlike a desktop client (Outlook, Apple Mail, eM Client) or a mobile app (Gmail app, iOS Mail), webmail needs no setup — you sign in from any browser on any device and your email is there. It runs on Axigen, the mail server platform behind SmartXHosting business, private and public-administration email.
Two webmail interfaces are available:
/m to the webmail URL.Your webmail URL depends on which plan you are on:
https://webmail.yourdomain.co.uk (or .uk, .com — whichever your business uses). If the hostname is not yet resolving, use the fallback that SmartXHosting sent with your welcome email.https://webmail.yourcouncil.gov.uk or the dedicated portal your IT team provisioned.[email protected]). Partial addresses are not accepted.First-time sign-in on a fresh mailbox may take a few seconds longer than subsequent sessions — Axigen initialises your personal folder structure on first use.
Sign out properly at the end of every session, especially on shared or public devices.
On mobile webmail. Tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top-left. Scroll to the bottom of the side panel. Tap Log out. You return to the sign-in page.
On desktop webmail. Click your user avatar or the settings gear in the top-right. Select Sign out. The session ends and you return to the sign-in screen.
Closing the browser tab is not the same as signing out. A cached session cookie can let someone else resume your session on the same device until the server expires it.
Ticking Remember me stores a cookie that re-fills your username on the next visit from the same browser profile. It does not store your password and it does not keep you signed in forever — the server still enforces session timeouts.
When to use it:
When to leave it unticked:
On shared devices, also use your browser's private or incognito window so no session data survives after you close it.
SmartXHosting's default webmail session timeout is 8 hours of continuous activity, or 30 minutes of inactivity, whichever comes first. After that, you are automatically signed out and must re-authenticate. The timeout applies to both mobile and desktop webmail.
This is an intentional security control required by UK GDPR (Article 32, appropriate organisational and technical measures) and reinforced by NCSC guidance for small businesses. It limits the window during which a lost or borrowed device could be used to read your email.
"Invalid username or password." Confirm the email address is typed in full and the password is correct. Watch for Caps Lock. Passwords are case-sensitive; the username is not.
Account locked after too many attempts. Axigen locks a mailbox for 60 minutes after five failed sign-in attempts from the same source IP. Wait it out or ask your administrator to unlock early.
Desktop webmail appears instead of the mobile version on your phone. Append /m to the URL (for example https://mail.epost.plus/m) to force mobile mode. Alternatively, turn off "Request desktop site" in your mobile browser settings.
Webmail URL will not load at all. Check that your DNS records are pointing at the SmartXHosting infrastructure. A quick test: nslookup webmail.yourdomain.co.uk on a UK network should return a SmartXHosting IP in the 185.x or 195.x ranges. If it does not, your domain's A record needs updating.
Certificate warning. A browser certificate warning on mail.epost.plus or webmail.<your-smartx-hostname> is abnormal — SmartXHosting runs valid Let's Encrypt certificates renewed every 60 days. Stop, do not enter credentials, and contact support.
Two-factor authentication prompt unexpected. If MFA was enabled for your account by an administrator, you will see a prompt for a TOTP code or a WebAuthn push after password. If you are not prepared with your authenticator app, use the "Email me a backup code" flow or ask your admin to help.
Follow these rules when signing in to webmail on anything other than your own device:
Q: What if I forget my webmail password?
A: Use the "Forgot password" link on the sign-in page if your administrator has enabled self-service reset. Otherwise ask your admin, or contact SmartXHosting support via the Client Area.
Q: Can I stay signed in across multiple devices?
A: Yes. Webmail sessions are per-browser; signing in on your laptop does not affect a parallel session on your phone.
Q: Does SmartXHosting log sign-in attempts?
A: Yes. Authentication logs are retained for 90 days by default (longer for business plans with compliance add-ons). You can request an export of sign-in activity for your own account via support.
Q: Is there a desktop app instead of webmail?
A: SmartXHosting offers eM Client as a paid desktop client that connects to your mailbox via IMAP. See smartxhosting.uk/email-client for details.