Configure Outlook with an IMAP account allows user to store a local copy of IMAP mailboxes in OST format and with the help of this file, users can continue working on their mailboxes. But, if the OST file gets corrupted or removed accidentally, you wouldn’t be able to access the IMAP data without establishing a connection with the mailing server. So, it’s necessary to continuously backup your IMAP data.

Here are some methods which you can use to backup IMAP mailboxes in Outlook.

     Manual Method to Backup IMAP Account Configured with Outlook

• Open Outlook 2013/2016 and go to the File tab.
• Now, select Open & Export and click Import/Export. 

• The Import and Export Wizard will appear on the screen. Select Export to a file and click Next.

• Select Outlook Data File (.pst) and click Next.

• Now, select the IMAP folder you want to backup and click Next.

       Note: With this method, you can backup only one mailbox at a time

•  Select the location where you want to save this file and click Finish.

This way you can easily backup IMAP mailboxes manually. But there are some complications with the manual methods, such as you can lose your data if an error occurs. So, it’s better to choose an alternative way to backup IMAP mailboxes.