The academic messaging system Aix-Marseille is based on a professional email address in the format [email protected], assigned to each staff member of the academy. This address serves as the official channel for internal communications, convocations, circulars, and access to the rectorate’s digital services.
IMAP and SMTP settings to configure an Aix-Marseille mail client
Before discussing how to connect to the webmail, a technical point that often causes issues needs to be addressed: the configuration on a third-party email client (Thunderbird, Outlook, Android or iOS app). The settings are not documented anywhere centrally on the academic site.
The incoming IMAP server is imap.ac-aix-marseille.fr, on port 993, with SSL/TLS encryption. The outgoing SMTP server is smtp.ac-aix-marseille.fr, on port 587 using STARTTLS.
A recurring pitfall concerns port 465 for sending. Connections on this port are regularly refused by the academy’s servers. If sending messages fails while receiving works, the SMTP port is the first thing to check: switching to 587 using STARTTLS resolves the issue in the vast majority of cases.
- Receiving protocol: IMAP, port 993, SSL/TLS
- Sending protocol: SMTP, port 587, STARTTLS (port 465 is often blocked)
- Username: your full address [email protected]
- Password: the one set via the academic authentication portal
To access the academic messaging system Aix-Marseille from a browser without configuring a client, webmail remains the most direct solution, via the unified portal of the PACA academic region.
Connecting to webmail: Roundcube, Zimbra, and unified portal
The Aix-Marseille academy offers two webmail interfaces: Roundcube and Zimbra. Both provide access to the same mailbox. Roundcube is the recommended interface since the establishment of the regional portal.
The entry point is located on the site messagerie.region-academique-paca.fr, section Aix-Marseille. The page offers a direct link to Roundcube or Zimbra, depending on your preference. Authentication is done with the academic username (firstname.lastname) and the associated password.
Since the recent reorganization of the portals, the old access paths (direct webmail, links via the ENT, specific shortcuts by institution) redirect to this unified portal. If an old favorite no longer works, this is probably the reason.
Account management via My Account
In addition to webmail, the tool My Account (MOM) allows you to manage messaging options: address aliases, automatic forwarding to a personal inbox, visual signature. This tool is accessible from the same page of the regional portal.
Forwarding to a Gmail address or another personal email is technically possible via My Account, but it does not exempt you from regularly checking the academic inbox. Some internal messages (service notes, convocations) may be filtered or delayed by the external recipient’s servers.
Password reset and the role of NUMEN
Loss of the password is the primary reason for blockage on the academic messaging system. The password reset procedure goes through the portal appli.ac-aix-marseille.fr, accessible from any browser.
The process follows a specific path:
- Click on “I don’t know my password” on the login page
- Enter your date of birth (day and month in numbers)
- Enter your academic username and your NUMEN (national education identification number)
- Set a new password that meets security requirements
The NUMEN is the keystone of this procedure. Without it, no self-service reset is possible. If you do not know your NUMEN, only the rectorate can provide it, which implies an additional delay.
Requirements for the academic password
The new password must contain at least 12 characters, with at least one lowercase letter, one uppercase letter, one digit, and one special character from the allowed list (comma, semicolon, period, colon, slash, exclamation mark, percentage, plus, equals, underscore, hyphen). An 8-character password, even complex, will be rejected by the system.
Addresses and access paths according to status in the academy
Not all users of the academy follow the same path. Teaching and administrative staff have addresses in @ac-aix-marseille.fr and access webmail via the regional portal described above.
Students affiliated with Aix-Marseille University use a different format, generally in @etu.univ-amu.fr, with a specific login portal for the university. Some high school students may have addresses in @lycee.ac-aix-marseille.fr, managed through a different circuit.
Staff in continuing education (GRETA, for example) sometimes have specific addresses and access that are not compatible with the standard portal. In case of doubt about the correct entry point, the secretariat of the affiliated institution remains the most reliable contact.
The academic messaging system Aix-Marseille operates as a centralized service, but access paths vary according to profile. Keeping your NUMEN accessible, prioritizing port 587 for SMTP configuration, and updating your favorites to the unified regional portal are the three reflexes that prevent most common blockages.