> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.kovaaco.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # IMAP inboxes in Kova: what they do > Learn why Kova connects your email inbox, how it protects your credentials, and which retailer profiles require an enabled IMAP account. Kova uses IMAP accounts to read shipping and order messages from supported retailers in your email inbox. The connection is read-only: Kova looks at message headers and metadata in the `INBOX` folder to match orders, but it never downloads or stores raw email bodies on its servers. ## What Kova uses IMAP for * Reading supported retailer messages from your email inbox * Matching orders and shipments to your linked retailer profiles * Keeping your order history up to date automatically ## What Kova does not do Kova does **not** store raw email bodies. It only reads enough information from the inbox to identify retailer messages and sync order details. Your actual message content remains in your mailbox. ## Security best practice You should use an app-specific password or a provider-issued token when your email provider supports one. Do not use your primary mailbox password for the IMAP connection. Kova encrypts your mailbox credentials before storing them, and it tests the connection before completing setup. ## Which retailers require IMAP Account-based profiles for certain retailers require an enabled IMAP account before you can create or import them. These retailers include: * Target * Walmart * Costco * Sam's Club For Pokemon Center, IMAP is recommended but not required. You can view the full list on the [supported retailers](/supported-retailers) page. Creating or importing account-based profiles (such as Target, Walmart, Costco, and Sam's Club) is blocked until you have at least one enabled IMAP account in Kova. ## Next steps Ready to connect your inbox? Follow the steps to [add an IMAP account to Kova](/imap/add-account).