Setting up your Zillum Account

Setting up your Zillum Account

To get started on using Zillum , you'll need to set up a Zillum account with your own family domain.

What you need to create your family's Zillum account?   

  1. An active domain  for your family - You can either use a domain you already own with  DNS access or create a sub-domain with zillum.com to set up and use Zillum services.
    1. Domain you own  - Upon successful verification of your domain, you can use your own domain to create custom email addresses for your family members.
    2. Sub-domain with zillum.com  - You can create a sub-domain for your family using  zillum.com .
      1. For example , if you're providing your family name as  sherlock , your family domain will be  sherlock.zillum.com . The custom email address for your family members will be created as  name@sherlock.zillum.com .
  2. A valid mobile number -  To receive text messages and OTPs.
  3. A valid email address  - Verification purposes.

Signing up for a Zillum account 

  1. Go to the Zillum  homepage and click Start 30 day Trial . You'll be taken to Zillum's Sign up page.
  2. To create the account, provide your Name, Email address/ Mobile number and Password in the respective fields.
  3. You can Change the data centre in which you wish to store your data. Choose the preferred location from the Data Centre drop-down.
  4. After agreeing to the terms and conditions and choosing to receive product updates, click Sign up .
  5. A verification code will be sent to the provided email address/ mobile number. Enter the code and click Verify . You will be taken to the Domain Addition page.
  1. If you didn't receive the code on the first attempt, click Resend code.
  2. To change the email address/ mobile number, click Change next to your email address/ mobile number in the verification page.
At Zoho, we do not use your data for any advertising or data mining purposes.

Add your Family's Custom Domain

The first step is to add a domain to your family's account. You can add your family's custom domain to get email addresses like you@yourfamilydomain.com . 

In case you don't have one, you can choose a unique sub-domain for your family - chosenname.zillum.com exclusively for you and your family members. Click here, to learn how to create your family's custom sub-domain with Zillum.

Using a domain you own

After signing up for a Zillum account you will be taken to  Domain Addition  page.  Follow the steps given below to add an existing domain you own to create your custom Zillum family account:
  1. In the Domain Addition page, click Add Now under Add an existing domain section.
  2. Provide your Domain Address (for example: zylkerfamily.com) and your family name (for example: zylker family) in the pop-up.
    1. The family name you provide here will be used for all future references. You can also edit it later in the Admin Console.
  3. You can also add a logo to your family's domain by hovering over the logo image and uploading an image from your local device.
  4. Click Add .
Once you add the domain, you will be taken to the  Personal details  page to complete your sign up. You will be asked to edit and provide some additional details like Family Name, Address, City, Pin code , etc. Once you have entered the details, click  Submit .
After submission you'll be asked to verify the domain you have added to prove your ownership.

Verifying domain ownership  

After you successfully add your domain, you have to verify it to prove domain ownership. You can choose any of the three authentication methods - TXT, CNAME, or HTML , by accessing the dropdown menu and selecting one.
Before proceeding with the verification, check if the domain name you provided is correct. In case of any spelling errors or if you want to make any changes, click the Edit icon and make the required corrections.

TXT method

To verify your domain using the TXT method, you will need access to your domain Registrar's DNS page.
  1. Choose Add a TXT record in the DNS from the drop-down at Zillum's Domain Verfication page.
  2. In a new tab, sign in to your Domain Registrar's account.
  3. Navigate to your Domain Management Page or the DNS record page.
  4. Locate the option to add a TXT record, then click Add and select TXT from the drop-down.
  5. To add a TXT record, you will need information for the Host and Value fields (title of the field may vary depending on the provider). You will find these details at Zoho's Domain set up page.
  6. For the Host field, you can either leave it blank or enter " @ " or give your domain address (for example: "zylker.com")
  7. For the Value field, copy the value " zoho-verification=zb********.zmverify.zoho.*** " (this will be unique for each domain) from Zillum's Domain Verification page and paste it in TXT Value field.
  8. If TTL is editable, choose the shortest amount of time available to get faster verification.
  9. Once done, click Save .
Wait for an hour or two before clicking the  Verify TXT Record  button at Zillum's Domain Verification page.
Click here  to check the detailed help guide on the verification of TXT records in Zoho Mail.
We recommend that you verify your domain by adding a TXT record.

CNAME method  

To verify your domain using the CNAME method, you will need access to your domain Registrar's DNS page.
  1. Choose Add a CNAME record in the DNS from the drop-down at Zillum's Domain Verification page.
  2. Sign in to your Domain Registrar's account using a new tab or window.
  3. Navigate to your Domain Management Page or the DNS record page.
  4. Locate the option to add a CNAME record, click Add , and select CNAME from the drop-down.
  5. To add a CNAME record you will need data for Host and Value field (title of the field may vary depending on the provider). You will find these details at Zillum's Domain Verification page.
  6. For the Host field, copy the value " zb******** " (this will be unique for each domain) from Zillum's Domain Verification page and paste it in your domain's DNS page.
  7. For the Points to field, enter " zmverify.zoho.com ".
    1. The TLD will vary based on the location where you chose your data to be hosted
      1. United States - zmverify.zoho.com
      2. India -  zmverify.zoho.in
      3. Europe -  zmverify.zoho.eu
      4. Australia -  zmverify.zoho.au
      5. China -  zmverify.zoho.com.cn
  8. If TTL is editable, choose the shortest amount of time available to get faster verification.
  9. Once done, click Save .
Wait for an hour or two before clicking the Verify CNAME Record button at Zillum's Domain Verification page.
Click here  to check the domain specific help guides on the verification of CNAME records in Zoho Mail.

HTML method

  1. Choose Upload HTML file in the website from the drop-down at Zillum's Domain Verification page.
  2. Click the "verifyforzoho.html" to download the required HTML file.
  3. After downloading the file, proceed to your domain provider's page and log in to your account.
  4. Access your root directory and create a folder named  zohoverify .
  5. Inside the  zohoverify  folder, add the HTML file that you downloaded from Zillum's Domain Verification page—  ./zohoverify/verifyforzoho.html  should be the designated path.
  6. After successfully adding the HTML file to your WebHost as instructed, you should be able to view a  code  by accessing the link available in the Zillum's Domain Verification page. If not, you can also check the code by manually going to  yourdomain.com /zohoverify/verifyforzoho.html  (replace yourdomain.com with your actual domain name).
  7. If you see the code, click Verify HTML file .
Click here  to check the detailed help guide on the verification of HTML file for your domain in Zoho Mail.
  1. Upon successful verification of your domain using any of the above given methods, the family head who creates the Zillum account will be prompted to create their custom email address. This email address will be added as the Family head' s custom email address and should be used for all the future log-in purposes to avail Zoho services.
  2. Once the Family Head's  custom email address has been created, you can proceed to add family members to your family's Zillum account.

Create a custom sub-domain for your family

If you don't have a domain of your own, you can create a custom sub-domain for your family using  zillum.com .  For example, if you're providing your family name as sherlock , your family domain will be  sherlock.zillum.com . The custom email address will be created as  name@sherlock.zillum.com. 

Follow the steps given below to use the Zillum domain to create a sub-domain for your family:
  1. Click on Add now under the Add Zoho Family domain  section .
  2. In the Add Family Domain pop-up provide the preferred name for your family's domain.
  3. You can also add a logo to your family's domain by hovering over the logo image and uploading an image from your local device.
  4. Click Add.
You cannot delete your family domain once added.
Once you add the domain you will be taken to the  Personal details  page to complete your sign up.  You will be asked to enter additional details like  Family Name, Address, City, Pin code , etc. Once you have entered the details, click  Submit  .

Upon submission your family's sub-domain with Zillum will be verified. If a family domain already exists in that name in Zillum you will be prompted to provide a different name and click  Add  .

After successful verification, the family head who creates the Zillum account will be prompted to create their custom email address. This email address will be added as the  Family Head's  custom email address.
This email address should be used by the  Family Head  to log in to all Zoho services in the future.
Once the Family Head's custom email address has been created, you can proceed to add family members to your family's Zillum account.

Add your Family Members  

The Family Head can proceed to add members to your family's Zillum account. Adding members in Zillum can be done in two ways, based on your convenience.
    1. Adding them one by one manually.
    2. Invite a family member.
The number of members you can add to your Zillum's family account will be based on your chosen plan .

Adding family members manually 

Follow the steps given below to manually add the members of your family to your family's custom Zillum account:
  1. In the Family Members  page, click the Add button.
  2. Provide the First name and Last name of one of your family member.
  3. A Username will be generated based on the first and last name you've provided. You can change it according to your preference.
  4. Provide a Password, using which your family member can log in.
  5. You can also check the Force user to change password during the first login check-box.
  6. If you check the above option, the member will be prompted to change the password of their account during their first login attempt.
    1. The member will not be able to enter or access their account without changing the password.
  7. Choose the type of the member as Adult or Child  using the  Member Type  drop-down.
    1. The Adult  members will be prompted to provide a recovery mobile number while logging into their account. This mobile number can be used to reset their password.
    2. For Children,  the Family Head should check the privacy policy agreement and agree to authorize Zoho to process the child's data to provide the Zillum services.
  8. Upon completing the above steps, click Add.
The family members will be added to your family's Zillum account and a custom email address based on your family domain and a password will be assigned to them.

Inviting family members

Follow the steps given below to invite your family members to join your family's Zillum account:
  1. In the Family Members page, click Invitees .
  2. In the Invitees page, click Invite A User or click Invite to continue.
  3. Provide the email address of the user you want to invite. If you want to invite multiple users on a single go, enter the email addresses separated by a comma.
  4. Once done, click Invite .
  1. You can check the status of your invitation next to the invitee email address. You can also cancel or resend the invitation of a member by hovering on the respective invitee and clicking the Resend invitation email  or Delete invite icons.
  2. In case you want to resend the invitation to multiple invitees or delete invitations of multiple invitees, you can use the checkbox to select the users and then click Resend or Delete .
Once they accept your invite, their existing account, if any, will be added to your family. If they do not have an account, they will be prompted to create a new account.

Create family groups

After the addition of members to your family's Zillum account you can create Family Groups by adding your family members to them. Click on  Proceed to Setup Groups  button given at the bottom of the  Family Members  page.

Follow the steps given below to create your family groups:
  1. On the Groups page, click +Create .
  2. Provide a Group Name.  A group email address will be generated based on the given group name.
  3. You can also change the Group email address  based on your preference.
  4. Set a group logo by clicking on  Upload a group logo  on the right side of  Add Group  page.
  5. You can also give a Group description  if you prefer to.
  6. Choose who can send emails to the group email address from the options given below:
    1. External members  - Anyone outside your family/ Zillum who has your family group email address.
    2. Family members  - Family members who are not a part of the family group.
    3. Group members  - Family members who are part of the group.
    4. Moderators  - Only the moderators of the group can send emails to the group email address.
  7.  You can choose to enable/ disable  Streams  for your family group. Click here to learn more about Streams.
Upon providing the required details click  Proceed.  You will be taken to the Select Members page, where you can add your family members to the group you're creating.
You can also add your family members outside Zillum using their email addresses.

Add your family members to the group

  1. On the  Select Members  page, click  Add.
  2. Choose one of the options from the drop-down.
    1. Search and add family members  - You can select the members from the list and click  Add.
    2. Add members using email address  - You can also add external members using their email addresses.
      1. Members who are not part of your family's Zillum account are called  external members . These external members will be sent an invitation email to join the group. Only, upon accepting the invitation they can become a part of your family group.
    1. Add all family members  - All the members from your family's Zillum account will be added as members of the group.
  3. Upon addition of members to the group, you can choose a moderator or multiple moderators to the group by clicking the drop-down across each member under the Role  section.
  4. Click  Create Group,  after selecting the roles of the family members in the group.
Your family group will now be created. You can create multiple groups by following the steps given above.
After the addition of members to your family's Zillum account and creation of groups (you can skip creation of groups if you choose to), you can proceed to the  DNS Mapping  page where you have to configure the MX Records of your family's domain to receive emails. 
If you have used the Zillum's family domain, we will automatically configure your email delivery. In that case, you might not see the following step. You can click on the  Proceed to go Mobile   button at the bottom of  Groups  page.
Refer , to this steps if you need to migrate your family's data from your previous email service provider.

DNS Mapping   

It is necessary to map your domain to Zoho Mail in order for you and your family members to begin receiving emails in your Zoho mailbox. You can map your domain by configuring its MX records in the DNS registrar of your domain provider.  MX Records (Mail eXchange) are DNS records that identify your domain's email-receiving server. It essentially implies that when emails are sent to your domain, MX Records identify the server into which the emails flow.

We also recommend adding SPF and DKIM records to prevent email spoofing. Email spoofing is forging an email so that the email appears to be sent by someone other than the actual source. Adding SPF and DKIM records will ensure valid emails from your domain get delivered to your recipient and also prevent email spoofing.
The MX, SPF, and DKIM records used below are generic and can change depending on the data center you are using Zoho Mail from. In order to avoid confusion, refer to the records displayed in your setup screen for your domain-specific MX, SPF, and DKIM records.
If you have used the Zillum's family domain, we will automatically configure your email delivery. In that case, you might not see the following step. You can click on the  Proceed to go Mobile   button at the bottom of  Groups  page.

Generic instructions to add MX, SPF, and DKIM records

  1. Click Proceed to DNS mapping button at the bottom of the Groups page of your Zillum Account Setup window.
  2. Log in to your domain registrars web portal in a new tab or window.
  3. Launch the DNS Manager/ Domain Management Page/ DNS Control Panel for your account (this lists all the domains you have registered).
  4. To add MX records, locate the option which specifies MX Records/ Email Servers/ Email Settings (if needed, refer the help pages of your DNS provider or get support from the registrar).
  5. If you have any existing MX record entries, it's important to remove them.
  6. Locate the option to add new record and select that.
  7. Specify the Name/Host/Subdomain as " @" or leave it blank.
  8. Specify the Value as " mx.zoho.com " for the first record and set Priority to 10 .
  9. Follow the same steps to add the second ( mx2.zoho.*** ) and third ( mx3.zoho.*** ) MX records for your domain and set  Priority  to  20  and  50  respectively.
  10. Select  Save Zone File  or  Save  to add the records.
    1. Only the MX records provided on your setup screen should be listed to ensure correct email delivery to your family domain.
    2. You have to add all three MX Records. It may take an hour or two for the records to get propagated and to be able to receive emails.
    3. You have to delete any existing MX records of your previous email service providers for uninterrupted email delivery. Learn more.
  11. To add the SPF records, locate the option to add a TXT record, then click Add and select TXT from the drop-down list.
  12. Specify the Name/ Host as "@". In the TXT Value field, enter "v=**** include:zoho.*** ~all" and click Save.
    1. It may take anywhere between 4 to 48 hours for your SPF record to propagate.
    2. If there are multiple SPF records, verification will fail. You've to use either the TXT value of Zoho SPF record or the merged TXT value of the SPF record. Learn more.
  13. To add the DKIM records, locate the option to add a TXT record, then click Add and select TXT from the drop-down list.
  14. For the Host field, copy the value "zoho._domainkey" (this will be different in the case of a different selector) from Zoho's Domain Setup page and paste it into your domain's DNS page.
  15. For the Points to/ Value field, copy the value "v=DKIM1; k=r**; p=***************....****" from Zoho's Domain Setup page and paste it in your domain's DNS page and click Save.
    1. It may take anywhere between 4 to 48 hours for your DKIM record to propagate. 
    2. You can check the validity of your DKIM record here.
  16. In the TTL field for all the records (if editable) select the shortest possible time for the changes to take effect as early as possible.
After adding all three records, return to your Zoho Mail domain setup page and click Verify All Records. It may take about an hour or two for you to receive emails upon successful verification of your MX records and 4 to 48 hours for the propagation of SPF and DKIM records based on your Domain Registrar.
If you want to migrate your family's emails from your previous email service provider, we've made things very simple for you. You can migrate your emails to Zoho Mail using the Data migration option from your Admin Console.

Email Migration

If you have been using a different email service providers  (Google Workspace, Office 365, etc.,) before Zoho Mail, you can always choose to migrate your emails from your previous email service provider to Zoho Mail. You can use any of the following methods to migrate your emails:
  1. IMAP/ POP Migration
  2. Migration from G Suite
  3. Migration from Office 365
  4. Migration from Microsoft Exchange Server
  5. Zoho Exchange Migration Wizard

Steps to migrate your data to Zoho Mail

  1. Log in to your family's Zillum  Admin Console  and navigate to  Data Migration  from the left menu.
  2. Click on  Migrations  from the left pane of  Migration  page.
  3. Click Create .
  4. Provide a  Name for the migration  and click on  Add new server details.
  5. Select a  Protocol/ Application  using/ from which you want to migrate your data to Zoho Mail.
  6. Provide the  Source Server/ Email address  and the  Security details  with respect to the chosen protocol/ application and click  Add.
  7. On the Settings page, provide information on which folders to migrate, exclude, and other relevant details. Once done, click Proceed .
  8. Set a maximum connection limit and mention when to pause the migration in regards to the storage and click Create .
  9. Once you add your migration details, add accounts individually or import using a CSV file.
  10.  After adding the necessary accounts, click Start .
Click here , to learn more about migrating data using each of the methods available in Zoho Mail migration.
To migrate your family data from the previous email provider to the respective family member's accounts at Zoho Mail, accounts need to be created for them in Zoho Mail before proceeding with the migration.
  1. Here's a video link explaining in detail about the migration of data from Google Workspace to Zoho Mail.
  2. You can also migrate your family's data stored in Google Drive to Zoho WorkDrive using the Google's Takeout feature. Learn more .

Go Mobile

You can access the applications in the Zillum family suite as mobile applications. You can get the link to download them from the  Go Mobile  page.

You can also skip this step and click  Proceed to Setup Completion.  Upon completing the setup you can proceed to  Check your inbox  or the  Admin Console  of your family's Zillum account.

Share the login credentials with your family members to begin having a safe, secure and private collaborative space for your family with Zillum.

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