The academic messaging system of Strasbourg underwent a major change in June 2026 with the migration to the ETNA portal. Existing guides still describe the old access via courrier.ac-strasbourg.fr, but the entry point has changed for some staff members. This article details the two current login paths, the concrete differences between the old webmail and ETNA, and the most frequent blocking points.
Old webmail and ETNA portal: what changes for login
| Criterion | Historical webmail (courrier.ac-strasbourg.fr) | ETNA portal (since June 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Access URL | courrier.ac-strasbourg.fr | ETNA portal (via the academic site or dedicated link) |
| Identifier | Academic identifier (initial of first name + last name) | Unique Grand Est identifier (same login) |
| Password | Classic academic password | Unique Grand Est password (unified with other applications) |
| Access to business applications | Separate (I-Prof, SIECLE, ONDE via other portals) | Centralized from a single entry point |
| Deployment | Still functional for some profiles | Gradual according to academies, effective in Strasbourg since June 25, 2026 |
The table highlights a change in philosophy. The old webmail functioned as an isolated service. ETNA combines messaging, calendar, and business applications under a single identifier and password for the entire Grand Est region.
For those who used a bookmark pointing to courrier.ac-strasbourg.fr, the redirection is not systematic. It is better to update your bookmark to the new portal to avoid an error page or a login loop.
An additional tutorial allows you to access the academic messaging system in Strasbourg by detailing each screen encountered during the first login.
First login to the academic messaging system in Strasbourg: complete path
The first login remains the moment when most staff encounter difficulties. Here is the actual path, as it unfolds after the ETNA migration.
Retrieve your academic identifier
The identifier is defined by the program and is not modifiable. It generally corresponds to the initial of the first name followed by the last name. To retrieve it, two options exist depending on your situation.
- Contact your administrative manager (DSDEN, dedicated service) who has your identifier and your NUMEN
- Use the online recovery service provided by DSIGE Grand Est, which sends a code via SMS or email to the number or address defined in your recovery options
- For AESH and contractual staff, the manager often remains the only reliable channel as recovery options are not always filled out initially
Without a NUMEN or identified manager, no login is possible. This is the first barrier, and it blocks newly assigned staff each year who have not received their login information in time.
Set your password and recovery options
During the first login, the system requires a password change. The DSIGE guide (October 2024) recommends immediately entering a phone number and a personal address in the recovery options. Without this information, a subsequent password forget will require going back through the administrative manager, with a delay that can take several working days.
The password must meet academic security requirements. Avoid reusing a personal password: this address in ac-strasbourg.fr provides access to sensitive data (grades, student files via business applications).
Configure an email client with the IMAP protocol
The webmail is sufficient for occasional consultation. For daily use, configuring an email client on your computer or phone offers significantly greater comfort.
IMAP settings for Thunderbird and Outlook
The academy of Strasbourg uses the IMAP protocol for message synchronization. This choice allows you to keep your emails on the server and access them from multiple devices without data loss.
- Incoming IMAP server: provided during automatic configuration or available in the documentation from the rectorate of Strasbourg
- Outgoing SMTP server: identical for Thunderbird and Outlook, with mandatory authentication
- Port and encryption: SSL/TLS connection required to ensure the security of exchanges
- Identifier: your complete academic identifier (not the full email address on certain configurations)
Thunderbird often automatically detects the settings if you enter your address in ac-strasbourg.fr. However, Outlook sometimes requires manual entry of the servers, especially in versions prior to 2019.
Mailbox quota
Each academic mailbox has a storage quota. When this quota is reached, new messages are no longer delivered and no error notification appears on the sender’s side. The user manual for the academic webmail (DSI, rectorate of Strasbourg, 2019) mentions a quota management tool accessible from the webmail homepage.
In practice, large attachments quickly saturate the available space. Regularly deleting messages with attachments and emptying the trash effectively frees up space, unlike simple archiving which keeps the data on the server.
Frequent connection problems and concrete solutions
A blocked account after several failed attempts can be unlocked via the reset service of DSIGE Grand Est, provided that recovery options have been filled out. The process sends a temporary code via SMS or email.
If the old link courrier.ac-strasbourg.fr displays an error, the switch to ETNA is likely effective for your profile. Testing the connection via the academic portal (www.ac-strasbourg.fr, “Personal Tools” section) allows you to check which access path remains active.
A blocked identifier is not a forgotten password. The two situations follow distinct procedures. The block occurs after several incorrect entries and is resolved in a few minutes. Forgetting a password, without configured recovery options, can take several days.
The migration to ETNA has simplified the access architecture for staff of the Strasbourg academy, but it has also rendered most online tutorials dating from before June 2026 obsolete. The most reliable reflex remains to systematically go through the site ac-strasbourg.fr rather than an old favorite, and to keep recovery options up to date to never depend on a third party in case of a problem.