Part 14: From: and Reply To: headers

Whenever you receive an email message, you'll see that the message is identified in several ways. The From: and Reply To: headers inform you who sent the message, and what email address you should use if you'd like to reply to the message. These settings are configured in Utilities: List Settings: Email-submitted Content: Header Rewrites.

When sending personal email these headers don't present a problem; your email program automatically assigns your name and email address in the From: and Reply To: header fields.

Your Sparklist list is initially configured in a different manner: rather than include the email address of the message's author in both of these fields, it will only be included in the From: field. The Reply To: field is either the list address or your address, depending on the type of list you have.

We STRONGLY recommend that you specify a different Reply To: for an announcement list. Otherwise, when list members reply to your message they will send an email message to you personally, and that can be a great deal of mail.

What you CANNOT do

If you are running a Sparklist announcement list, you cannot use the list name in the Reply To: field or leave it blank; when it is blank, it will automatically be filled in with the list name. If list members try to reply to your messages when the list name is in the Reply To: field, they'll receive an error message because only administrators can send email to an announcement list. Your members will be confused and unhappy when they can't get in touch with you!

If you have a discussion list, you can leave the Reply To: field blank. Lyris ListManager will automatically make the list's name the Reply To: address.

What you CAN do

1. Login as an admin and click on Utilities.

2. Select List Settings then Email-submitted Content, and click on the Header Rewrites tab:

   

3. In the From: type the complete email address that you want to appear on your announcement when sent from the list via email. Note: the email address you specify must be a valid one, otherwise some mail servers may reject the message. If you would like to include a name and email address, put the name in quotation marks, and the email address in angle brackets, for example:

   "Bob Shelby" <bob@shelby.com>

   This setting will ONLY be used when sending a message to your list via email. If you create your message in the web interface, your email address will be the default From:. You'll need to change it each time if you'd like the message to look like it comes from someone else.

4. Put the same address in the Reply To: field. Unlike the From: field, which will only be used for messages sent via email to the list, the Reply To: field will apply to messages sent using the web interface.

5. Click Save.

6. Send a test message to confirm that your change worked.

   For all of these solutions, put the email address in BOTH the From: and Reply To: fields. Although most email programs recognize the difference, some will make the From: address the Reply To: address, and you want those members to be able to contact you, too.

Other ways to customize

You can extend the functionality of the From: and Reply To: headers in several different ways:

Unsubscribe mail merge tag

You can have your members unsubscribe automatically when they try to reply to your message. To do so, put the following mail merge tag in the From: and Reply To: fields: %%email.unsub%%.

Auto-responder

You can create an autoresponder and put its email address in the From: and Reply To: fields. When members reply to your messages, they'll receive a document you have created, which can include information about the list, how to unsubscribe, and how to contact a list administrator.

Separate email address

You might also create an email address in-house just for handling your list-related mail. That way, you won't have list-related mail mixed in with your personal email. Consult your IT administrator for assistance in creating a new email address.

What's next?

• Part 15: Mail merge
• Getting Started main page