Configuring Email Auto Responder's

Email auto responders will automatically send a customized auto response (that you compose) to any visitor whom emails the address configured with one. More specifically, automated responses are sometimes used to send additional information about your service or product by having a visitor email something like moreinfo@yourdomain.com. In most other cases, they are used to send a 'courtesy reply' to anyone whom sends a query to your companies main email address.  When visitors email this address, they recieve a response such as: Thanks for contacting our company! Someone will be returning a response to your question soon. If you require immediate assistance, please call 555-222-1212. Thanks!), and so forth.

A) The silent Auto Responder:

In this case, you configure the responder to send the desired information when it's emailed, however you 'do not' receive copies of the inquiries that people originally sent.  This method is typically used  if you have a product and want people to email an address for additional information on it.  You simply tell them to email moreinfo@yourdomain.com, and they receive additional information on it.  Again, you 'will not' receive receipts of the visitors emailing the auto responder. If you want to do this, please read the next paragraph.

B) The Auto Responder that sends you the original inquiry:

In this case, the auto responder is setup to work with a (currently configured pop email account). Now,  the sender receives your automated response, and you receive their 'original inquiry'.

How to setup an Auto Responder:

1. login to C-panel
2. Select "Auto Responders"
3. Select "Add Auto Responder"
4. Enter the "Email Address" to send the auto response
5. Enter a "From" name, (for example, my company)
6. Enter a "Subject", (for example, thank you)
7. Enter your message in the "Body" area

Select "Create" and that's it! Your auto responder is now online. To test it, email its address and see if you receive the auto response. If you've configured it to an existing pop mail account, you should receive 2 responses. The first, which is your inquiry, (that you just sent to yourself), and the second, which will be the automated response.

Remember! If you want to receive the "Incoming Inquiries" in addition to sending the automated response, then add an email address, which is "already" configured as a "pop email account." If you "do not" wish to receive the original incoming inquiry, then simply enter a name, which "Is Not" configured as one of your existing pop mail accounts.

If at anytime you want to update, edit, or delete an auto response, simply go back into "Auto responders" and you'll see the current responders configured, as well as options beside each of them to change or delete.

Blocking Unwanted Email Messages:

From time to time, you may experience either a junk mailer or some other menacing individual whom keeps sending you annoying email messages. C-Panel has a built in feature, which allows you to block these email messages in a multitude of different ways.Block them by:
- Sender
- Subject
- Message Header
- Message Body
Of course, if all you want to do is block one specific email address, then you don't have to worry about getting fancy with it - just enter the email address to be blocked, and that's it, done!

How to use the block email function:

1. Login to C-Panel
2. Select "Block an Email"
3. Select "Add Filter"

If all you want to do is block a single email address, then simply leave the "current default setting" as is, and enter in the email address to be blocked. For example, annoying-nolife@nothingbettertodo.com Click "Add Filter", and that's it done!

When you click "Back" or login to this feature next time, you'll see the list of email address's, and or expressions you've blocked. Beside each one of them will be a "Delete" option, so that you can remove the block from your account at a future time. NOTE: When you block an email address, or some other keyword, this filtering will be enabled on "All Email Accounts" within your domain.

Advanced Blocking:

For those of who whom experience frequent problems with junk email messages, you'll be please to see this option provides a broad range of blocking options. Instead of having us try to explain every last one of them here, this is a feature you'll really want to experiment with yourself.

Doing so, will allow you to become familiar with the ways that email can be blocked, and will also help you with customizing a recipe that works best for your domain. Play around with the settings, and try to block words, or phrases based on the From Name, Subject, or Message Body Text. Now, send an email to your account and see if the terms and criteria you selected are providing the filtering you want.  

It may take a little time to master, but it's fun, and a great way to broaden your abilities on web site administration. FINAL NOTE: If you're totally new to email blocking, and wish to explore its full potential, we highly suggest you test it before launching your site. This way, you don't have to worry about accidentally disrupting email for your entire domain.

Hint: Unless you're 100% sure of what a setting will do, always delete it when you're finished, or until you have time to run a series of tests on it. You want to ensure it's blocking what it's supposed to, and not legitimate email messages!

A big junk mail problem:

If you're experiencing a high volume of junk mail, then there's a good possibility Spammers are taking advantage of your "catch all" option. To disable this, please see our tutorial on "Default Email Address."

Email Forwarding:

Email forwarding is a feature, which forwards an email that originated from your domain, to another email address. The forwarding address can be another email address within 'your domain', or to an 'external email' address, (for example to your home ISP email account). There are two types of email forwarding:

Forward silently to another address:

In this case, the email address from your domain (setup for forwarding) will divert all messages to the forwarding address you've selected, and without sending you a copy of the original message. For example, you@yourdomain.com will automatically forward all messages to you@mindspring.com. Pretty straight forward. (no pun intended).

Forward to another address, but also send you the "original inquiry":

This is very easy to setup. All you need to do is enter 2 email addresses to forward to separated by a comma. For example, if you want all email sent to sales@yourdomain.com to be forwarded to john@yourdomain.com and you also want to receive a copy of this email, you would enter:

john@yourdomain.com,you@yourdomain.com. That will forward a copy of any emails sent to sales@yourdomain.com to both emails addresses.

How to setup a mail forward:

1. Login to C-Panel
2. Select "Forwarders"
3. Enter a configured pop email account name if you want to recieve original inquiries. (Enter a none configured email address if you do not)
4. Enter the email address you want it to relay a copy of the message to
5. Select "Add Forward"
All messages will now be forwarded to the forwarding address, and with a copy sent to you

Need to Forward to more than one person?
Simply repeat the above process using the same address you've setup as the forward, and enter the additional recipients you would like to send a copy of the message to.  All email forwards will be listed in your "Email Forwarder" administrator. You can delete forwards when you no longer require them.

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