Email autoresponders automatically send reply messages when someone emails you, perfect for vacation notices or acknowledging receipt of messages. When you activate an autoresponder at OBHost, incoming emails still arrive in your inbox normally while the automatic response is sent to the sender.
What Are Email Autoresponders?
An email autoresponder is an automated feature that sends a pre-written message to anyone who emails a specific address. Common uses include out-of-office notifications, confirmation messages, or letting customers know you received their inquiry. The system continues delivering all messages to your inbox as usual while simultaneously sending your automatic response.
Viewing Current Autoresponders
To see all autoresponders configured for a specific domain on your account, select that domain from the Managing menu in the top right corner of the Autoresponders interface. A complete list of autoresponders for that domain will appear.
To quickly locate a specific autoresponder, enter keywords in the Search text box and click Go. This searches through your autoresponder email addresses to find the one you need.
How to Add an Email Autoresponder
Follow these steps to create a new autoresponder for any email address:
- Click Add Autoresponder to open the configuration interface
- Select a character set from the Character Set menu (UTF-8 is recommended for international character support)
- Enter the interval in hours between responses to the same sender (setting this to 0 sends a response to every email, while 24 sends only one response per day per sender)
- In the Email text box, type the email address that should trigger the autoresponder
- In the From text box, enter the name you want to appear as the sender
- In the Subject text box, type the subject line for your automatic response
- Check the HTML box if your message includes HTML formatting tags
- In the Body text box, compose your automatic response message
- Configure start and end dates if you only want the autoresponder active during specific dates
- Click Create to activate your autoresponder
Understanding Response Intervals
The response interval controls how often the autoresponder replies to the same email address. This prevents flooding a single person with multiple identical responses. For example, if you set the interval to 24 hours and someone emails you at 8:00 AM on Monday, they receive an immediate automatic response. If they email again at 10:00 AM that same day, they will not receive another autoresponse until after 8:00 AM on Tuesday.
Setting the interval to 0 hours means every single email triggers a response, regardless of how many times the same person emails you. This setting is rarely recommended as it can appear unprofessional or spammy.
Important Autoresponder Limitations
Each email address can only have one autoresponder configured. If you attempt to create multiple autoresponders for the same email address, the system will display an error message.
Autoresponders automatically ignore messages that spam filters identify as likely spam (assigned a spam score of 5 or higher). This prevents your autoresponder from responding to spam emails and potentially confirming your email address to spammers.
Best Practices for Autoresponders
Keep your autoresponse message clear and concise. Include when you will return or when the recipient can expect a personal response. If appropriate, provide alternative contact information for urgent matters.
Always set specific start and end dates for temporary autoresponders like vacation messages. This ensures the autoresponder automatically deactivates when you return, preventing continued automatic responses after you are back and reading emails normally.
Consider using a 24-hour interval rather than 0 hours for most situations. This prevents annoying the same person with repeated identical messages if they send multiple emails during your absence.
Editing or Deleting Autoresponders
To modify an existing autoresponder, locate it in your autoresponder list and click the Edit option. Make your changes and save to update the autoresponder settings.
To remove an autoresponder when you no longer need it, find it in the list and click Delete. This immediately stops automatic responses for that email address. Remember to delete vacation autoresponders when you return to work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my autoresponder reply to spam emails?
No, autoresponders at OBHost ignore messages identified as spam with a score of 5 or higher. This protects you from confirming your email address to spammers and prevents your server from sending responses to potentially malicious senders.
Can I set up an autoresponder that only works during specific dates?
Yes, when creating an autoresponder, you can specify start and end dates. The autoresponder will only send automatic responses during that date range, then automatically deactivate. This is ideal for vacation notices or temporary unavailability.
Do incoming emails still reach my inbox when an autoresponder is active?
Yes, all incoming emails continue to arrive in your inbox normally. The autoresponder only sends an additional automatic response to the sender. You can still read, reply to, and manage your emails as usual.
Why would I set the response interval to 24 hours instead of 0?
A 24-hour interval prevents your autoresponder from sending multiple identical messages to someone who emails you several times in one day. This is more professional and courteous, ensuring each sender receives just one autoresponse per day rather than a reply to every single message.
Our support team is available 24/7 to help you configure autoresponders or troubleshoot any email settings. Visit our contact page or email us at support@obhost.org for assistance.
