Mailing List Integration with Address Books, Mailgroups and the Local Directory
This integration feature makes it easy for even non-admins to manage complicated mailing lists via WebMail without using the Console once the List is set-up..
Mailtraq makes it possible to have entries in Mailing Lists which are pointers to Mailgroups, Directory LDAP queries or Address Books. When a message is sent to the mailing list, it is distributed to the list members.
- For Mailgroups, the message is distributed to all the mailboxes within that group.
- For LDAP queries the query is expanded from the view of the user who owns the mailing list.
- For Address Books, the message is distributed to every email contact in the address book.
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Before you start: Optimize the Outbound Router
When using Mailtraq for external Mailing Lists we recommend using the Advanced Outbound Router option
This is found in the Console | Outgoing Mail | Options
Select this option at the check-box as shown:
[x] Enable Advanced Outbound Router
1.) How do I create a new Mailing List?
Get started in the Console.
Select the User who will 'own' the mailing list, ...
Then right-click and create a New | Mailing List
There is extensive context help available at the [Help] button, including how to Import csv lists of Subscribers from purchased mail lists.
Subscribers
You access the Subscribers to a mailing list by expanding the List entry in the left-hand column tree-view, and selecting 'Subscribers'. Your subscribers will be listed in the main pane on the right. Individual subscriber properties can be accessed by selecting, then right-clicking and opening 'Properties'.
Importing addresses
To import a CSV list of 'subscribers' expand the list view to show 'Subscribers', then use the right-click context menu to 'Import...'
Group Lists for ease of Administration
You can arrange mailing lists into logical 'Groups' by selecting the mailing list, then right-click and select 'Change Mail Group' from the context-menu.
Revoke Guest posting
You should consider revoking the privilege of Guests to Post messages to the mailing list.
This can prevent abuse of the list.
You set these 'flags' at the Guest Properties button, in the Access-tab of the Mailing List Properties.
Properties are available by selecting the List, and right clicking to get the context menu.
2.) How do I change the properties of multiple subscribers?
Do a group select in the Subscribers-tab (or Subscribers entry in the tree-view) using the normal Windows controls (shift+click and ctrl+click) and then click the Properties button.
The Subscriber Properties dialog will open indicating Multiple Subscribers Selected
Related Tip: Can I use 'attachments' in Mailing Lists?
Yes - by adjusting the Flag settings in Subscriber Properties.
[x] Sends Binaries
[x] Receives Binaries
Why don't mailing lists send 'binaries' by default?
As attached files can cause all sorts of problems to recipients, Mailtraq by default prevents their spread by mailing lists. Administrators can decide overall or on a user by user basis whether the User can Send and/or Receive attached binary encoded files.
3.) How do I control whether my Mailing Lists are 'visible' to users?
Setting the mailing List Local Directory Visibility will determine whether the list is published in the Local Directory made available to the Contacts system.
4.) How do I email all (or some) of my Local Users?
Mailtraq allows you to group mailboxes in the Console Tree into Folders called Mail Groups.
You can subscribe a Console Mail Group to a mailing list. This makes it very simple to email all or some of your organization following the mailbox structure set up in the Mailbox section of the Console-tree.
These mailing-lists can be exposed in Contacts using the Directory controls so that users have access to them.
Method: Create a New Mailing List of the type 'Distribution List', as described above, and set the Subscriber-tab, 'Send distributed messages to ...' option to Mail Group, and select the group from the drop down offered.
Note: You must create at least one Mail Group in addition to the root folder.
5.) How do I email a list without using the Console?
There are two ways to manage members of a mailing list without using the Console. These methods are 'dynamic' - reflecting the current membership of the groups defined, rather than a simple listing of members.
The mailing list is first created and defined in the Console as usual, but thereafter its membership will reflect the Address Book, or LDAP query specified. Address Books can be modified by users via webmail, or by synching Outlook Contacts.
Address Book
In a similar manner to the Mail Group, this option allows you to create a subscriber list based on an Address Book. For Address Books, the message is distributed to every contact in the address book who has an e-mail address given.
Example
In practice, someone with a moderate sized distribution list would ask the Mailtraq Administrator to create a secondary Personal Address Book for them in the Console. This PAB is usually populated via webmail in the Contacts section, even if the User does not normally use webmail.
It can also be synced using MOS on the LAN, or by direct import via Console by the Administrator.
This PAB is then set as the target for a mailing list by the Administrator. The user then sends one email message to the mailing list, and it is then distributed to the entries in the PAB. Maintaining the list is done by the User, adding or removing entries from their secondary PAB. The Administrator need only be involved in the set-up.
Read about Address Books...
Directory LDAP Query
In a similar manner this option allows you to create a subscriber list based on a standard LDAP query of the Directory. The query is expanded from the perspective of the user who owns the mailing list. For example, "(ou=Sales)" would result in the message going to all the users who have their Organizational Unit set to "Sales" according to their user directory properties.
6.) How do I restrict posting access to Mailing Lists?
You can restrict access to posting to the Mailing List, and the ability of new users to subscribe to the list by using the Access-tab.
7.) Moderation
The example shown requires posting to be moderated by local user jsmith
Moderation will direct the message to the moderators mailbox.
The moderator can 'approve' the message by using the "Approve" action in the console.
It sets the 'Sender:' to match the mailbox the message is in and re-submits the message to the address in the X-Moderate-For header after removing that header.
Mailing List Personalization
By allowing each message to be customised for the final recipient it is possible to have messages that read, for example, "Dear John Smith," assuming that is the subscriber's name. Such mailings are well suited to marketing or to make the mailing list part of a customer relationship management system.
The options are available on the Messages tab of the Mailing List object.
If you select Recipient in the To header, then messages are exploded (similar to checking the Explode option) and separate content is generated for each recipient. The To: header is then replaced with the Subscriber Name and E-Mail address in standard RFC2822 format.
Per-Recipient Macro Expansion
If you check the Expand Macros checkbox, then messages are not only exploded but both the header and content are processed for macros. A Mailtraq Macro looks like this:
- Code:
$(macroname)
and is replaced with a string taken from the subscriber.
The available macros depend on the type of subscriber, but $(name) and $(email) are always available. Remember that in additional to regular subscribers you can have an expansion subscriber (a Mailtraq Mail Group, a local directory LDAP query or an Address Book). For LDAP queries and Address Books the available macros are the same as the LDAP fields. For Example, $(givenName), $(sn), etc.
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- Most of the time, you will want something that looks like this:
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- Code:
Dear $(name),
Please enjoy this message
Method of work
You can experiment by creating a mailing list with a single test recipient and sending messages to it. You should always experiment when you aren't sure what will appear in the outgoing message.
