Autoresponders automatically reply to incoming emails. Perfect for vacation messages, confirmation emails, or acknowledging receipt.
Common Uses
- Out of office / vacation messages
- Welcome messages for new contacts
- Confirmation that email was received
- After-hours notifications
Creating an Autoresponder
- Log into cPanel
- Go to Email section
- Click Autoresponders
- Click Add Autoresponder
- Fill in the settings:
- Character Set: utf-8 (recommended)
- Interval: Hours between responses to same sender
- Email: The address to autorespond from
- From: Your name
- Subject: Autoresponse subject line
- Body: The automatic reply message
- Start/Stop: Schedule when active (optional)
- Click Create
Example: Vacation Message
Subject: Out of Office - Back January 5th Hi, Thank you for your email. I am currently out of the office with limited access to email. I will return on January 5th and respond to your message then. For urgent matters, please contact [email protected]. Best regards, John Smith
Interval Setting
The interval prevents sending multiple autoresponses to the same person:
- 0 hours: Respond to every email (not recommended)
- 8 hours: Respond once per 8 hours per sender
- 24 hours: Respond once per day per sender (recommended)
Scheduling Autoresponders
Set start and stop times for automatic activation:
- Check Start and enter start date/time
- Check Stop and enter end date/time
- The autoresponder only works during this period
Tip: Set end date to day after you return to catch any overlap.
HTML Autoresponses
To include formatting:
- Check This message contains HTML
- Use HTML tags in the body:
<p>Thank you for your email.</p> <p><strong>I will respond when I return.</strong></p>
Editing an Autoresponder
- Go to Autoresponders
- Find the autoresponder in the list
- Click Edit
- Make changes
- Click Save
Deleting an Autoresponder
- Go to Autoresponders
- Find the autoresponder
- Click Delete
- Confirm deletion
Best Practices
- Keep messages brief and professional
- Include return date and alternative contact
- Set reasonable interval (8-24 hours)
- Remember to delete after returning
- Do not include sensitive information
Limitations
- Does not work with emails marked as spam
- Does not respond to mailing lists (usually)
- Cannot attach files