How do I make an Email Distribution List?

To create a new Email Distribution List, follow these steps:

1. Go to the email services at http://webcom.com/~webcom/services/email, or by selecting "Email Services" from the Customer Services menu. From the Email Services menu choose "Create a new email account". This will take you to the Email Account Maintenance Form.
2. Enter a name for the new email account in the first input box.
3. In the next text input box put the new email address you are creating for the Distribution List. You can enter multiple email addresses here if you like, and messages sent to any of them will distribute to the list subscribers.
4. Next, in the section labeled Distribute electronic mail to a list of subscriber email addresses, check the "Enable This Option" checkbox. This section requires several settings to be defined:

In this input box you enter the name of the text file which contains the email addresses of those subscribed to the list. It is important to remember that this file is not created automatically. You will have to create this file manually, either with WebCom's File Manager or by uploading the file with FTP.

Next you must indicate the directory where the system can find the Subscriber List File. Click once on the directory to select it.

This is the address to which errors will be sent should there be trouble in the transmission of messages to the list subscribers. Enter in this box the email address of the maintainer of the list, so that they may be alerted if addresses on the list become invalid or other problems with the list surface.

The purpose of this option is to allow for private or moderated lists, or any other uses where the actual list address must be kept private. The default value in this field is "undisclosed-recipients@webcom.com", but this can be changed to any address you choose. This option is useful if you do not wish others to know the actual distribution list address, which makes a "moderated" list possible: only you know the address which distributes messages to the subscribers, thus you can control exactly what messages go out.

• Some email programs will insert a non-standard header when sending to distribution lists which reveals the address of this list, despite any rewriting of the To address done by our system. Thus, you will want to test your email program for this behavior before sending to a list that you wish to keep private.
• We recommend sending your distribution list through the WebCom outgoing email server (smtp.webcom.com/~webcom) using a POP email client, since some non-WebCom email servers insert the actual list address into the headers of the email. Sending the distribution list through WebCom's email server (smtp.webcom.com/~webcom) ensures the actual list address remains private.

Once you have these settings defined, you can hit Submit and your new list will be active within moments.

More information on Email Distribution Lists can be found in our detailed documentation on this feature.