Author Topic: Reply-to address question (Read 10195 times)

twowheeler · November 11, 2007, 06:17:34 am

We recently used our new CiviMail setup, and are quite happy with the results. However in looking at the report on the mailing, I see that several individuals replied, but I haven't seen their replies. I am trying to track down where they went.

The reply-to address in the email was:
reply.1.13.76.6f238a1dcbe00abe6a8b994353967876fcb315eb-cdhassell=gmail.com@mail.hbgyfc.org

When I sent email to this address, I get the correct automated response. However the email itself never arrives. When I sent the email, I understood that if the reply-to address is left blank, that by default replies would go to the "from" address. Is that not true? If not, maybe my replies are disappearing into cyberspace ...

Where did my replies go?

Piotr Szotkowski · November 11, 2007, 10:55:45 pm

Quote from: twowheeler on November 11, 2007, 06:17:34 am

When I sent email to this address, I get the correct automated response. However the email itself never arrives.

The reply would end up wherever you told your mail system to file/forward it. For example, the suggested /etc/postfix/virtual setup looks like this:

Code: [Select]

/^(bounce|confirm|optOut|reply|subscribe|unsubscribe|resubscribe)\..*@example\.com$/ civimail@example.com

…so the replies get delivered to the civimail@example.com address.

twowheeler · December 06, 2007, 04:13:27 am

Well, I have ignored this for a little while but it is still a problem. More information:
I am using the CiviSMTP service from uas.coop. I emailed back and forth with Shane a while and learned that he sees the replies go through his system, and my CiviMail report shows that a reply was made to the email. However, the reply never arrives. He also indicated that his other clients do not have this issue so he can't reproduce it. I guess that the problem is in my setup, then.

Any suggestions on how to debug this?

Thanks.

Piotr Szotkowski · December 06, 2007, 10:03:33 pm

I’m not really sure how UAS’s email service works with regards to SMTP replies. I assume the replies must go through their system (and it registers them with your CiviCRM install), but I can’t really say what happens to them afterwards – this looks like an SMTP configuration issue, and not anything related to CiviCRM/CiviMail itself. :|

My limited SMTP knowledge suggests this might be somehow related to how mail.hbgyfc.org handles emails from UAS (assuming UAS forwards the replies properly), but that’s more a guess than anything else. Hopefully, the answer lies somewhere in the logs between UAS and mail.hbgyfc.org.

twowheeler · December 08, 2007, 08:48:42 am

Thank you. I have been testing and poking at this from different angles and still can't see what's wrong.

You suggested that

Quote

this might be somehow related to how mail.hbgyfc.org handles emails from UAS (assuming UAS forwards the replies properly)

But mail.hbgyfc.org is not receiving anything, since I have set its MX records to divert all incoming mail to civismtp.uas.coop as instructed. The "Forward Replies" box in civimail is checked, so civismtp.uas.coop should be forwarding the reply directly to the "From" address, right? That will not involve mail.hbgyfc.org at all.

Can you confirm that is how it works?

Piotr Szotkowski · December 09, 2007, 09:57:55 pm

Quote from: twowheeler on December 08, 2007, 08:48:42 am

But mail.hbgyfc.org is not receiving anything, since I have set its MX records to divert all incoming mail to civismtp.uas.coop as instructed.

Ah, so this is how UAS works. Makes sense.

Quote from: twowheeler on December 08, 2007, 08:48:42 am

The "Forward Replies" box in civimail is checked, so civismtp.uas.coop should be forwarding the reply directly to the "From" address, right?

No, unless UAS somehow knows how your CiviCRM is setup, as this is your CiviCRM instance’s setting, right?

What should theoretically happen is that civismtp.uas.coop receives the mail (as mail.hbgyfc.org), register it as a reply with your CiviCRM instance (through its SOAP interface) and your CiviCRM instance should check that it has the Forward Replies setting set and so forward the reply where appropriate.

It’d be best if you checked with Shane whether the above makes sense, but if so, then you should check your CiviCRM’s settings and/or logs to see why the email isn’t forwarded (after being registered as a reply).

Actually, it might be a good idea if UAS provided this service (forwarding) on their own – this would require then to somehow know the Forward Replies setting, but take the burden of any SMTP traffic off the served installs.

Denver Dave · November 29, 2008, 10:46:23 pm

We don't use UAS, but have a somewhat similar issue. Whether the box is checked to forward replies to the from address or not, the reply always seems to go to the email addressed specified in the return path in the Administer CiviCRM / CiviMail / Domain Information.

I'll try leaving this blank and see what happens, since the return path is not a required field. Also - I wish we could also leave the Default Name and Email address blank and have CiviMail prompt us for it. Because we have so many people doing the CiviMail function, the default is usually wrong.

"Forward Replies? If a recipient replies to this mailing, forward the reply to the FROM Email address specified for the mailing." - - I wonder specified where? In the actual step 3 of the mailing, the administer civimail or an ini file? Changing the Administration / CiviMail / domain / reply address does not seem to make any difference. ... time to call it a night.

Piotr Szotkowski · December 01, 2008, 12:33:27 am

Quote from: Denver Dave on November 29, 2008, 10:46:23 pm

Whether the box is checked to forward replies to the from address or not, the reply always seems to go to the email addressed specified in the return path in the Administer CiviCRM / CiviMail / Domain Information.

I'll try leaving this blank and see what happens, since the return path is not a required field.

It would be most appreciated; I’m doing some fixed to the reply functionality for 2.2 and I’d like to also fix the above (if it’s broken) along the way.

Quote from: Denver Dave on November 29, 2008, 10:46:23 pm

Also - I wish we could also leave the Default Name and Email address blank and have CiviMail prompt us for it. Because we have so many people doing the CiviMail function, the default is usually wrong.

We’ll think about what’s a bigger hassle in most cases (defaulting or not defaulting) and fix this if appropriate.

Quote from: Denver Dave on November 29, 2008, 10:46:23 pm

"Forward Replies? If a recipient replies to this mailing, forward the reply to the FROM Email address specified for the mailing." – I wonder specified where?

In step 3 of the mailing wizard.

Denver Dave · December 01, 2008, 08:11:33 am

I've tried removing the reply path in Administration / CiviMail with no difference. Now I'm wondering what config file has the setting for the reply [oh I see - this is the catch all address on our server] - I'm talking about what happens when someone hits the reply button on an email. It would be nice to just have an option to have the reply go to the address filled out in step 3 rather than having it processed by the catchall setting for our email with the very long computer generated address. The current reply address when someone presses reply is pretty intimidating - I can see why some may want, but for smaller runs, would be best for us to have an option for the sender to handle replies rather than having them lost in our catchall bucket.

Speaking of Step 3, it would help us if we could leave the default blank and have step 3 prompt us for a from name and address or if perhaps fancier, would be to be able to have a drop down choice. My first thought was to use the authorized CiviMail users, but this might not be the best, because sometimes we send out for other people that do not know how to do CiviMail, although I guess we could authorize them anyway.

We are on version 1.9 (working on resources for 2.1 or 2.2), so the reply issue may not be the same in later versions.

Piotr Szotkowski · December 03, 2008, 04:14:31 am

Quote from: Denver Dave on December 01, 2008, 08:11:33 am

I'm talking about what happens when someone hits the reply button on an email. It would be nice to just have an option to have the reply go to the address filled out in step 3 rather than having it processed by the catchall setting for our email with the very long computer generated address. The current reply address when someone presses reply is pretty intimidating - I can see why some may want, but for smaller runs, would be best for us to have an option for the sender to handle replies rather than having them lost in our catchall bucket.

We need to use that address (and mechanism) to be able to generate reply statistics for the mailing report (we can’t count the replies – and see which contacts replied – if the reply bypasses CiviCRM and goes directly to the sender).

We could add another checkbox in the first step of the wizard, ☑ track replies, and if it’s un-checked set Reply-To: to directly go to the mailing’s sender. If that’s a desired feature, feel free to file an issue for it.

Quote from: Denver Dave on December 01, 2008, 08:11:33 am

Speaking of Step 3, it would help us if we could leave the default blank and have step 3 prompt us for a from name and address or if perhaps fancier, would be to be able to have a drop down choice.

You mean a drop-down for reply address much like the one we have for the from address in step 3? (Check out the demo server for 2.1’s version.)

Denver Dave · December 03, 2008, 07:22:27 am

An optional checkbox to track or not track replies would be great. I actually thought this was what the forward replies checkbox did, but apparently not. What difference does the forward replies checkbox do?

I've seen discussion about the from address having a dropdown - I'm not seeing the dropdown on the 2.1 demo - are others seeing the dropdown for a new mailing? I'm using FireFox 3.0.4 , I wonder if that is the issue? ... checking with I.E., I only have version 6, which has other issues, .. don't see the from address dropdown with the 2.1 demo with I.E. 6 either. I must be not understanding - is the drop down supposed to be in the from box?

Piotr Szotkowski · December 04, 2008, 01:49:42 am

Quote from: Denver Dave on December 03, 2008, 07:22:27 am

An optional checkbox to track or not track replies would be great.

Ok, I filed CRM-3903.

Quote from: Denver Dave on December 03, 2008, 07:22:27 am

I actually thought this was what the forward replies checkbox did, but apparently not. What difference does the forward replies checkbox do?

If it’s not checked, the Reply-To: header is set to do-not-reply@… – i.e., the replies get thrashed.

Quote from: Denver Dave on December 03, 2008, 07:22:27 am

I've seen discussion about the from address having a dropdown - I'm not seeing the dropdown on the 2.1 demo - are others seeing the dropdown for a new mailing?

Argh, apologies – this drop-down will be a part of CiviCRM 2.2 and will look like in the attachment.

CiviCRM Community Forums (archive)

News:

Author Topic: Reply-to address question (Read 10195 times)

twowheeler

Reply-to address question

Piotr Szotkowski

Re: Reply-to address question

twowheeler

Re: Reply-to address question

Piotr Szotkowski

Re: Reply-to address question

twowheeler

Re: Reply-to address question

Piotr Szotkowski

Re: Reply-to address question

Denver Dave

Re: Reply-to address question

Piotr Szotkowski

Re: Reply-to address question

Denver Dave

Re: Reply-to address question

Piotr Szotkowski

Re: Reply-to address question

Denver Dave

Re: Reply-to address question

Piotr Szotkowski

Re: Reply-to address question