Mailing List Synchronization
Arclab® MailList Controller
sync List Synchronization "Sync"
The program receives incoming messages during a "Sync" and updates the database:
- Receive incoming "Subscribe" email requests generated by a web form
- Receive incoming "Remove" email requests generated by a web form
- Receive incoming "Remove" replies
- Receive returned mail (e.g. invalid email address)
- Receive messages sent from an external user (user/password protected)
- Send autoresponder messages (e.g. subscribe confirmation message)
MailList Controller does not send incoming messages to
your subscribers!
Only you (using the program) or special, authorized "External
Users" with a valid account can send messages to your list.
The processing of user subscribe/remove requests is email based, e.g. a person (contact) can send a message with "Remove" in the subject to the lists email address to unsubscribe from a list. We recommend to use a web form, which generates the required email for subscribe requests.
See also:
info_outline Add a Link to Unsubscribe (Remove) to your Newsletter
Include a "Remove" link in your newsletter to allow the recipient to
unsubscribe, or tell the recipient to reply with "Remove" (as subject) to
unsubscribe.
You can add the remove link automatically when using one
of the included templates or add the link to your custom message.
Samples:
- "Reply with "Remove" in the subject to unsubscribe"
- "Click here to unsubscribe from our newsletter"
You can either add a link to a remove form (unsubscribe form) on your web site or a mailto-link:
HTML Link Code Samples:
<a href="https://www.your-domain.tld/remove.html">Click here to unsubscribe from our newsletter</a>
A click on the link will open your remove web form in the browser.
<a href="mailto:your-list@your-domain.tld?subject=Remove">Click here to unsubscribe from our newsletter</a>
A click on the link will open the users mail program.
Add Email Address as Parameter in mailto: Link
If you want to add the original email address of the contact to avoid problems with forwarded messages and aliases use e.g.:
mailto:##LISTEMAIL##?subject=##REMOVETAG##&body=EMAIL%3D[EMAIL]
With a mailto: link it is not only possible to define the recipient and
subject, but also the message body.
The "body=EMAIL%3D[EMAIL]" parameter
in the mailto: link sets the contact's original email address as message
body .
HTML Link Code Samples:
<a href="mailto:your-list@your-domain.tld?subject=Remove&body=EMAIL%3D[EMAIL]">Click
here to unsubscribe from our newsletter</a>
or
<a href="mailto:##LISTEMAIL##?subject=##REMOVETAG##&body=EMAIL%3D[EMAIL]">Click
here to unsubscribe from our newsletter</a>
The email address in the body of the message (EMAIL=....) has a higher priority as the sender, so the original email address is removed from the list, even if the message is sent from a different sender address.
Custom Web Forms with Parameter
If you use a custom web form, which allows the email address as parameter, use e.g.
<a href="https://www.your-domain.tld/webform.php?email=[EMAIL]">Click here to unsubscribe from our newsletter</a>
A click on the link will open your custom remove web form in the browser
using the email address as parameter.
If you are looking for a
program to create custom web forms, you can test our software:
Arclab® Web Form Builder.
See also: Remove Message Format
info_outline Details and Log File
The section "Incoming Messages" contains details about incoming messages for each list:
- Double-click on the "Date" to view an extracted log for the day.
- Click on "Sync" to start the synchronization manually.
- Click on "Log File" to open the current service log file
The most detailed information about the list synchronization "Sync"
are in the log file.
Click on "Log File" in the program
to open todays log file or use "File" > "Explore Log Files" for older
logs.
The program creates one log file per day.
Log File Sample:
00:03:04 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
00:03:04 Synchronize Mon, 06 Jun 2016 00:03
00:03:04 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
00:03:04 ...
00:03:05 "Demo & Test" 1 [Subscribe] USER=alpha@arclab.com
00:03:05 "Demo & Test" 2 [Subscribe] USER=beta@arclab.com
00:03:05
"Demo & Test" Received 2 messages
00:03:05 Delete Messages from POP3
...
00:03:06 2 Messages deleted
00:03:06 Disconnected
00:03:06
"Demo & Test" Out: Send Subscribe Message to alpha@arclab.com
00:03:07
"Demo & Test" Out: Send Subscribe Message to beta@arclab.com
00:03:07
The log file shows 2 new subscriber for the list "Demo & Test" and
the program has sent out the "Welcome" autoresponder message to both new
contacts.
The log file is a good place to start if anything does not
work as expected – it contains detailed information about the list synchronization.