How to Set Up an Auto-Responder

Creating Automatic Email Replies

Auto-responders send an automatic reply to anyone who emails a specific address. They are commonly used for out-of-office messages, acknowledgement of support requests, or informing contacts of important updates.

Setting Up an Auto-Responder in cPanel

1. Log in to cPanel and scroll to the Email section.
2. Click on Autoresponders.
3. Click Add Autoresponder.
4. Configure the following fields:
   • Character Set: Leave as utf-8 for broad compatibility.
   • Interval: The number of hours between repeat responses to the same sender. Set to 8 or higher to avoid flooding.
   • Email: Enter the local part of the address (e.g., support).
   • Domain: Select the appropriate domain.
   • From: The name that appears as the sender.
   • Subject: The subject line of the auto-reply.
   • Body: The message content. You can use HTML if you tick the HTML option.
   • Start/Stop: Optionally set a date range for the auto-responder to be active.
5. Click Create to activate the auto-responder.

Best Practices

• Always set a reasonable interval (8-24 hours) to prevent sending multiple replies to the same person in a short period.
• Keep the message concise and professional. Include when the recipient can expect a real response.
• Use start and stop dates for holiday messages so they automatically turn off when you return.
• Include alternative contact information in case of urgent matters.

Disabling an Auto-Responder

To turn off an auto-responder, go to the Autoresponders page in cPanel and click Delete next to the relevant entry. If you set a stop date, the auto-responder will disable itself automatically at that time.