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How to create automatic responders on cPanel

How to create automatic responders on cPanel

How to create autoresponders on cPanel

Estimated Time: 5 minutes
Difficulty: Easy ⭐
Prerequisites: Existing cPanel email account

📋 Introduction

An autoresponder is an email message sent automatically in response to any email received at a specific address. It is an essential tool for maintaining professional communication, even when you are unavailable.

Common Use Cases

Situation Example
🏖️ Vacation / Leave Away message with return date
🏢 Office Hours Response outside of business hours
📧 No-reply Address Informing that the address is not monitored
✅ Receipt Confirmation Automatic acknowledgment of receipt
📋 Information Requests Automatic sending of rates, FAQs, etc.
🛒 Customer Support Confirmation of ticket with response time

⚙️ Create an Autoresponder

Step 1: Access Autoresponders

  1. Log in to cPanel
  2. In the Email section, click on Autoresponders

Image

Step 2: Add an Autoresponder

  1. Select the relevant domain from the Management dropdown (if you have multiple)
  2. Click on Add Autoresponder

Image

Step 3: Configure the Autoresponder

Fill in the following fields:

General Settings

Field Description Recommendation
Character Set Character encoding utf-8 (default)
Interval Delay before sending to the same sender 8 hours minimum

💡 Interval Tip: Set at least 8 hours to avoid spamming the same person with repeated responses.

Email Information

Field Description Example
Email Part before the @ contact
Domain Email address domain yourdomain.com
From Name or sender's address Customer Service or [email protected]
Subject Automatic message subject Re: Your message - Receipt acknowledgment

Message Content

Option Description
This message contains HTML Check if you are using HTML formatting
Body Your automatic message content

Scheduling

Option Description
Start Immediately or Custom (specific date/time)
Stop Never or Custom (end date/time)

⚠️ Important: If you choose Custom, the end date must be after the start date.

Step 4: Save

Click on Create/Modify to activate the autoresponder.

📝 Dynamic Variables

You can personalize your messages with variables that will be automatically replaced:

Variable Replaced by Example
%subject% Subject of the received email "Quote Request"
%from% Sender's name "John Doe"
%email% Sender's email address "[email protected]"

Usage Example

Hello %from%,

Thank you for your message regarding "%subject%".

We have received your email and will get back to you as soon as possible.

Best regards,
Support Team

📋 Message Templates

🏖️ Vacation Message

Subject: Out of Office - Back on [DATE]

Hello %from%,

Thank you for your message.

I am currently out of the office from [START DATE] to [END DATE] inclusive, 
with limited access to my emails.

I will review your message upon my return and respond to you promptly.

For urgent matters, you can contact:
📧 [COLLEAGUE EMAIL]
📞 [PHONE NUMBER]

Best regards,

[YOUR NAME]
[YOUR POSITION]
[YOUR COMPANY]

🏢 After-Hours Message

Subject: Receipt Acknowledgment - Response within 24 business hours

Hello %from%,

Thank you for contacting us.

Our team is available Monday to Friday, from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm.

Your message has been received and will be processed at the next opening 
of our offices. We commit to responding to you within 24 business hours.

For emergencies only: [EMERGENCY NUMBER]

Best regards,

The [COMPANY NAME] Team
---
[ADDRESS]
[PHONE]
[WEBSITE]

✅ Receipt Acknowledgment (Support)

Subject: Received Ticket: %subject%

Hello %from%,

We have received your request regarding:
"%subject%"

📋 Your ticket has been recorded in our support system.

⏱️ Estimated response time: 24 to 48 business hours.

In the meantime, you can check our FAQ: [FAQ LINK]

Thank you for your patience and trust.

Support Team
[COMPANY NAME]

📧 No-Reply Address

Subject: This address does not receive replies

Hello,

You have sent an email to an address that is not monitored (no-reply).

⚠️ Your message will not be read or processed.

To contact us, please use:
📧 [email protected]
📞 01 23 45 67 89
🌐 www.yourdomain.com/contact

Best regards,
[COMPANY NAME]

📋 Automatic Sending of Information (Rates)

Subject: Our Rates - [COMPANY NAME]

Hello %from%,

Thank you for your interest in our services.

Below are our current rates:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│             PRICE GRID                  │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Service A ................ €99 excl. VAT/month │
│ Service B ................ €199 excl. VAT/month│
│ Service C ................ €299 excl. VAT/month│
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

📄 Complete catalog: [LINK]
💬 Custom quote: [email protected]

Our sales team is available for any questions.

Best regards,

The Sales Team
[COMPANY NAME]
[PHONE]

🛒 Order Confirmation / E-commerce Contact

Subject: We have received your message

Hello %from%,

Thank you for contacting us!

✅ Your message has been successfully received by our team.

Our advisors are available from Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm 
and will respond within 24 to 48 hours.

📦 For tracking your orders: [TRACKING LINK]
❓ Frequently asked questions: [FAQ LINK]
↩️ Returns and exchanges: [RETURNS LINK]

See you soon!

The [SHOP NAME] Team

🎄 Seasonal Message (Holidays)

Subject: Merry Christmas! We will be back on [DATE]

Hello %from%,

🎄 The entire [COMPANY NAME] team wishes you a Merry Christmas!

Our offices are closed from [START DATE] to [END DATE].

We will handle your message upon our return on [RETURN DATE].

For any emergencies during this period: [EMERGENCY EMAIL/PHONE]

We thank you for your trust throughout this year 
and wish you a great year [YEAR]!

Warm regards,

The [COMPANY NAME] Team

🎨 HTML Message (Formatted)

For a more professional message with formatting, check "This message contains HTML" and use HTML code:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
</head>
<body>
    <div>
        
        <div>
            <h1>Thank you for your message!</h1>
        </div>
        
        <div>
            <p>Hello <strong>%from%</strong>,</p>
            
            <p>We have received your message regarding:</p>
            <p>
                <em>%subject%</em>
            </p>
            
            <p>Our team will respond within <strong>24 to 48 business hours</strong>.</p>
            
            <div>
                <a href="https://yourdomain.com/faq">
                    Check our FAQ
                </a>
            </div>
        </div>
        
        <div>
            <p>
                <strong>Company Name</strong><br>
                123 Example Street, 75000 Paris<br>
                📞 01 23 45 67 89 | 🌐 www.yourdomain.com
            </p>
        </div>
        
    </div>
</body>
</html>

✏️ Edit an Autoresponder

  1. Go to Email → Autoresponders
  2. Under Current Autoresponders, find the responder to edit
  3. Click on Edit in the Actions column
  4. Make your modifications
  5. Click on Create/Modify to save

🗑️ Delete an Autoresponder

  1. Go to Email → Autoresponders
  2. Under Current Autoresponders, find the responder to delete
  3. Click on Delete in the Actions column
  4. Confirm by clicking on Delete Autoresponder

💡 Tip: If you frequently use the same responder (e.g., vacations), instead of deleting it, modify the email address to a non-existent one to temporarily disable it. You can easily reactivate it later.

⚠️ Best Practices

Do's ✅

Practice Reason
Set an interval of at least 8 hours Avoid spamming senders
Provide a specific return date Manage correspondents' expectations
Offer an alternative contact For emergencies
Use a clear subject Facilitate message identification
Schedule an end date Prevent forgetting to deactivate
Test before leaving Ensure it works

Avoid ❌

Practice Risk
Setting interval to 0 Repeated spam to the same sender
Message too long Risk of being ignored
Sensitive information Security (exact vacation dates = empty house)
Forgetting to deactivate Outdated messages sent
Responding to newsletters Generates unnecessary spam

🔧 Troubleshooting

Autoresponder Not Working

Possible Cause Solution
Incorrect email address Check the exact spelling
Non-existent email account Create the email account first
Future start date Verify the start date
Expired end date Check/modify the end date

Emails Still Coming Through

It's normal! The autoresponder:

  • ✅ Sends an automatic response
  • ✅ The original email still arrives in your inbox

The responder does not filter emails, it simply responds to them.

Excessive Responses Sent

Issue: The same sender receives multiple responses.

Solution: Increase the Interval value (minimum 8 hours recommended).

Special Characters Displaying Incorrectly

Issue: Accents appear as é or ?.

Solution: Ensure that the Character Set is set to utf-8.

Autoresponder Responding to Spam

Unfortunately, the cPanel autoresponder responds to all received emails, including spam.

Solutions:

  • Set up anti-spam filters before the responder
  • Use a high interval to limit responses
  • Enable SpamAssassin in cPanel

📊 Summary Table

Parameter Recommended Value Description
Interval 8 to 24 hours Delay between responses to the same sender
From Name or email Identifies the sender
Subject Clear and descriptive E.g. "Acknowledgment"
Start As needed Immediately or specific date
Stop Return date Prevents oversights

📝 Summary

CREATE AN AUTORESPONDER:

1. cPanel → Email → Autoresponders
2. Click on "Add Autoresponder"
3. Fill in the fields:
   ├── Character Set: utf-8
   ├── Interval: 8 (minimum hours)
   ├── Email: your-address
   ├── Domain: yourdomain.com
   ├── From: Name or email
   ├── Subject: Message subject
   ├── Body: Message content
   ├── Start: Immediately or Custom
   └── Stop: Never or Custom (end date)
4. Click on "Create/Modify"

AVAILABLE VARIABLES:
├── %subject% → Subject of received email
├── %from% → Sender's name
└── %email% → Sender's email

VACATION MESSAGE EXAMPLE:
"Hello %from%,
I am away from [DATE] to [DATE].
For emergencies: [CONTACT]
Best regards, [NAME]"

BEST PRACTICES:
├── Minimum interval: 8 hours
├── Always specify a return date
├── Provide an alternative contact
├── Schedule the end date
└── Test before leaving!
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