Autoresponders (Vacation Replies)

Set up an automatic reply that answers incoming mail while you are away. Autoresponders are ideal for out-of-office and vacation notices, letting senders know when to expect a response.

What an Autoresponder Does

An autoresponder automatically sends a canned reply to anyone who emails a chosen address. The original message is still delivered to the mailbox as normal — the autoresponder simply adds an automatic reply on top. You manage autoresponders in the Email section of cPanel.

Creating an Autoresponder

1. Log into cPanel and scroll to the Email section.
2. Click Autoresponders.
3. Click Add Autoresponder.
4. Set the Interval (see below), then enter the Email address (the mailbox that should send automatic replies) and select its Domain.
5. Fill in the From name, the Subject, and the reply body.
6. Choose whether the body is plain text or HTML, then type your message.
7. Optionally set a Start and Stop time so the autoresponder turns itself on and off automatically.
8. Click Create/Modify to save.

Setting the Interval

The Interval is the number of hours the autoresponder waits before replying to the same sender again. This prevents a back-and-forth loop and stops a single contact from receiving dozens of identical replies.

• 0 hours — Replies to every incoming message. Use with caution, as it can flood a frequent sender.
• 24 hours — A sensible default: each sender receives at most one reply per day.

Using Tags in the Reply

You can personalise the reply with tags that cPanel replaces with information from the incoming message:

• %from% — The name of the person who sent the original message.
• %subject% — The subject line of the original message.
• %email% — The email address of the sender.

For example, a body of Hi %from%, thanks for your message about "%subject%". I am out of office until Monday. produces a friendly, personalised reply.

Setting Start and Stop Times

Rather than remembering to switch the autoresponder off, set a schedule:

1. Under Start, choose Custom and pick the date and time your absence begins.
2. Under Stop, choose Custom and pick when you return.
3. Leave Start on Immediately and Stop on Never if you want the responder to run until you remove it.

Editing and Deleting Autoresponders

1. In cPanel, open Autoresponders.
2. Find the entry in the Current Auto Responders list.
3. Click Edit to change the message, interval, or schedule, then click Create/Modify.
4. Click Delete to remove it, then confirm.