Chapter 7 · 7.9
Autoresponder or holiday message: which should you choose?
Watch it in a short video
Autoresponders and holiday messages both send an automatic reply. Still, they're meant for different purposes. Customers often confuse them; this table helps you choose.
| Holiday Messages | Autoresponders | |
|---|---|---|
| Intended for | Temporary absence of a person | A fixed reply that always applies |
| Start and end | Yes, with date and time. Stops automatically. | No. Stays active until you delete it. |
| On which address? | Only on an existing mailbox | On any address, even without a mailbox |
| Where does the mail go? | Simply stays in the mailbox | Only in a mailbox with the same name, or to the CC address. Otherwise it's lost. |
| Preview | "I'm on holiday until 7 November." | "Thanks for your message, you'll hear from us within two working days." or the price list on prices@ |
Choose a holiday message if
- you're away for a while (holiday, illness, leave);
- you want the message to stop automatically, so you can't forget to turn it off.
How: Vacation Messages.
Choose an autoresponder if
- you always want to send an acknowledgement of receipt, for example on info@ or support@;
- you have an address that automatically sends back information, such as prices@;
- an address is no longer in use and you want to redirect people to a new address.
How: Autoresponders.
Or in webmail
In webmail, you can also set up an automatic reply using a filter. This is handy if you don't have access to DirectAdmin, but it lacks the start and end date of a holiday message. See Opening webmail.
Please note: Don't set up a holiday message and an autoresponder on the same address at the same time. The sender will then receive two automatic replies.