Indiana University
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On my LISTSERV list, how do I create welcome and farewell messages?

When someone is added to a list, LISTSERV sends the new subscriber basic information about LISTSERV. You can also create a separate welcome message that provides the new subscriber with additional information about the list.

You can create welcome and farewell messages by using either LISTSERV email commands or the LISTSERV web interface.

On this page:

Using LISTSERV email commands

  1. Create a welcome or farewell message and insert it into the body of an email message addressed to your LISTSERV server.

    Note: For Indiana University LISTSERV mailing lists, send all commands to the appropriate address for your list:

    Campus Server address
    IU Bloomington listserv@indiana.edu
    IUPUI listserv@iupui.edu
    IU Kokomo listserv@iuk.edu
    IU Northwest listserv@iun.edu
    IU South Bend listserv@iusb.edu
    IU Southeast listserv@ius.edu

    Never send commands to the address of the mailing list (e.g., to listname@indiana.edu). Send only messages intended for members of the list to the list's address.

  2. Include the following command as the first line in the message: PUT listname.WELCOME PW=XXXXXXXX

    Replace listname with the name of your list, and XXXXXXXX with your personal password. See In LISTSERV, how do I set or change a personal password?

Following is a sample message for creating a WELCOME file:

PUT NT-DEMO-L.WELCOME PW=privatepassword Welcome to the NT-DEMO-L list. This list is available to persons interested in trying out LISTSERV. If you have any questions, send email to NT-DEMO-L-REQUEST@host.domain.

You also may create a farewell message for people who leave your list. To do so, follow the first two steps outlined above, and then include the following command as the first line in the message:

PUT listname.FAREWELL PW=XXXXXXXX

Replace listname with the name of your list, and XXXXXXXX with your personal password.

For more about LISTSERV, see L-Soft Documentation and Manuals.

Using the IU LISTSERV web interface

  1. For Indiana University LISTSERV lists, visit the menu for your campus:

    Log in using your IU email address and LISTSERV password, and then from the List Management menu at the top, select List Dashboard. Under "List Name", click Configure under the name of the list you wish to edit. If you do not have a LISTSERV personal password, see In LISTSERV, how do I set or change a personal password?

  2. From the top, choose List Management, then Customization, and then Mail Templates.

  3. Use the Select Template drop-down list to choose a message to edit, and then click Edit Template.

  4. Fill in the "Subject" and "Contents" text boxes.

  5. When you are finished, click Update.

For additional options and help, use the Tips links located at the bottom of the page.