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Overview
This article goes over common Listserv settings used by owners. At the end of the article, there are also configuration setting templates that can be used by your list.
The "OK" Confirmation
To increase security, there are a number of actions for which LISTSERV requires confirmation before proceeding. In some cases, LISTSERV will accept a password-based validation. In other cases, email confirmation is required. When the latter happens, LISTSERV sends an email message with a subject line such as:
Subject: Command confirmation request (787EF897)
The string of letters and numbers in parentheses (“787EF897” in the example) is called a “cookie” (sometimes referred to as a “confirmation code”) and is different for each request.
Once an “OK” confirmation request is sent out, you must confirm it within 48 hours in order for the corresponding command to be executed.
There are three methods of confirming a command:
- To confirm using the Web interface, click on the link provided in the email message sent to you
- To confirm via email, reply to the email message keeping the Subject line and cookie intact. In the body of your reply, type “OK” (without the quotes).
- Alternatively, you can send a new email to listserv@lists.hawaii.edu with a blank subject line and the body of the message containing the text “OK xxxxxxxx” where “xxxxxxxx” is the cookie from the original confirmation request email.
The cookie is the most important part of the “OK” confirmation. LISTSERV randomly generates a new cookie for each action that requires validation. All privileges within LISTSERV are tied to an email address. Only someone with access to your email address can make changes to your LISTSERV account.
Never “OK” a cookie blindly. Make sure you are confirming a command that you initiated or a message that you want distributed to the list. Several cases of list “hijacking” or spam sent to well-secured lists have been tracked back to a list owner or moderator absent-mindedly clicking an OK link that they should not have clicked.
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UTF-8 Compatible Headers
To designate UTF-8 as the character set for your list header, you may use the following instructions:
- Log into LISTSERV (link).
- Enable Expert Mode.
- Click on your email address in the top-right corner followed by Edit Profile.
- Select Expert Mode using the Mode drop-down menu and click on Save.
- Under List Management in the navigation pane on the left, select List Configuration.
- Click on Show All Keywords next to the Keyword search box.
- Scroll down through the resulting list of keywords and click on Misc-Options.
- In the Misc-Options= field, enter UTF8_HEADER
- Click Update.
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Mail Templates Styles
The following sections make use of a specialized template syntax. For more information on how to use template commands and variables, click on the
? in the top-right corner or visit the
official LISTSERV documentation (link).
You can create or modify templates to customize informational messages from the LISTSERV processor. Mail templates do not modify the contents or style of mail sent to a list or through the newsletter feature.
Setting a Pre-defined Template Style
- From the LISTSERV home page (link), click on Log In in the top-right corner and sign in using your email address and password.
- Under the List Management options in the menu on the left, select Mail Templates. You may need to click on the > button in the top-left corner to unhide the menu.
- If you own more than one list, use the Select List drop-down menu to choose which list you would like to set a template style for.
- Use the Template Style drop-down menu to select the desired style.
- To apply your chosen style use the Select button. Alternatively, you can use the Preview button to see how the style looks.
- You can test if the change was applied successfully by adding/removing a subscriber or performing any other command that generates an informational message from LISTSERV.
Modifying an Existing Mail Template
- From the LISTSERV home page (link), click on Log In in the top-right corner and sign in using your email address and password.
- Under the List Management options in the menu on the left, select Mail Templates. You may need to click on the > button in the top-left corner to unhide the menu.
- If you own more than one list, use the Select List drop-down menu to choose which list you would like to modify templates for.
- If the template you would like to modify is not already listed in the table below, use the Template Categories drop-down menu to select the appropriate type.
- Click on the name of the template you want to modify in the table at the bottom of the page.
- Make the desired changes in the Content text field. Then, click Update.
Creating a New Mail Template
- From the LISTSERV home page (link), click on Log In in the top-right corner and sign in using your email address and password.
- Under the List Management options in the menu on the left, select Mail Templates. You may need to click on the > button in the top-left corner to unhide the menu.
- If you own more than one list, use the Select List drop-down menu to choose which list you would like to create a new template for.
- Click on Create New Template.
- Enter a name and description for the new template in the Template Name and Template Description fields respectively. Then, click Create.
- Enter the desired text and template commands into the Content text field. Then, click Update.
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Mail Footer (Bottom Banner)
Bottom banner templates allow you to include a footer on each message sent to a list. The DEFAULT_BOTTOM_BANNER and DEFAULT_BOTTOM_BANNER_HTML templates provided include a link that subscribers can click on to easily unsubscribe from a list. To enable the banner, you will need to copy the contents of the DEFAULT_BOTTOM_BANNER and DEFAULT_BOTTOM_BANNER_HTML templates to the BOTTOM_BANNER and BOTTOM_BANNER_HTML templates respectively.
- Log into LISTSERV.
- Under the List Management options in the menu on the left, select Mail Templates. You may need to click on the > button in the top-left corner to unhide the menu.
- If you own more than one list, use the Select List drop-down menu to choose which list you would like to modify mail templates for. Then, using the Template Categories drop-down menu, choose Top and Bottom Banners and click Select.
- In the resulting list of available templates, click on DEFAULT_BOTTOM_BANNER.
- Copy all of the text in the Content field.
- Click on Back. Then, navigate to the BOTTOM_BANNER template.
- Paste the text copied in Step 5 into the Content field of the BOTTOM_BANNER template and click on Update.
- Repeat Steps 4 through 7 with DEFAULT_BOTTOM_BANNER_HTML instead of DEFAULT_BOTTOM_BANNER and BOTTOM_BANNER_HTML instead of BOTTOM_BANNER to edit the HTML versions of the templates.
Common List Configuration Settings
Simple Mail Redirect (Mail Alias)
Description: This configuration simulates a mail alias. A message posted to the list is simply forwarded to all subscribers. Messages sent to the list are not archived or kept on the server.Subscription to this list is restricted and requires the owner’s approval; however, anyone may post to the list.
Header Settings:
- My LISTSERV list (MYLIST-L)
- Subscription= By_Owner
- Send= Public
- Attachments= All
- Errors-To= Owner
- Confidential= No
- Validate= Yes, Confirm
- Reply-to= List, Respect
- Review= Owners
- Notebook= No
- Owner= joe@example.com
Public LISTSERV Lists
Description: Public LISTSERV lists are available for people to search for and request a subscription. Set "Confidential" to "No" to make your LISTSERV list public and “Subscription” to “Open” to allow a user to subscribe without the need of the owner’s approval.
Header Settings:
- My LISTSERV list (MYLIST-L)
- Subscription= Open
- Send= Public
- Attachments= All
- Errors-To= Owner
- Confidential= No
- Validate= Yes, Confirm
- Reply-to= List, Respect
- Review= Owners
- Notebook= Yes,/listserv/root/lists/mylist-l,Monthly
- Owner= joe@example.com
One-Way Announcement List
Description: Only the owner(s) or moderator(s)/editor(s) are allowed to send mail to this list. Subscription is unrestricted and the list is archived monthly.
Header Settings:
- My LISTSERV list (MYLIST-L)
- Subscription= Open
- Send= joe@example.com
- Attachments= All
- Errors-To= Owner
- Confidential= No
- Validate= Yes, Confirm
- Reply-to= List, Respect
- Review= Owners
- Notebook= Yes,/listserv/lists/mylist-l,Monthly
- Owner= joe@example.com
Note: To allow multiple senders to the list, add email addresses separated by commas next to the send keyword.
Ex: Send= joe@example.com, jane@example.com, jack@example.com Or
Send= joe@example.com
Send= jane@example.com
Send= jack@example.com
Moderated (Editor Based)
Description: All messages sent to the list are reviewed by an editor, who is responsible for checking tne appropriateness and correctness of a message before forwarding the message to the list. Moderated lists reduct the amount of "spam" messages received by subscribers since postings are filtered by the editor.
Note: You must have at least one editor specified. Click on List Configuration > Administrators tab > enter the desired email address(es).
Header Settings:
- My LISTSERV list (MYLIST-L)
- Subscription= By_Owner
- Send= Editor
- Editor= jane@example.com
- Attachments= All
- Errors-To= Owner
- Confidential= No
- Validate= Yes, Confirm
- Reply-to= List, Respect
- Review= Owners
- Notebook= Yes,/listserv/lists/mylist-l,Monthly
- Owner= joe@example.com
Moderated (Approve/Disapprove)
Description: All messages sent to the list are reviewed and approved by the moderator(s) of the list. Subscription to this lsit is restricted and must be approved by the list owner. Unlike a moderated list. Unlike a moderated list with an editor, the moderator approves or disapproves a message, but cannot change its contents.
Note: You must have at least one editor specified. Click on List Configuration > Administrators tab > enter the desired email address(es).
Header Settings:
- My LISTSERV list (MYLIST-L)
- Subscription= By_Owner
- Send= Editor, Hold, Confirm
- Editor= jane@example
- Moderator= All, jack@example.com, jill@example.com
- Attachments= All
- Errors-To= Owner
- Confidential= No
- Validate= Yes, Confirm
- Reply-to= List, Respect
- Review= Owners
- Notebook= Yes,/listserv/lists/mylist-l,Monthly
- Owner= joe@example.com
Note: Moderation can also be done in a round-robin fashion. To enable this, simply remove the ‘All’ following Moderator.
Ex: Moderator= jack@example.com, jill@example.com
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