blog posts

• Using distribution group email addresses

  Nov 1, 2019 10:00 amEmail+

  "Mailing list addresses" are sometimes used in Email+ rather than groups from the Group Manager.  Technically, these are Active Directory “distribution lists”.  An example of a distribution list might be xyzfull-L@illinois.edu .  Sending to this email address would result in everyone in the department XYZ receiving an email.

  Email+ delivers messages through our campus vendor, SocketLabs. Some distribution lists have authorization rules that prevent them from working directly with Email+. If you use a distribution list and recipients are not receiving the message, follow the steps below.

  Create a Group in the Group Manager that Mirrors the Distribution List

  1. Request access from IT support:

     • Ask your IT staff to give the service account ows-group-manager access to your distribution list.

     • Ensure this access also applies to all nested groups within the distribution list.

  2. Create the group in Group Manager:

     • Select Active Directory Email Distribution as the group type.

     • Point the group to your distribution list.

  3. Set privileges:

     • On the Privileges tab, grant access to all users who will send to this group in Email+.

  4. Verify membership:

     • On the Manage tab, confirm the members are populating correctly.

     • This may take a few minutes.

     • If anyone is missing, return to step 1 to confirm all groups are properly accessible.

  Once the group is populated, it is ready to use in Email+.

  Bonus benefit: By setting up the group this way, Email+ reports will include detailed engagement metrics (opens, clicks, etc.)—something not possible when sending directly to a distribution list.