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Set up an automatic reply in Thunderbird: step-by-step guide

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Not available by e-mail? Thunderbird will warn for you
The autoresponder in Thunderbird at a glance
Step by step set up an auto reply email with Thunderbird
Alternative: set up an automatic reply on other providers
Compose the automatic reply
Apply the correct filter
Activate the auto reply filter
Setting up an automatic reply email with IONOS Webmail
Set up an auto reply email with GMX
Set up an auto reply email with Zoho Mail

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Set up an automatic reply in Thunderbird: step-by-step guide

More than 300 billion emails are sent every day, which corresponds to about 3.5 million emails per second. Even assuming half of them are spam , the volume of serious communication moving around the world is still extraordinary. Among the various forms of etiquette to maintain cordiality in digital communication, a very important one is to notify in case you are not going to receive or read emails for a while, whether due to a business trip, vacation or illness. For this there is the automatic answer function ..

In the Thunderbird mail program , automatic replies can be created from templates. We explain below how you can do it step by step. And, as an alternative, we show you how to proceed with the most important mail providers.

Index
  1. Not available by e-mail? Thunderbird will warn for you
  2. The autoresponder in Thunderbird at a glance
  3. Step by step set up an auto reply email with Thunderbird
    1. Compose the automatic reply
    2. Apply the correct filter
    3. Activate the auto reply filter
  4. Alternative: set up an automatic reply on other providers
    1. Setting up an automatic reply email with IONOS Webmail
    2. Set up an auto reply email with GMX
    3. Set up an auto reply email with Zoho Mail

Not available by e-mail? Thunderbird will warn for you

The Thunderbird mail program is available for different operating systems. It is easy to use and intuitive. With it, you can also configure automatic responses. The procedure is somewhat different from other programs such as Microsoft Outlook or Google's Gmail..

The autoresponder in Thunderbird at a glance

To add an automatic reply with Mozilla Thunderbird, you must follow these steps:

  • Open Thunderbird and compose the automatic reply in a new email. Save it as a template .
  • Go to settings and click? Filters ?
  • Create a new filter with a recognizable name for the desired mailbox.
  • Edit this filter so that it runs? Reply with template ?.
  • Activate or deactivate the filter from the Filters menu box .

Too quickly? In our step-by-step guide below you have all the details.

advice

For the automatic reply to work in Thunderbird, the program must be open on your computer. If this is not possible, you will have to configure the automatic reply from your email provider..

Step by step set up an auto reply email with Thunderbird

Compose the automatic reply

Write your auto-reply message as a new message by clicking the button? Compose ? (1).

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First compose your auto reply message as a new email (1).

The best way to write this text is to be specific , including a greeting, the period of your absence and your email signature.

advice

If you need advice on writing your text, here are some examples of a good autoresponder.

The next step is a little different from the normal message sending process.

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Now, save your autoresponder text as a template (2).

By saving the quick reply as a template, Thunderbird can later access this text.

Apply the correct filter

In order to use the saved template as an automatic reply, a filter must be set for the mailbox .

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Click on the three-line menu in the upper right corner, and then click on "Filters."

After clicking on? Filters? (4a), a new menu will appear.

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Now you can open the filters menu (4b).
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Click? New? to create a new filter (5).
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In this menu window, you will be able to define how the new filter works.

It is recommended to choose a name for the filter that defines its use for a specific absence, such as? Vacation? or? Business trip ?. Check the box? When retrieving new mail? and select? Filter after identifying spam ? (6) to prevent messages from being sent to spammers . Activate the option? Include all messages? (7). In the lower window select the action? Reply with template ? (8). In this way, the system will be instructed to respond to these emails with a template that you can choose from the options that appear to the right of the button. Finish the process with? OK? (9) and you will see the filters created previously.

Activate the auto reply filter

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Menu to activate the created filters.

To activate the filter , you will also have to define the mailbox you will use (10). With the box (11) in the filter to be used, the sending of the automatic response is activated. Then you can close the menu (12). When it becomes available again, you will need to disable the filter in this menu to prevent Thunderbird from continuing to send automatic replies.

Alternative: set up an automatic reply on other providers

If you can't leave your computer on during your absence so that automatic replies are sent from Thunderbird, there is another solution: email providers also offer this service. We show you how to use the function with the major providers.

If you use Gmail, in this article we explain how to set up an automatic reply email with Gmail.

advice

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Setting up an automatic reply email with IONOS Webmail

If you have an email account with IONOS, you can use the automatic reply function. Start by entering mail.ionos.es.

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After logging in, you will see the IONOS webmail interface with your username (1).
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In the settings, you can configure the automatic reply email.

In the browser window of the IONOS email program, click on your username to access the settings (1).

You will find the section? Automatic reply? in the menu? Email? (2). If you click, you will access the detailed settings.

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In this window you can modify the content of the message.
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The next time you log into your IONOS email account, you will be informed of the status of your automatic reply.

If you click the checkbox? Enable auto reply? (3), all senders of your incoming emails will receive your message. To do this, write the subject and your message in the text field.

As with Thunderbird, IONOS does not allow you to set the automatic reply for a certain period of time, so you must remember to deactivate it when it is available again.

Set up an auto reply email with GMX

On the popular free provider GMX , auto reply emails are also a practical solution for the user .

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The simple interface of GMX allows intuitive navigation.

Click on the wrench at the bottom left of the menu to open the? Configuration ? by GMX. Next, you will see the option? Automatic reply ?.

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The next time you log in to your GMX account, you will be informed of the status of your autoresponder.

By clicking on? Automatic reply? (1), a new window will appear with the details. You can choose between a permanent or temporary absence (2). However, there is no option to define a subject. The GMX system automatically assigns a subject and it cannot be changed. To compensate, you can put a more precise message at the beginning of your text. The message is limited to 500 characters, more or less the ones in this paragraph.

Set up an auto reply email with Zoho Mail

Another world-renowned email provider is Zoho Mail. After registering on the platform, you will be able to verify that its interface is quite clean and intuitive.

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The Zoho Mail interface also makes it easy for the user to navigate.

After you have created your email account with Zoho Mail, log in and click the settings symbol. It's in the upper-right part of the screen.

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The Zoho Mail platform also offers the auto reply feature.

A menu will open offering you different options. In the last column starting from the left, you will find the section dedicated to? Automatic reply ?.

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The Zoho Mail platform does allow you to set the desired dates for sending the automatic reply email.

Next, the configuration menu for your auto-reply email will open. You will be able to add different templates for this function in a list. Next, the platform allows you to choose which contacts you want the message to reach. It is best to choose the option "All". After this, it is time to establish the dates on which you want your e-mail to be sent. In addition to the day, the platform offers the option to indicate the time slot you prefer. Finally, compose your message and finally save the changes.


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