NVRAM Free Webspace: Fixing your "Reply-To" Email Setting

Fixing your "Reply-To" Email Setting

Greetings "Reply-To" Building leJOS under 64-bit Linux

Introduction

Do all of the emails replies you get have your name removed?   It's probably beccause your Reply-To address set in the email headers that you send.

Who should use the Reply-To field?

By default, email clients will send a reply to the address in the From field.  Because of this, there is no point in having the same email address in both fields.
The Reply-To field is intended for situations where the email reply should be different.   Typical uses include:
A customer support representative sends an email to a client, but replies from the customer should be to the primary queue.  This has benefits of:
  • responses when the sending CSR is unable to reply personally,
  • load balancing between support representatives,
  • centralized ticket/issue tracking, etc.
From: Jill <jill@nowhere.com>
To: Everyone <employees@nowhere.com>
Reply-To: Jack <jack@nowhere.com>

Everyone,

Jack will be out of town until Tuesday, but if you wish to volunteer to carry water, please reply to this email and tell him when you are available.

Thank you,
Jill

How to Add, Change or Remove the Reply-To field.

In Microsoft Outlook, the field is a single text field that can be directly edited.  Leaving the field blank will cause the header to not include a Reply-To field, which is what most people would normally want.
  1. In Microsoft Outlook, on the Tools menu, select E-mail Accounts... 
  2. Select View or change existing e-mail accounts and then click Next
  3. Click the More Settings ... button. 
  4. On the General tab, alter the text in the Reply E-mail field.  
  5. Click Ok.
In ThunderBird the configuration is also done via a text field, which if left blank causes the Reply-To field to be omitted.
  1. On the Edit menu, select Account Settings...
  2. In the left pane, select the name account to be changed, it usually contains the '@' symbol ( see the screen capture if needed.
  3. Alter the text in the Reply-To Address field. (See screen capture from previous step.)
  4. Click Ok.