Author Topic: Delivery confirmation (Read 2195 times)

paulcj2 · « **on:** June 04, 2007, 07:16:56 pm »

on 5/26/07 I sent out a newsletter to 892 users. After 150 went out, I had to hit the "continue" button to get the rest to go. Results have been spectacularly diappointing. No hits on link tracking, no bounces, no replies. I'm beginning to suspect that even though the program said 892 went out, they really didn't get delivered. What advice do you have on confirming delivery? Is there some way of confirming how many were opened, etc.

DW · « **Reply #1 on:** June 05, 2007, 01:18:37 pm »

To be absolutely sure the server is accepting your messages and queueing them you can enable the "Always write SMTP log" option on the Configuration page. After a mailing you can check the log file to make sure everything is as expected.

Final delivery is up to the web host and only they can scan the system maillogs to see exactly which messages were delivered or not. It's possible your host has a bottleneck or mandatory delay when delivering messages. There are a few suggestions that can improve server performance in the Optimizations forum category for servers using qmail or Exim email software.

If mailings constantly stop at 150 you may need to reduce the "Reconnect every X emails" SMTP option on the Configuration page. If errors are constant please ask your host if they have any hourly or daily limits on e mail.

Tracking open-rate of email is only possible with HTML and is fairly unreliable. This feature is coming for ListMail - currently the only way is with a custom script.

Please let me know if I can be of further assistance!

Regards

paulcj2 · « **Reply #2 on:** June 06, 2007, 11:54:22 am »

Thanks Deane,

I just sent a newsletter to 16 members with, as you suggested, the "Always write SMTP log" option enabled. Below you will find part of it. Do you see anything out of the ordinary? What is the meaning of '354 Enter message, ending with "." on a line by itself?

BTW, do you have an updated ETA on the Tracking open-rate of email feature for ListMail?

Paul C.

<DW edited: removed SMTP log>

DW · « **Reply #3 on:** June 07, 2007, 05:14:13 am »

Paul,

When you see lines like this it means the server is accepting the messages.

> SENT DATA
250 OK id=1Hw0RK-0002ag-R8

Lines that say "Accepted" are also promising. If you see a bunch of errors in a row, however, that's bad.

Errors will usually show up at the very end of the log. When it stalls at 150 what is the last line of the log?

Have you had a chance to log a larger mailing? Problems might only start happening after a number of emails go out. When you resume, does everything look ok in the log?

To be sure your host has no limits please ask them if they have hourly or daily limits on email. I also recommend reassuring them that you will be responsible with your mailings...

Regards, DW

paulcj2 · « **Reply #4 on:** June 07, 2007, 03:46:26 pm »

Thanks,

Two unanswered questions:

What is the meaning of '354 Enter message, ending with "." on a line by itself?

BTW, do you have an updated ETA on the Tracking open-rate of email feature for ListMail?

Paul C.

DW · « **Reply #5 on:** June 09, 2007, 02:14:12 am »

Paul,

Quote

What is the meaning of '354 Enter message, ending with "." on a line by itself?

This is just one step in the SMTP communication process. This step is where the SMTP server says the recipient is OK and is ready to accept the message. After accepting the message the message will be queued the step after.

Unfortunately I do not have an ETA - I'm working on a whole bunch of things for LMP and other projects at the same time. All I can say is when it's finally ready it will be good...

Regards