Sending 18,000 emails to forum members..

E

ExoCrew

Verified User
Joined
Jun 21, 2005
Messages
21
Hello,

I have an IPB forum and need to send out 18,000 emails. I know IPB forums stuff all the email addresses in the BCC header but I don't know if there's a limit on maximum number of BCC supported by exim?

It seems like exim doesn't support a BCC header with 18k emails stuffed in it.

Thanks
 
Thanks for the reply but that would cause tremendous load on the server if done normally using a loop and mail() command of PHP.

Anyone knows of Exim's BCC limitations?
 
Using BCC is not the way to do it.

Exim has no limit on BCC because exim never reads a BCC field.

The program sending the mail to exim converts all those addresses in your BCC field to individual envelope lines, and then deletes the BCC field. The B stands for blind, and that's exactly how the program sending the email makes sure it's blind.

It's never a good idea to have many addresses that way because many server administrators block email with more than a few addresses in the envelope; it looks like spam to them.

Jeff
 
The program sending the mail to exim converts all those addresses in your BCC field to individual envelope lines, and then deletes the BCC field. The B stands for blind, and that's exactly how the program sending the email makes sure it's blind.
Click to expand...

Yes, thanks for clearification and I already understand that.

It's never a good idea to have many addresses that way because many server administrators block email with more than a few addresses in the envelope; it looks like spam to them.
Click to expand...
Since emails are sent to external mail servers (like gmail, hotmail etc..) without BCC headers, I think you're talking about the server I'm using to SEND emails?

I don't think it's being detected as spam (directadmin's default exim doesn't have any such rules as far as i know?). I sent the emails and it reached to a few people I know at least.

My question was if there's a limit because I doubted if the email reached all the users.

Exim has no limit on BCC because exim never reads a BCC field.
Click to expand...
Ok, so it's the php mail() function doing the needful by sending those envelopes to Exim? Or there's a middle agent.

Thanks a lot for your help ..
 
ExoCrew said:
I don't think it's being detected as spam (directadmin's default exim doesn't have any such rules as far as i know?). I sent the emails and it reached to a few people I know at least.
Click to expand...
No, I specifically mean the domains to which you're sending the email. Though I admit I don't know anything about your software so I don't know if it optimizes delivery by sending all emails to each domain one time with multiple envelope recipients. If it is, that makes your server load a lot lower (which is why most software written for mass mailing does it that way), but it makes recipient postmasters at many ISPs very suspicious.

We have a client who sends out a lot of email, as you do.

He uses Subscribe Me Pro and he takes advantage of their throttle setting to make sure to send email slowly enough that no recipient postmaster sees it as spam.
Ok, so it's the php mail() function doing the needful by sending those envelopes to Exim? Or there's a middle agent.
Click to expand...
It's most likely something in your PHP program, possibly php mail(), but I cannot tell you with certainty.

Jeff
 
Well, what my PHP script (or IPB) does is create the headers normally, and then run a loop to collect all the email addresses from the database and add them to the BCC: header separated by comma.

The to and from headers both have [email protected].

After adding all those emails in BCC header and creating the other headers, it executes the mail() function ONCE ..

I wouldn't want to go with a "Subscribe Me Pro" or a similar mass mail senders because they're mostly used for sending customized emails to receivers while I just want to send the SAME email to all the members. I wouldn't want to generate extra heat on the server or slow down the process of sending emails (they're weekly so I want the members to receive it within 24 hours after I send).

Thanks a lot for your help, jlasman.
 
As I wrote, Exim doesn't care about the BCC field.

You need to read up on the mail() function to see how it injects email. If it injects email directly through exim, then the question is if it converts the emails to multiple rcpt to commands or not.

I don't know the answer.

Jeff
 
mail() on unix call the sendmail command. You can see how in the ini parameter sendmail_path
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top