MiniMail Help

INTRODUCTION

MiniMail is a utility for sending email to groups of people – a bulk emailer.

With MiniMail you can maintain multiple email lists, each with it’s own mail message (plain text or HTML), and list of contacts. You can keep lists for clubs, co-workers, friends and family – whatever you like.

MiniMail should NOT be used for spamming or commercial purposes.

MINIMAIL WINDOW

Contacts The Contact List displays all the contacts from the corresponding saved list. You can sort the list (lists are not saved sorted) three ways:

- Email – Click the Email heading to sort by Email address.

- Name – Click the Name heading to sort by Name.

- Status – Click the Status heading to sort by Status. Note that a contact’s Status is only for the current session – once you open a new contact list, or close MiniMail, the Status is reset.

To add or remove contacts, double-click anywhere in the Contact List to open the Contact Editor. See the Contact Editor section below.

Check All Check all contacts on the list. You have to check a contact before you can send email to them.

Uncheck All Uncheck all contacts on the list.

Check Unsent Check only the contacts on the list whose Status is “Unsent”. For example, you can check a few of the contacts and send email (as a test, perhaps), then click this button to check all the remaining contacts.

Email sort by… When checked, sorting using the Email heading in the Contact List will sort based on the URL/Domain of the email addresses. For example, “zzz@google.com” will sort above “aaa@yahoo.com” because it’s based on “google.com” vs. “yahoo.com”. If this is unchecked, then email sorting is based on the email name – so “aaa@yahoo.com” will sort above “zzz@google.com”.

Status: The Status area of the status bar displays the state of MiniMail, such as “Idle” or “Sending”.

HTML: Displays the name of the HTML file (message) that will be sent to the Contacts. Double-click this area to see the full path and file name.

List: Displays the name of the contact list file that contains the Contacts. Double-click this area to see the full path and file name.

Progress Bar Displays the progress when sending email.

Default When checked, the information in the corresponding field is saved and used as the Default information for each Contact List. When unchecked, the information in the corresponding field is used only with the current contact list. For example, you may set the From name and From email address with your name and address, then check the Default box so that it is used with each Contact List. However, when you fill in the Subject field, you would leave the Default box unchecked to use a different Subject for each Contact List.

From name… Enter the name that will be used as the From/Reply name in the email. This is usually your First and Last name. This field is saved with the current Contact List.

From email… Enter the email address that will be used as the From/Reply email address in the email. This is usually your email address, but can be any address that your contacts should reply to. This field is saved with the current Contact List.

Subject Enter the Subject of your email. This field is saved with the current Contact List.

SMTP Enter the SMTP address of your email server. This will vary depending upon how your ISP (Internet Service Provider) works. You should check your current email application to see how this address is setup. You may need to visit your ISP web site to get the proper setting. This field is saved with the current Contact List. Note that the Default checkbox affects the SMTP and Port.

Port Enter the SMTP Port of your email server. This will vary depending upon how your ISP (Internet Service Provider) works. You should check your current email application to see how this port is setup. Typically this should be “25”, however many ISPs are changing their Ports due to spamming. You may need to visit your ISP web site to get the proper setting. This field is saved with the current Contact List. Note that the Default checkbox affects the SMTP and Port.

Wait Enter the amount of time (in seconds 1-60) to wait between sending batches of email. Most SMTP servers do not allow sending large batches of email, so you should break it into smaller batches, with a wait period between. Otherwise, you risk having your ISP consider your email spam, and denying your access. This field is saved as a general setting and is not specific to any contact list.

Size Enter the size of the email batch to send. For example, you may have 100 contacts on the list, but you only be able to send to 25 at any one time. Most SMTP servers do not allow sending large batches of email, so you should break it into smaller batches, with a wait period between. Otherwise, you risk having your ISP consider your email spam, and denying your access. This field is saved as a general setting and is not specific to any contact list.

Use SMTP… Check this box if your ISP requires that you login to send email. This field is saved as a general setting and is not specific to any contact list.

SMTP User Enter the User name for logging into your ISP when Authorization is required. This field is saved as a general setting and is not specific to any contact list.

SMTP Pwd Enter the User password for logging into your ISP when Authorization is required. This field is saved as a general setting and is not specific to any contact list.

Priority Select the priority to use when sending email. Your contacts will receive the email and see a priority setting based on how their email application displays it. For example, Microsoft Outlook uses a red exclamation point to indicate High Priority. Options are Low, Normal, and High. This does not affect how the email is sent, only how it is displayed by the recipient.

Select Html File Locate and use a previously created HTML (or plain text) file. The selected file will be sent as the body of your email message. The name of the selected file is displayed in the Status bar at the bottom of the window.

Open Email List Locate and use a previously created Contact List file. The selected file contains the list of contacts, plus items like the Subject, From Name and Address, etc. The name of the selected file is displayed in the Status bar at the bottom of the window.

Edit HTML File Launch your HTML editor and open the selected HTML file. You must first use the “Select HTML Editor” button and choose an editor before you can use this function.

Edit Email List Launch your Email List editor and open the selected Email contact list. You must first use the “Select List Editor” button and choose an editor before you can use this function. Note that you normally should not need to edit the list using and editing program as the information contained within the List file can be handled with MiniMail.

Preview HTML… Open for viewing the selected HTML file in your default browser. You do not need to specify a browser – MiniMail will automatically use your system default browser.

New Email List Close the current Email List and create a new, blank list.

Select HTML… Select the editor you will use for HTML files. You will be prompted to navigate your system and find the executable file for your editor. MiniMail uses WordPad by default.

Select List… Select the editor you will use for Contact Email files. You will be prompted to navigate your system and find the executable file for your editor. MiniMail uses WordPad by default.

About Open a window with information about MiniMail, including a link to our web site.

Help F1 Display the online help. Click this button or hit the F1 key.

Save Email List Save the current email contact list. If you do not use this button, you will be prompted to save when you exit MiniMail, or when you try to open a different list.

No dupes When checked, email lists are reviewed for duplicate entries when opened. Duplicates are removed from the list and from the file.

Tips When checked, popup tips will be displayed when your cursor hovers over buttons.

Send Email Send the email to all checked contacts on the list.

CONTACT EDITOR

Contacts Displays the current contact list. Double-click an Email address or Name to change it. Check the Email box to make a contact Active. A contact the is Inactive will be saved in the Contact List file, but will not be displayed in the main window Contact List.

Add Contact Add a new contact to the list. The Add Contact window will appear:

- Email Address – Enter the email address to use for this contact. Note that MiniMail cannot check the accuracy of your entry – Be sure to enter the correct address or the email will be received.

- Contact name – Enter the contact First and Last name.

- Make contact active – Check this box to make the new contact Active

- OK – Click to save the contact

- Cancel – Click to discard the new contact information.

HINT: Add your own email address to the list so that you can test your email.

Delete Contact Remove the selected contact from the list. If you think you may use this contact at a later time, just uncheck the box and make the contact Inactive – do not delete it.

Check All Check the active box for all contacts on the list.

Check None Uncheck the active box for all contacts on the list.

OK Save all changes and exit the Contact Editor.

Import CSV Import a CSV (comma separated values) file containing a list of email addresses and names. The format for the file is “Name,Email,Active”, one entry per line. A header is acceptable and is ignored. A contact will be imported as long as there is at least a Name or an Email address (Active and one other field can be blank). For example:

“Name”,”Email”,”Active”

“John Doe”,”jdoe@email.com”,”true”

“Jane Doe”,”janeDoe@email.com”,”false”

“Bambi Doe”,”bambi@email.com”,”true”

“Homer Doh”,,”false”

“”,”MargeDoh@email.com”,””

Export CSV Export a CSV (comma separated values) file containing a list of email addresses and names. All entries in the current list will be exported. The format for the file is “Name,Email,Active”, one entry per line, no header. For example:

“Name”,”Email”,”Active”

“John Doe”,”jdoe@email.com”,”true”

“Jane Doe”,”janeDoe@email.com”,”false”

“Bambi Doe”,”bambi@email.com”,”true”

Cancel Cancel the changes and close the Contact Editor.

WEB SITE

If you have questions that cannot be answered in this help file, would like to make a bug report or enhancement request, please visit our web site.

You can get to our website by clicking this link: www.FreewareOnly.net