How to Set Up an Email Autoresponder in cPanel

Estimated reading: 2 minutes

Overview

An autoresponder automatically sends a reply to anyone who emails you. It is commonly used for out-of-office messages, holiday notices, or “we received your message” confirmations. cPanel’s built-in autoresponder tool lets you set one up in minutes.

How to Create an Autoresponder

  1. Log in to your cPanel account.
  2. In the Email section, click Autoresponders.
  3. Click Add Autoresponder.
  4. Fill in the following fields:
    • Character Set: Leave as utf-8 (recommended)
    • Interval: How many hours to wait before sending the same person another auto-reply (e.g., 24 = once per day per sender)
    • Email: The address that will send the auto-reply (e.g., [email protected])
    • From: The sender name shown in the reply (e.g., Your Company Name)
    • Subject: The subject line of the auto-reply (e.g., We received your message)
    • Body: The message content
  5. Optionally, set a Start and Stop date to automatically activate and deactivate the autoresponder (useful for holiday periods).
  6. Click Create/Modify to save.

Example Autoresponder Message

Subject: We received your message

Hi,

Thank you for contacting us. We have received your email and will get back to you within 1–2 business days.

Best regards,
The Support Team
yourdomain.com

How to Edit or Delete an Autoresponder

  • To edit: Go to cPanel → Autoresponders, find the autoresponder in the list, and click Edit.
  • To delete: Click Delete next to it and confirm. The autoresponder will stop immediately.

Important Notes

  • The Interval setting prevents the same person from receiving repeated auto-replies. Setting it to 0 means they get a reply every time they send an email.
  • Autoresponders will also reply to automated emails and newsletters, which can cause loop issues. Most bulk mail systems detect and handle this correctly, but it is something to be aware of.
  • If you want to be truly unreachable during a period (e.g., extended leave), combine the autoresponder with a forwarder to a colleague so someone else can still respond.
  • Autoresponders send replies from the server, so make sure your SPF and DKIM records are configured correctly to avoid replies going to spam. See our SPF, DKIM, and DMARC guide.

Need help? Contact our support team.

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