Auto-response from Distribution group (Exchange 2007 and 2010)
Introduction:
This post will explain how to configure e-mail auto response for any e-mail sent to a distribution group without using any third party tool. There is no such rule in transport in Exchange 2007 and 2010, hence many use third-party tools to achieve this.
Here is an article that explains how to achieve this without any extra cost.
Query:
Any e-mail sent to a particular distribution group needs to be addressed with the customized auto response.
Steps:
- Introduce a user mailbox with the name that you wish to send the auto response.
- Make the mailbox member of the Distribution group.
- Configure Outlook.
- Create an Outlook rule.
- In the Rules and Alerts, select the Start from a blank rule – Check messages when they arrive option and click Next.
- In the next screen choose the option Sent people in distribution group and click Next.
- Select the action Have server reply using a specific message. (You need to leave TO and CC blank) and create a customized message with an appropriate subject. Press Save and close option on the left-hand side top corner.
- Now click Next and finish the task.
- Now we need to enable the auto replies in the remote domain to make this to work.
- Go to Exchange Server Organization configuration and highlight Hub transport.
- Now in the middle pane, you have an option called Remote domains.
- Now right-click Default underneath and go to properties where you need to go to the second tab with the name “Format of original message sent as attachment to journal report”.
- Here you need to check “Allow automatic replies”.
- Now finally go to the distribution group properties and under option “Advanced” there is an option called “Send out of office message to the originator” Please check this option.
- Make sure hide the mailbox that you created for this task from GAL.
Please note: This is not like responding just once for a particular address. This actually sends responses any number of times it gets emails.
Now the task is achieved without any third party tool.