# Problem subscribing to mirrored mailing list
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/problem-subscribing-to-mirrored-mailing-list/161827
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [August 23, 2020, 3:00pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/problem-subscribing-to-mirrored-mailing-list/161827 "2020-08-23T15:00:50Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@deeplow](https://meta.discourse.org/u/deeplow)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2020, 3:00pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/problem-subscribing-to-mirrored-mailing-list/161827/1 "2020-08-23T15:00:50Z")
Hi! In my discourse instance I want to [create a readon-only mailing list mirror](https://meta.discourse.org/t/creating-a-read-only-mailing-list-mirror/77990) (from google groups), but I’m having issues with making discourse subscribe the mailing list.
In order to subscribe the mailing list I need to send an email to [mailinglistname+subscribe@googlegroups.com](mailto:mailinglistname+subscribe@googlegroups.com) and then reply to the email to confirm. But since discourse created that email for me, I can’t do those actions.
How can I then, subscribe a mailing list for mirroring? Am I missing something?
I briefely asked about this [here](https://meta.discourse.org/t/creating-a-read-only-mailing-list-mirror/77990/11) but I think a support ticket is more appropriate.
Thanks in advance,
Deeplow
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### Author:  [@simon](https://meta.discourse.org/u/simon)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2020, 11:18pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/problem-subscribing-to-mirrored-mailing-list/161827/2 "2020-08-28T23:18:14Z")
> [@deeplow](#):
>
> In order to subscribe the mailing list I need to send an email to [mailinglistname+subscribe@googlegroups.com](mailto:mailinglistname+subscribe@googlegroups.com) and then reply to the email to confirm.
I don’t have a Google Group to test this out on. Is sending an email to the group the only option that you have for joining the group, or is it possible to join through the Google UI?
If we can’t find someone to help answer your question, I’ll try creating a Google Group to see what needs to be done.
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### Author:  [@deeplow](https://meta.discourse.org/u/deeplow)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2020, 8:21am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/problem-subscribing-to-mirrored-mailing-list/161827/3 "2020-08-29T08:21:14Z")
> [@simon](#):
>
> Is sending an email to the group the only option that you have for joining the group, or is it possible to join through the Google UI?
Currently you can’t even signup via the web interface (before it was possible). But the problem is the confirmation, which has to be done either by replying to the email or by clicking the link on the email (none of which I can do with this setup).
> [@simon](#):
>
> If we can’t find someone to help answer your question, I’ll try creating a Google Group to see what needs to be done.
Thank you so much!
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### Author:  [@simon](https://meta.discourse.org/u/simon)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2020, 5:25pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/problem-subscribing-to-mirrored-mailing-list/161827/4 "2020-08-29T17:25:56Z")
> [@deeplow](#):
>
> the problem is the confirmation, which has to be done either by replying to the email or by clicking the link on the email (none of which I can do with this setup).
I’m guessing here. Does the confirmation email from the group show up in the Discourse rejected email list? That list is found on your Discourse site’s Admin / Emails / Rejected page. If it does, you might be able to find the confirmation link by clicking on that email’s hyperlinked error message.
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### Author:  [@deeplow](https://meta.discourse.org/u/deeplow)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2020, 8:56pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/problem-subscribing-to-mirrored-mailing-list/161827/5 "2020-08-29T20:56:49Z")
Upon repeating the process I realised that no email got sent (neither in the “sent”, not “bounced”, nor “rejected”).
The other day what I did to manage to get one sent and receive the reply asking for the confirmation (which I couldn’t open) with a “hack” where I used the “advanced-test” tab to send an email to the the `mailinglistname+subscribe@googlegroups.com`. But it was really a desperate attempt since it wouldn’t be sending from the correct mail box either way.
So in conclusion the first problem that needs solving is that it doesn’t automatically send an email to subscribe to the list.
Also, the url of the mailing list is `mailinglistname@googlegroups.com` but the url to subscribe is `mailinglist+subscribe@googlegroups.com` and it’s not explicit in the instructions which one I should use.
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### Author:  [@deeplow](https://meta.discourse.org/u/deeplow)
#### Post date: [August 31, 2020, 8:48pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/problem-subscribing-to-mirrored-mailing-list/161827/6 "2020-08-31T20:48:58Z")
Quick note: in the above post sometimes the email is `mailinglist@....` and others `mailinglistname@...`. They are all supposed to be the same.
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### Author:  [@simon](https://meta.discourse.org/u/simon)
#### Post date: [September 3, 2020, 9:42pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/problem-subscribing-to-mirrored-mailing-list/161827/7 "2020-09-03T21:42:56Z")
I was able to get this to work with a Google Group by adding the category’s incoming email address to the group’s members page. I’ve set the group up just for testing this, so I gave it the most relaxed possible permissions. The issue you are running into could be related to the group’s permissions.
Here’s what the category configuration looks like on my Discourse site:
Note that the full value of the Custom incoming email address field is:
`discourse-group-test@googlegroups.com|sc_email_test+scossar-mailing-list-5@discoursemail.com`
The Google group’s ‘from’ email address and the category’s incoming email address are separated with a pipe (`|`) character. Discourse should configure this automatically for you when you enter the group’s from address into the category’s incoming address field and save the category. The address that I used to subscribe to the group is the category’s incoming email address (`sc_email_test+scossar-mailing-list-5@discoursemail.com`)
Conversations are showing up in my category:
I’ll be deleting the group and the test site soon.
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### Author:  [@deeplow](https://meta.discourse.org/u/deeplow)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2020, 7:57am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/problem-subscribing-to-mirrored-mailing-list/161827/8 "2020-09-04T07:57:31Z")
Thanks a lot for looking into this. Then this must resolve the problem. I’ll try it!
Since I’m not the one in control I must not have realized that it was possible to manually add new users without confirmation.
Maybe a tip could be added [to the instructions](https://meta.discourse.org/t/creating-a-read-only-mailing-list-mirror/77990#subscribe-to-mailing-list) letting people know they can only subscribe via web interfaces (when no email confirmation is needed).
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### Author:  [@deeplow](https://meta.discourse.org/u/deeplow)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2020, 9:06am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/problem-subscribing-to-mirrored-mailing-list/161827/9 "2020-09-05T09:06:17Z")
@simon this not only worked perfectly (the solution is to use the google groups interface to manually add a member as you suggested) but also gave me an idea on how to [importing mailing lists](https://meta.discourse.org/t/importing-mailing-lists-mbox-listserv-google-groups-emails/79773) but in a massively simpler way – using a mailinglist archive and remail everything to discourse.
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### Author:  [@deeplow](https://meta.discourse.org/u/deeplow)
#### Post date: [September 6, 2020, 11:25am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/problem-subscribing-to-mirrored-mailing-list/161827/10 "2020-09-06T11:25:02Z")
> [@deeplow](#):
>
> also gave me an idea on how to [importing mailing lists](https://meta.discourse.org/t/importing-mailing-lists-mbox-listserv-google-groups-emails/79773) but in a massively simpler way
Found this here:
> [@Migrate a mailing list to Discourse (mbox, Listserv, Google Groups, etc)](https://meta.discourse.org/t/importing-mailing-lists-mbox-listserv-google-groups-emails/79773/154):
>
> @gerhard. I think I have found a way easier method of doing exactly the same as your guide, but with no technical knowledge required nor need for admin access to any server. Let me know what you think. Overview We’ll be essentially configuring a mailinglist and then using an email archive to send past conversations in order. Those emails will be forwarded, but not like the “Forward” button on email clients (that would override the headers and mess up the indentation). What we want to do is to …
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### Author:  [@system](https://meta.discourse.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2020, 11:30am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/problem-subscribing-to-mirrored-mailing-list/161827/11 "2020-10-06T11:30:27Z")
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