# Setting a reply to field for outgoing email

**URL:** <https://meta.discourse.org/t/setting-a-reply-to-field-for-outgoing-email/119131>\
**Category:** Support\
**Created:** [30 במאי,‏ 2019,‏ 9:29pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/setting-a-reply-to-field-for-outgoing-email/119131 "2019-05-30T21:29:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![csmu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/csmu/32/124581_2.png) [@csmu](https://meta.discourse.org/u/csmu)\
**Post date:** [30 במאי,‏ 2019,‏ 9:29pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/setting-a-reply-to-field-for-outgoing-email/119131/1 "2019-05-30T21:29:14Z")

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We have a few different communities in our discourse site.  
Is it possible to set a reply to field in the outgoing emails based on the category the topic is in?

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**Author:** ![codinghorror](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/codinghorror/32/110067_2.png) [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)\
**Post date:** [30 במאי,‏ 2019,‏ 10:37pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/setting-a-reply-to-field-for-outgoing-email/119131/2 "2019-05-30T22:37:09Z")

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What would this accomplish? Changing the cosmetics of the email address only?

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**Author:** ![csmu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/csmu/32/124581_2.png) [@csmu](https://meta.discourse.org/u/csmu)\
**Post date:** [30 במאי,‏ 2019,‏ 11:03pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/setting-a-reply-to-field-for-outgoing-email/119131/3 "2019-05-30T23:03:05Z")

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It would give the people getting the email context.

category-name@domain-name

We have our main team, 2 choirs, 1 community club and my own music group.

A lot of the people in the choirs and the club are not tech savy.

If the reply address belongs to the domain(s) and categories they recognise it will ease a lot of push back and a lot of training / explaining.

I can set up email forwarders such that there is only one incoming email address.

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**Author:** ![pfaffman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/pfaffman/32/120154_2.png) [@pfaffman](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pfaffman)\
**Post date:** [31 במאי,‏ 2019,‏ 5:09pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/setting-a-reply-to-field-for-outgoing-email/119131/4 "2019-05-31T17:09:56Z")

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Most email clients these days hide the email address in the From field anyway. I doubt that changing the from: line would help.

If people are confused, then your best bet would be to create a multisite instance so that each community remains distinct rather than contriving to keep them all together.

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**Author:** ![csmu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/csmu/32/124581_2.png) [@csmu](https://meta.discourse.org/u/csmu)\
**Post date:** [31 במאי,‏ 2019,‏ 8:23pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/setting-a-reply-to-field-for-outgoing-email/119131/5 "2019-05-31T20:23:42Z")

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> [@pfaffman](#):
>
> Most email clients these days hide the email address in the From field anyway. I doubt that changing the from: line would help.

I use the reply-to field a lot to ensure context is maintained.

> [@pfaffman](#):
>
> If people are confused, then your best bet would be to create a multisite instance so that each community remains distinct rather than contriving to keep them all together.

From a project management perspective, it’s easier to manage in one instance. Bringing a new client / group on board means creating categories and groups rather than firing up a new instance.

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**Author:** ![pfaffman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/pfaffman/32/120154_2.png) [@pfaffman](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pfaffman)\
**Post date:** [31 במאי,‏ 2019,‏ 8:40pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/setting-a-reply-to-field-for-outgoing-email/119131/6 "2019-05-31T20:40:17Z")

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> [@csmu](#):
>
> I use the reply-to field a lot to ensure context is maintained.

Is that something that your not-tech-savvy people do? I’d be surprised if they’d notice.

> [@csmu](#):
>
> From a project management perspective, it’s easier to manage in one instance.

I totally agree, but I don’t see any other way about the problem that you describe about users being confused about the forum they joined being a bunch of different groups.

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**Author:** ![omarfilip](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/omarfilip/32/208019_2.png) [@omarfilip](https://meta.discourse.org/u/omarfilip)\
**Post date:** [31 במאי,‏ 2019,‏ 8:50pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/setting-a-reply-to-field-for-outgoing-email/119131/7 "2019-05-31T20:50:20Z")

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Wouldn’t `%{optional_cat}` in the email subject accomplish this, especially if you place it before anything else in the subject line?

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**Author:** ![JammyDodger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/jammydodger/32/254611_2.png) [@JammyDodger](https://meta.discourse.org/u/JammyDodger)\
**Post date:** [26 באוקטובר,‏ 2022,‏ 8:32am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/setting-a-reply-to-field-for-outgoing-email/119131/9 "2022-10-26T08:32:09Z")

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