# Set up an autoresponder
Source: https://docs.webgee.com/en/email/creating-autoresponders-using-cpanel



Send an automatic reply to everyone who emails a given address — an
out-of-office message, or an acknowledgement that an enquiry was received.
Applies to shared, reseller and Premium hosting.

## Create one [#create-one]

1. In cPanel, open **Autoresponders** under **Email**.

2. Select **Add Autoresponder**.

3. Fill in:

   | Field          | What to use                                                       |
   | -------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |
   | Character Set  | `utf-8` — leave as is                                             |
   | Interval       | Hours before replying to the same sender again. **Use 1 or more** |
   | Email          | The address the autoresponder answers for                         |
   | Domain         | The domain it belongs to                                          |
   | From / Subject | What the recipient sees                                           |
   | Body           | Your message                                                      |
   | Start / Stop   | When it begins and ends                                           |

4. Select **Create**.

<Callout type="warn">
  Never set **Interval** to `0`. That replies to every single message, including
  to mailing lists and to other autoresponders — two systems set that way will
  reply to each other until someone intervenes.
</Callout>

## Always set a stop time [#always-set-a-stop-time]

If you are setting up an out-of-office, set **Stop** to the day you return.
Otherwise it keeps replying after you are back, telling your customers you are
away.

Choose **Custom** rather than **Never** for anything time-bound.

## Check it worked [#check-it-worked]

Send a message from an address outside your domain — a personal account — and
confirm the reply arrives.

Testing from another mailbox on the same domain does not always trigger it,
since local delivery can bypass the autoresponder.

## What it will not do [#what-it-will-not-do]

* **It does not reply to spam.** Filtered mail is rejected before the
  autoresponder sees it, which is deliberate — replying confirms your address is
  live.
* **It does not reply repeatedly within the interval.** A sender who emails five
  times in an hour gets one reply.
* **It does not forward or store anything.** The original message is delivered
  to the mailbox as normal.

## Related [#related]

* [Add an email signature in webmail](/en/email/how-to-add-a-signature-to-your-emails-in-webmail)
* [Spam and virus filtering](/en/email/spam-and-virus-filtering)