Reading and replying to mails

Mail - Introduction

Mails support learning processes. Often the tutorial support of your course will send emails to explain the procedure. You can send emails to other users and enter into an exchange.

With the help of the integrated mail function, you can:

send mails

  • to other ILIAS users
  • to courses and groups you are a member of
  • to external e-mail addresses

receive mails

  • from all ILIAS users on your installation
  • from ILIAS users in your courses and groups
  • save contacts in an address book
  • create your e-mail distribution lists

Note: The permission to send emails to external e-mail addresses is deactivated in ILIAS by default. If this function is not available to you, please get in touch with your administrator.

Open mail

You want to open a mail.

  1. Open Communication > Mail.
  2. ILIAS opens a context menu with the entries Inbox, Trash, Drafts, Sent, and My Folders.
  3. In the main column, you will see the Folders tab. By default, you will see your Inbox.
  4. Click on the subject of the respective mail.
  5. ILIAS opens the mail in full view.

Note: If you click on one of the column headers, Sender, Subject, or Date, ILIAS will sort the mails in ascending order by alphabet or date. If you click on the same column header again, ILIAS will sort the emails in descending order by alphabet or date.

Answer mail

You want to answer a mail.

  1. Open Communication > Mail.
  2. ILIAS opens a context menu with the entries Inbox, Trash, Drafts, Sent, and My Folders.
  3. In the main column, you will see the Folder tab. By default, you will see your Inbox.
  4. Click on the subject of the respective mail.
  5. ILIAS opens the mail in full view.
  6. Click on the Reply button above the mail. (For system notifications, the Reply button is not available).
  7. ILIAS opens the form for creating a mail.  The recipient, subject, and original text are already entered.
  8. You can delete the original text from the reply mail as you wish.
  9. Write your answer in the text input field Content.
  10. Click on Send mail.
  11. ILIAS sends the mail.

Forward mail

You want to forward a mail.

  1. Open Communication > Mail.
  2. Click on the subject of the respective mail.
  3. ILIAS opens the mail in full view.
  4. Click on Forward above the mail.
  5. ILIAS opens the form to create a mail. Subject and message content are already entered, and attachments are automatically taken over.
  6. Enter one or more recipients (separated by a comma) in the text input fields To, CC, and/or BC.
    - As a recipient, you can enter the user name of the respective person. If you do not know the user name, enter the first or last name in the text input field. This way, you can search for the recipient.
    - Depending on the configuration of your ILIAS installation, you can also enter regular email addresses. If in doubt, contact your system administrator.
    - You can also send emails to courses, groups, or distribution lists.
  7. Click on the Send mail button.
  8. Your mail will be forwarded.

You want to print a mail.

  1. Open Communication > Mail.
  2. Click on the subject of the respective mail to open it.
  3. ILIAS opens the mail in full view.
  4. Click on Print above the mail.
  5. A system dialog opens where you can print the mail.

Change folder

You want to change the folder.

  1. Open Communication > Mail.
  2. ILIAS opens a context menu with the entries Inbox, Trash, Drafts, Sent, and My Folders.
  3. In the main column, you will see the Folder tab. By default, you will see your Inbox.
  4. In the context menu, click on the folder you want to display in the main column.
  5. ILIAS will switch to the corresponding folder.

Note: The folders Inbox, Trash, Drafts, Sent, and My Folders are predefined by ILIAS and cannot be deleted, renamed, or otherwise changed.

Writing and sending a new mail

Create mail

You want to send mail to single or multiple users.

  1. Open Communication > Mail.
  2. Open the tab Create.
  3. ILIAS displays the mail form.
  4. Enter the user name of the recipient in the To text input field.
    - Alternatively, you can enter the first or last name in the text input field. ILIAS will then offer matching recipients.
    - Alternatively, you can also enter regular e-mail addresses.  Whether this option is available depends on the configuration of your ILIAS installation. Click on Contact technical support at the bottom of the page to inquire.
  5. You can also send emails to courses, groups, or distribution lists.
  6. A comma separates multiple recipients.
  7. Enter recipients in the CC and/or BC text entry fields if necessary.
  8. Write a subject in the text input field Subject.
  9. Add attachments if necessary.
  10. Enter the text of your mail in the Content text input field.
  11. Add an attachment if necessary.
  12. Click on Send mail.
  13. ILIAS reports the sending of your mail.

The sent emails are saved in the Sent folder.

Add attachment

You want to add an attachment to your mail.

  1. Open Communication > Mail.
  2. Open the tab Create.
  3. ILIAS displays the mail form.
  4. In the Attachments section, click Add.
  5. ILIAS shows a dialog for uploading attachments above a table of attachments sent so far.
  6. Click Select File. (The naming of this button depends on your operating system and may vary).
  7. A dialog of your operating system opens, with which you can search your local computer for the desired file. Select the desired file and click Open.
  8. The window closes, and the selected file's path appears in the file field.
  9. Click Upload.
  10. The file is uploaded and then displayed in the table.
  11. Select the checkbox next to the file you want to send as an attachment. You can also select multiple files at once and add them as attachments.
  12. Select Apply from the drop-down menu above or below the table.
  13. Click on Execute.
  14. ILIAS switches back to the mail form; the selected file is now listed in the Attachments field.  Now continue to compose your mail.

Save mail as draft

You want to save a mail as a draft.

  1. Open Communication > Mail.
  2. Open the Create tab.
  3. Enter the text of your mail in the Content text input field.
  4. Click on the Save as a draft button above the form.
  5. ILIAS displays the Inbox folder. Your mail is saved in the Drafts folder.

You can switch to the Drafts folder anytime and then edit and send the mail.

Search recipients

You want to search the system or your contacts for a mail recipient.

  1. Open Communication > Mail.
  2. Open the Create tab.
  3. Click on the Search Recipients button.
  4. ILIAS opens a form to search for a recipient.
  5. Enter the username, the first or the last name of the user you are looking for in the input field.
  6. Click on Search.
  7. If the search is successful, the results will be displayed in a list. Within the hit list, a distinction is made between hits from your contacts and hits found in the system.
  8. You can now accept each hit as a recipient by selecting the checkboxes To, CC and/or BC.
  9. Click on the Apply button.
  10. ILIAS switches back to the mail form. The selected hits are entered as recipients.

Send mail to courses.

You want to mail all members of one or more of your courses.

  1. Open Communication > Mail.
  2. Open the Create tab.
  3. Click on the button My courses.
  4. ILIAS will show you a listing of your courses. You also have the option to select members from multiple courses.
  5. Select Mail to members in the drop-down menu above or below the table.
  6. Now activate the checkboxes next to the desired courses.
  7. Click on Execute.
  8. ILIAS opens the form for creating a mail.
  9. All members within the previously selected courses are now entered as mail recipients.

You want to mail one or more members from different courses.

  1. Open Communication > Mail.
  2. Open the Create tab.
  3. Click on the button My courses.
  4. ILIAS shows you a list of your courses.
  5. Select List Members from the drop-down menu above or below the table.
  6. Now activate the checkboxes next to the desired courses.
  7. Click on Execute.
  8. ILIAS displays all members of the selected courses in a list.
  9. Activate the checkboxes in front of the corresponding users and click on Mail to members.
  10. The selected course members are now entered as recipients of the mail.

Send mail to groups

You want to send a mail to the members of your groups.

  1. Open Communication > Mail.
  2. Open the Create tab.
  3. Click on the button "My groups".
  4. ILIAS shows you a list of your groups.
  5. Select Mail to Members from the drop-down menu above or below the list.
  6. Now activate the checkboxes next to the desired groups.
  7. Click on Execute.
  8. ILIAS opens the form to create a mail.
  9. All members within the previously selected groups are now entered as mail recipients.

Send mail to the distribution list

You want to send a mail to a distribution list.

  1. Open Communication > Mail.
  2. Open the Create tab.
  3. Click on the button My distribution lists.
  4. If you have already created distribution lists, they will be listed now.
  5. Open the drop-down menu above or below the list and select the Mail entry.
  6. Activate the checkboxes next to the distribution lists you want to send your mail to.
  7. Click on Execute.
  8. ILIAS switches back to the form for creating a mail.
  9. The distribution lists are now entered as recipients in the To text entry field.

Create mail merge

You want to send a standard text to several recipients. You want to address the recipients personally - as in a serial letter - without having to create an individual mail for each recipient.

  1. Open Communication > Mail.
  2. Open the Create tab.
  3. Activate the checkbox labeled Enable Placeholder for Mail Merge.
  4. A list of available placeholders appears. These will be automatically replaced by the corresponding data of the respective recipient when the mail is sent. The following placeholders are available:
    [MAIL_SALUTATION]: Salutation
    [FIRST_NAME]: First name
    [LAST_NAME]: Last name
    [LOGIN]: Login account
    [TITLE]: Title ([IF_TITLE]...[/IF_TITLE] can be used to avoid spaces if a user has no title)
    [ILIAS_URL]: URL of the ILIAS system
    [CLIENT_NAME]: Name of the client
  5. Place the cursor in the text input field Content at the position where a placeholder should be inserted.
  6. Click on the desired placeholder.
  7. The placeholder appears in the Content text entry field.
  8. Finally, click on the Send mail button.
  9. ILIAS replaces the placeholder with the actual data of the respective recipient and sends the mail.

Please note: The placeholders will only be replaced if the recipient has entered the To field. Recipients in CC and BCC will be sent the unresolved placeholders, which sometimes leads to irritation.

Sorting, filtering, and deleting mails

Move mails

You want to move emails from one folder to another.

  1. Open Communication > Mail..
  2. Activate the checkboxes in front of the emails you want to move.
  3. Open the drop-down menu above or below the list of emails.
  4. Select the destination folder. In addition to the already existing folders Inbox, Trash, Drafts, Sent and
  5. My Folders are predefined by ILIAS and cannot be deleted, renamed, or otherwise changed, but you can also create your folders.
  6. Click on Execute.
  7. ILIAS will move the emails to the appropriate folder.

Create folder

You want to create a folder to sort your mail storage.

  1. Open Communication > Mail.
  2. ILIAS opens a context menu with the entries Inbox, Trash, Drafts, Sent, and My Folders.
  3. In the main column, you will see the Folders tab. By default, you will see your Inbox.
  4. Click on the My Folders entry in the context menu.
  5. ILIAS shows the My Folders folder in the main column.
  6. Click on Add subfolders.
  7. ILIAS displays a form.
  8. Enter the title of the new folder in the text input field.  Click on Save.
  9. ILIAS creates the new folder. The context menu shows a small arrow for the My Folders entry.
  10. You can use this to expand the newly created folder.

Note: The new folder will now appear in the Switch to Folder drop-down menu and the Move Mail menu next to the other folders.

Searching mails

You want to search your emails.

  1. Open Communication > Mail.
  2. Click on the link Show filter right above the list of emails.
  3. ILIAS shows the filters for searching emails.
  4. Enter a search term in the form field. If necessary, refine the search result by limiting the search to the Sender, Subject, Message, and/or Attachments fields.
  5. If you limit the search to attachments, ILIAS searches all emails for an attachment with a matching title.
  6. Click on Apply Filter.
  7. ILIAS will only display emails that match the filter criteria.
  8. Click on Reset Filter to show all emails of the current folder again.
  9. Click Hide Filter to hide the filter.

Note: You can only search the currently selected folder of your ILIAS mailbox. A global search in all mail folders is not possible.

Mark emails as read/unread

You want to mark selected emails as read or unread. If a mail is marked as unread, it will be displayed in the side block on the dashboard.

  1. Open Communication > Mail.
  2. Select the checkboxes in front of the emails you want to mark as read or unread.
  3. Open the drop-down menu above the list of emails.
  4. Select the Mark as read or Mark as an unread option.
  5. Click on Execute.
  6. ILIAS changes the status of the emails.

Delete mails

You want to delete one or more emails.

  1. Open Communication > Mail.
  2. Activate the checkboxes in front of the emails you want to delete.
  3. Open the drop-down menu above or below the list of emails.
  4. Select the Move to Trash (Delete) option.
  5. Click on the Execute button.
  6. ILIAS moves the emails in question to the Trash folder.

Deleting emails permanently from the Recycle Bin

You want to empty the recycle bin.

  1. Open Communication > Mail.
  2. ILIAS opens a context menu with the entries Inbox, Trash, Drafts, Sent, and My Folders.
  3. In the main column, you will see the Folders tab. By default, you will see your Inbox.
  4. Click on Trash in the context menu.
  5. ILIAS opens the recycle bin in the main column.
  6. Activate the checkboxes in front of the emails you want to delete permanently.
  7. Open the selection list above or below the list of emails.
  8. Select the Delete entry.
  9. Click on Execute.
  10. Click on Confirm to complete the process.
  11. The recycle bin is emptied.

Adjusting mail settings

Forward ILIAS emails to a normal mail program

You want to forward emails that ILIAS sends to your e-mail address or deactivate an existing forwarding.

  1. Open Communication > Mail..
  2. ILIAS opens a context menu with the entries Inbox, Trash, Drafts, Sent, and My Folders.
  3. In the main column, you will see the Folders tab. By default, you will see your Inbox.
  4. Open the Settings tab.
  5. In the Inbox section, select one of the following options:
    Receive locally only: ILIAS will only send emails to your local, ILIAS-internal mailbox.
    Forward to the registered e-mail address: ILIAS sends emails exclusively to the external email address entered in your profile.
    Local and forward to e-mail: ILIAS sends emails to your local, ILIAS-internal mailbox and your external e-mail address.
  6. Click Save.
  7. ILIAS saves the setting.

Set mail signature and line break

You want to add a personal signature to emails you send via ILIAS.
You now want to specify that ILIAS automatically inserts a line break after a certain number of characters when sending emails.

  1. Open Communication > Mail.
  2. In the main column, you will see the Folder tab. By default, you will see your inbox.
  3. Open the Settings tab.
  4. ILIAS shows the form with the mail settings. Here are the mail forwarding settings.
  5. Select the desired length of the lines in the Word Wrap drop-down menu: After 50 to 80 characters, the line will wrap.
  6. In the Signature text entry box, type the desired text of your signature.
  7. Click on Save.
  8. ILIAS saves the signature and automatically inserts it at the end of each newly created mail. The mails wrap is according to the desired maximum line length.

Receive daily collective notifications about new mails

You want to be notified when new emails are in your local ILIAS-internal mailbox.
Note: In contrast to email forwarding, you will receive only one mail daily via the notification function, informing you about news in your mailbox.

  1. Open Communication > Mail.
  2. Open the Settings tab.
  3. At the bottom of the form, select the Send mail notifications checkbox. This feature is not enabled on your ILIAS installation if this checkbox is not present.
  4. Click on Save.
  5. ILIAS saves the setting. You will receive a mail once a day informing you about new mail in your ILIAS-internal mailbox.