To write and send new messages, click Compose in the Webmail menu or the main Runbox menu. By default, the Compose screen will open in a new window, much like an email client such as Outlook or Thunderbird.
You will see a number of fields and buttons, all of which are explained below.
From
If you previously have set up one or more aliases or From addresses in Preferences, they will appear in the From drop-down menu. You can set up one From address per folder, as each folder has its own set of preferences.
All From addresses will be selectable in the menu, but it will default to the address set up in the folder you were in when clicking Compose.
When replying to a message, Compose will first try to select the address the original message was sent to.
To, CC, and BCC
In the To field, enter the recipient’s email address or name.
In the CC (Carbon Copy) field you may enter any email addresses to which you want sent copies of the message. Addresses entered in the BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) field will also receive copies, but the addresses will not appear anywhere in the transferred message.
As you type, Compose will try to automatically complete the name and address based on the contacts stored in Contacts.
You can enter multiple addresses or nicknames in all the fields by separating them with a comma or semicolon.
A quicker way to enter recipient addresses that have been previously added to Contacts is to select their nicknames in the list to the right, and click the << button next to the recipient field.
Subject
Entering a message subject is straightforward, but it’s smart to make it as relevant and descriptive in relation to the message content as possible since it will affect how the recipient interprets the importance of your message.
To add some context to the message subject it is sometimes helpful to use one of the common email subject abbreviations.
Attachments
To attach files from your computer to the message, click [Browse…] on the Attachments line. In the appearing dialog box, select the file you want to attach. Click [Attach] to upload the file to the server. A check box and the filename will appear on the Attachments line, enabling you to attach additional files as well as deselect attachments you’ve already uploaded.
You can also attach files that have been stored in your Files area on the server, by selecting the file from the drop-down menu and clicking [Attach].
Message content
The Message content field is where you type the contents of your message. The format of the message will initially be Plain Text or HTML depending on your settings in Preferences, but you can change the format at any time (see below).
The buttons above the content area work as follows:
- Update sig. appends the signature set in the Preferences for the current folder (if any) to the message.
- HTML editor/Plain text switches between HTML and plain text mode. With HTML you can format the message text similar to the functionality of a word processor.
- Save draft saves a draft of your message to the Drafts folder so you can open it later. A draft will also be automatically saved every 30 seconds to avoid data loss if your session times out or if you have problems with your internet connection or computer. When the message is sent, the corresponding draft will be deleted.
- Save template saves the message as a template in the Templates folder. A template works much like a draft, but can be re-used again and again and is not deleted when the message is sent. A template is useful if you want to write several messages where much of the content is the same.
- Send will send your message and save a copy of it in the Sent folder.
- Save recipients in Contacts will store any recipient addresses in Contacts if they don’t already exist. The next time you compose a message, those addresses may be autocompleted when you start typing in the recipient fields.
For some helpful tips on writing effective messages, see our article How to communicate clearly and concisely in email.