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How do I subscribe to a LISTSERV list?

  1. Open your email program and type LISTSERV@listserv.wvu.edu in the To: field.

  2. In the body of the message, type SUBSCRIBE, the name of the LISTSERV List and your first name and last name. For example, if the list is called ITS_INFO, and your name is John Doe, you would type SUBSCRIBE ITS_INFO john doe

  3. Delete the signature line from the body of the message if it is automatically included.

  4. You will receive an email back from the LISTSERV asking you to confirm your subscription. Click on the confirmation link or reply to the message with OK as the only text in your message.

Info

Some LISTSERV lists may be "closed," meaning that only the list owner(s) can add new subscribers. If you try to subscribe to a closed list using the instructions above, you will receive an email notification. You may receive an email that prompts you to approve the email message you sent to the list owner(s). If you receive this email, follow the instructions (either reply with OK  or click the link to approve).

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If you know the contact information for an owner of the list, it may be easiest to contact them directly. If you do not know the identity of an owner, you can contact the ITS Service Desk.

How do I unsubscribe to a LISTSERV list?

To unsubscribe yourself:

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  1. Log into LISTSERV.

  2. Log into the system using the password you set and click Subscriber’s Corner.

  3. Click the link labeled [Settings] for the list from which you wish to unsubscribe.

  4. Click the Unsubscribe button at the bottom of the settings page.

An alternative is to send an email message to the LISTSERV server with an unsubscribe command. Address the message to listserv@listserv.wvu.edu, leave the subject line blank, and use no signature. The body of the message should be the single line "unsub [listname]". Do not include the square brackets around the listname. For this technique to work, the message must come from the address under which you are subscribed to the list.

If you are not successful unsubscribing yourself, you can ask the list owner to unsubscribe you. If you do not know who the list owner is, send an email to listname-Request@listserv.wvu.edu, where listname is  is the name of the WVU LISTSERV list. Be clear in the email message and its subject line regarding unsubscribing. You will receive a reply message asking you to confirm the message. After you do so, the list owner will receive and process your request.

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  • Confirm that the address you are attempting to send to is the name of the list followed by @listserv.wvu.edu.

  • Confirm you have the correct level of permissions to post to the list.

  • Confirm that the address under which you are subscribed is the one authorized to post to the list, and messages you are sending appear to be from that address.

    • If you are sending from an Office a Microsoft 365 account, try sending a message to an outside account to which you have access, and confirm that the "From" address appears to be identical to the address under which you are subscribed. 

    • Office Microsoft 365 accounts can have alias addresses through which you can receive messages, but only one outgoing address. If the outgoing address is different from the one under which you are subscribed, LISTSERV will reject the message as it does not recognize the address as being an approved sender.

    • If you find that the address your account is sending out messages to differs from the one under which you are subscribed, contact the owner of the list to request it be changed to match it. 

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  • Is the message being sent from an Office a Microsoft 365 account with an "outbound alias" making it appear that it's being sent from an @wvu.edu address as opposed to an @mail.wvu.edu address?

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If after reviewing this information your problem persists, submit a WVU IT request.  to the ITS Service Desk for assistance. It may be helpful to include the specific information from the email that indicated your post was rejected in the description of your ticket.

List Owners FAQ:

How do I

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  1. Click Log In in the upper right corner of the page.

  2. Since this is your first time logging into LISTSERV, click on get a new LISTSERV password.

  3. Enter the address for your WVU email account.

  4. Enter a secure password of at least 8 characters. You will not be able to see what you're typing.

  5. Enter the same password in the second box.

  6. Click on Register Password.

  7. After you click Register Password, you will receive a Confirmation Sent message that instructs you to activate your password.

  8. Check your email. When you receive an email asking you to confirm your password, click on the enclosed link to verify your email and password. You must click on the confirmation link within 48 hours of starting this process.

  9. When you click on the link from your confirmation email, you will receive a confirmation message in your web browser.

You can now return to the login screen and log in to your LISTSERV account.

  1. Go to listserv.wvu.edu.

  2. Click on the Log In link in the upper right corner of the page.

  3. Type in your email address and the password that you recently created.

  4. Click on the Log In button. You’re now on your way to managing your list!

    Important: If you are on a shared computer or one with public access, you should log out when you are finished. Otherwise, LISTSERV will reopen without a login/password which would allow anyone visiting the LISTSERV page in the same browser access to your lists.

Note: LISTSERV uses your email address as it appears on your outgoing email messages to external email systems, instead of a username.

How do I get a list created?

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get a list created?

You will need to consider the information listed below before requesting a new LISTSERV. Once you have determined which options are best suited for your LISTSERV, please submit a Mailing List Request.

  • List name
    The name should be brief and descriptive of the organization or associated topic. The name should only contain "WVU" if it involves recipients outside of the university and it should also provide enough detail to be easily discernable from other lists. Use abbreviations when possible and keep in mind that your name cannot contain spaces, only underscores or dashes.
       Good example: HRE_MA_STUDENTS (uses abbreviations and is descriptive)
       Bad example: STUDENT_MAILING_LIST (does not indicate topic or purpose of list)

  • List description
    The description should be one or two sentences that give a basic overview of the purpose of the list. 

  • Role assignments
    A name and email address is required for anyone being assigned a role. At least one non-quiet owner is required. View the “What roles are associated with lists?” section of this FAQ for more information.

  • Will the list be moderated?
    While many lists are not moderated, you have the option to assign a moderator role which will require all messages to receive approval before being released to subscribers.

  • Where will replies be sent?
    You may specify whether a reply will be addressed to the entire list or to the individual who posted the message.

  • Should an archive of the list be kept?
    While most lists are not archived, it is possible to have the system keep a copy of all list postings. This can sometimes be useful for reference or if a newer subscriber wishes to look at the postings that occurred prior to their joining. 

  • List visibility
    Determine whether to allow anyone browsing the LISTSERV system to see the name of the list. Most lists are not set to be visible. 

  • Who can review the subscriber list?
    Determine who has the ability to potentially view the list of all subscribers. This is generally set to owners, but may be set to include all subscribers as well.

  • Subscribers
    The list can be pre-populated with an initial list of intended subscribers at the time it is requested. If you wish to have this done, please attach a file to your request with a list of email address and corresponding names. Place entries one to a line with the email addresses followed by a blank space and then their actual name.
       Example of two subscriber entries:
       gpomegra@fruit.org Grover Pomegranate
       sstudent@mix.wvu.edu Sally Student

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How do I add subscribers?

Individual Subscribers

  1. Go to listserv.wvu.edu and log in.

  2. While in the List Management Dashboard, choose the list you want to manage from the drop down menu.

  3. Click the List Management menu and choose Subscriber Management.

  4. To add a single subscriber, enter their email address followed by a space and their name in the Email address and Name: field of the Add New Subscriber box.
    Example: glee@mail.wvu.edu Geddy Lee

  5. Click the Add to ... button.

Multiple Subscribers

You can use the Bulk function to add multiple subscribers. Before starting, you will need to create a text document file (.txt) and store it on your local hard drive. This file will contain one subscriber per line, and each line will have their e-mail address, followed by a space, and then their name. The names are not required but can be helpful for future subscriber editing.

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With the file named and saved, follow the steps below to add the subscribers to your list.

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the subscribers to your list.

  1. Log into LISTSERV.

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    • .

  2. While in the

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  1. List Management Dashboard, choose the list from the drop-down menu that you want to manage.

  2. Click on the List Management menu and choose Subscriber Management.

  3. Select the Bulk Operations tab.

  4. With the Add option selected, click Choose File and select the file you created and stored on your hard drive.

  5. Click the Import button.

How do I edit or remove subscribers?

An owner of multiple LISTSERV lists can use the Subscriber's Corner panel in the LISTSERV management interface to remove a subscriber from selected lists. This feature is useful for when someone retires or leaves a position.

Edit or remove subscribers from a list:

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a position.

Edit or remove subscribers from a list:

  1. Log into LISTSERV.

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    • .

  2. While in the List Management Dashboard, choose the list from the drop down menu that you want to manage.

  3. Click on the List Management menu, choose List Reports and then select Subscriber Reports.

  4. To edit a subscriber, locate their entry, click their name, make the needed changes and then click Update. To delete one or more subscribers, place a check to the left of their entry and then click Delete Selected Subscribers.

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Remove subscribers from multiple lists:

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from multiple lists:

  1. Log into LISTSERV.

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    • .

  2. From the Listserv menu at the top, select Subscriber's Corner.

  3. In the Show for Subscriber box Under Search Options, type in the subscriber's email address and click the Search button to the right. Note that you may need to try different permutations of the subscriber's email address. Ideally, you should be looking for their SMTP email address.

  4. If the email address is found, you'll see text in the My Lists tab that says "User X is Subscribed to Y Lists." Below that will be a listing of your LISTSERV lists in which the user is subscribed.

  5. A check box to the left of the list name allows you to select which list to process. (You can also click the check all link to process all of the lists).

  6. At the very bottom of the listing is a pull-down, where you can select Unsubscribe. Optionally, you can also select a Send email notification of changes check box.

  7. Click the Submit command button in the lower-right to unsubscribe the user from your selected LISTSERV lists.

How do I add or remove other owners for my list?

Owners of LISTSERV lists have the ability to add or remove owners by following the directions below. If changes are needed to a list and the list owners are no longer part of WVU, please submit a WVU IT request.

  1. Log into LISTSERV.

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  2. While in the List Management Dashboard, choose the list from the drop-down list of lists that you manage.

  3. Click on the List Management menu, select List Configuration, and then choose List Configuration Wizard.

  4. Click the List Maintenance tab, scroll down to the Owner= area, and add or remove owners as needed. To change Moderators, Editors, etc., make the needed changes in the appropriate fields on this page.

    Note: Be sure to have one person per line, with their email address first, followed by a space, and then their name. For example, glee@mail.wvu.edu Geddy Lee

  5. Click the Save button when your changes are complete.

What roles are associated with lists?

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