Web Sites and Ezine Design and Hosting
This page provides examples from the default EudoraLook appearance. If you are using the HotMail appearance, please see the HotMail Version.
Web Mail Help for the HotMail Appearance Version
Web Mail
Web Mail is a method of retrieving and sending email from a web page, rather than from an email program. It's most useful when you are away from your usual computer and/or ISP.Using Web Mail
Using the Webvalence Web Mail system is similar to using many web-based email programs, such as Yahoo or Hotmail. You can customize Web Mail to resemble many mail programs with which you might already be familiar. More on changing your Web Mail Appearance
Guidelines below will help you begin to use and customize Web Mail. For help with more advanced features and applications not covered below, please email support@webvalence.com.
Web Mail Help Topics
- Accessing your Web Mail
- Familiarizing yourself with the Web Mail environment
- Selecting Web Mail appearance and settings
- Composing and sending messages
- Reading messages
- Replying to messages
- Forwarding messages
- Deleting messages
- Using mailboxes
- Saving outgoing messages
- Using a vacation message or other auto responders
Accessing your Web Mail
Web Mail access is available for customers who use an email box at their WebValence-hosted domain.Customers who have their mail forwarded to their local ISP do not have this option.
From any web browser, go to the Web Mail page that is associated with your email account. The address of your Web Mail page is:
http://mail.yourdomain.suffix/
where "yourdomain.suffix" is your domain name. You will need to enter the user name and password for your mail box. It's the same one that you use in the settings of your email program. (Typically, it's your first name and your standard WebValence password.)
Familiarizing yourself with the Web Mail environment
The default appearance of the Web Mail system uses buttons (icons) to indicate actions you may select. Some of these buttons may be unfamiliar to you at first. If you don't immediately understand a button's purpose, there are two options.First, try placing your mouse over the button and waiting a few seconds. A small box will appear with an explanation of the button's function.
Second, you may click the help button (the question mark) for a list of all buttons and their functions.
You may also want to change your Web Mail skin (see "Selecting Web Mail appearance and settings") to use a skin with text-based buttons.
Selecting Web Mail appearance and settings
The appearance of Web Mail may be adjusted by selecting one of several different "skins." These skins resemble many of the major email programs and may help you feel more comfortable in the Web Mail environment.By default, Web Mail will appear to resemble Eudora for Mac OSX (because we like this skin and find it easy to use). As an alternative, we recommend the "Hotmail" skin for its tabbed organization and text-based buttons. This support document for Web Mail contains examples from the default skin. Help and examples based on the Hotmail skin can be found here. New Web Mail users may prefer to choose one of these two skins. More advanced users should feel free to select whichever skin they prefer.
To modify your Web Mail skin (from the default skin), click on the "Settings" icon.
Under "Appearance" choose a skin from the "Preferred Skin" drop-down menu and click the "Update" button (with a green check-mark) to save your changes.
Click the Log-out button (looks like a door with an arrow) and log in again to see your changes reflected.
Composing and sending messages
Click the "Compose Message" button on the top menu line.
The screen that follows is quite straightforward. Enter the address information in the "To", "cc" and "bcc" fields, and a subject line in the "subject" field. Your address should already appear in the "from" field.
Enter your message text in the large box below the header fields. If you have attachments you'd like to add, click the browse button(s) to locate the file(s) on your local computer.
To send your message, click the send button.
Clicking the "settings" button in the upper right corner of the message composition area will allow you to change your preferences for this area. Most of the settings are esoteric, but you can create a default message signature here.
Creating a default message signature
In the message composition area, click the settings icon in the upper right corner. Type your signature in the "signature" field and then click the "update" button (with the green checkmark) in the upper left corner.
Reading messages
To read a message, click on the name or address in the "from" column of the mailbox. Your message will open. Use the icons along the top of the message window to reply, forward, or trash the message. The arrow buttons will allow you to move either back to the mailbox or to the next unread message.To move a message to a given mailbox, select the mailbox from the pull-down menu and click one of the two buttons to the right of the menu:
Move to Another Mail Box - 
Copy to Another Mail Box - 
Attachments are displayed within the message text itself. To download an attachment, click on the link next to the attachment icon within the message.
Replying to messages
While viewing a received message, you may reply to it by using the left arrow "envelope" button.Reply to Message -
Forwarding messages
While viewing a received message, you may forward it by using the right arrow "envelope" button. You'll need to indicate where to send the mail by typing the address(es) in the address box marked "To:".Forward Message -
Deleting messages
Use the trash can symbol to remove messages. The default removal method requires three steps:1. Checkmark messages to be deleted. You may individually check the box to the left of each message or, to mark all the messages on the page, click the blue checked box in the upper left corner. 
2. Select the "move message to trash" button. 
3. Select "empty trash" button. 
To shorten the trashing process, go to the settings area, accessed via the "settings" button. There you can select the trash immediately option, under the "message delete method" drop down menu.
Using mailboxes
Upon entering Web Mail, you are automatically within your inbox. Like most mail programs, Web Mail also allows you to create your own mail boxes. You can then segregate your mail, should you want to organize it on your Web Mail account temporarily. (Mail storage is limited to 100 MBytes unless you make arrangements to purchase extra storage.)In the upper left corner of the Web Mail window, click the "Add" link next to the word "Mailboxes."
See Reading Messages for more information on how to move messages from one mailbox to another.
Saving outgoing messages
To automatically save your sent messages, click the "settings button." Under "Default Mailboxes" in the "General" tab area, use the pull down menu next to "Save Sent Messages" to select "Sent Mail."You may access your Sent Mail folder at any time by selecting it from the "Mailboxes" list in the far left column of the Web Mail window.
Using vacation messages or other auto responders
We have dedicated help pages on using vacation messages and standard auto responders.For any questions not answered by this page, please contact Support.
