Mailing lists — auto and custom
How auto-managed and custom mailing lists work, and who can post to which.
A mailing list is an email address that forwards to a group of people. Members can email it from any inbox and the message goes out to all recipients.
Lists live at addresses like all@yourtroop.mytroop.org or bears@yourtroop.mytroop.org.
Auto-managed lists
These exist automatically and you can't delete them. Their recipients are kept in sync with the troop roster. Example: all@… always goes to every active member.
You can edit:
- The description (helpful so members understand what it's for).
- The Who can post setting (see below).
You cannot edit who receives auto-managed lists — that's the whole point. They're maintained for you.
Custom lists
Create custom lists for any subset of members — a den, a committee, parents of a specific cohort, etc.
In Admin > Communication > Mailing Lists > Add list:
- Address — choose the part before
@. Lowercase letters, digits, and hyphens only. Once a list is created the address is locked (the input is disabled on edit), so pick carefully. - Description — optional but recommended.
- Who can post — see below.
- Who receives — either all members or specific people (a member picker appears for the latter). See Recipient targeting.
Click Save to create the list.
"Who can post" options
| Option | Who can send to this address |
|---|---|
| All registered members | Any active member of the troop. (Default for most lists.) |
| Leaders only | Members with leader-level role or higher. |
| Anyone (public) | Anyone on the internet, including people without an account. |
The public option is dangerous — anyone who learns the address can email your whole list. MyTroop shows a warning when you select it. Use this only for "contact us" style addresses you'd put on the public site, and consider a separate inbox or moderation downstream.
What members see
Members can find list addresses on the Mailing Lists page (linked from Pages) and on the Communication settings page if they're admins. Replies to a list message go back to the list — be aware your message will be visible to every recipient.