Php Mail() Function

**Iki** · May 30, 2006

I've got a custom site working where people fill out a form and an email is sent to them containing a "secret code" using php's mail() function. I was thinking about adding a regex check to see if the email address they entered is valid, but I'm torn. What do I care if the email they entered is valid or not? If it's not, all it means is they won't get the email, and I don't care if they ever get the email. I know the script works on several different emails - charter, gmail, yahoo, other TCH domains. If they can't get their secret code using an AOL account, all I've got to say is get yourself a REAL isp.

We'll call the domain running this script domain1.

Then I started thinking about the server; is something going to come back to the server? The return path and return address are valid - I have domain1 set up so any email sent to domain1 gets forwarded to me. But no matter what I put in the email field on the form, nothing ever comes back to me.

I've also got domain2, and that's set up for :fail: if you send to an unrouted address. So earlier I used a non-existent domain2 address on the form, figuring I'd get something at one place or the other, right?

I didn't get anything back at either domain1 or domain2.

So what I'm wondering is, what happens to undeliverable email using php's mail() script? Does the server take a hit? I'm not seeing anything in my error logs. How do I tell?

**carbonize** · May 30, 2006

You need to supply a from address in the email so servers know where to return the emails to. At the end put "From: \"Your name\" <you@yoursite.com>\n" and then any bounced emails should go to the address you provided.

Edited May 30, 2006 by carbonize

**Iki** · May 30, 2006

Here's what I've got:

>$maili = "postings@pbem2.com";  
$subject = 'Key Code For Your Game Announcement';  
$message = 'blah blah blah';
$message = wordwrap($message, 70);	 
$headers="";	 
$headers .= "X-Sender:  $email <$email>\n"; 
$headers .="From: $maili <$maili>\n";	 
$headers .= "Reply-To: $maili <$maili>\n";	 
$headers .= "Date: ".date("r")."\n";	 
$headers .= "Message-ID: <".date("YmdHis")."postings@".$_SERVER['SERVER_NAME'].">\n";	 
$headers .= "Subject: $subject\n";	 
$headers .= "Return-Path: $maili <$maili>\n";	 
$headers .= "Delivered-to: $maili <$maili>\n";	 
$headers .= "MIME-Version: 1.0\n";	 
$headers .= "Content-type: text/plain;charset=ISO-8859-9\n";	 
$headers .= "X-Priority: 3\n";	 
$headers .= "Importance: Normal\n";	 
$headers .= "X-MSMail-Priority: Normal\n";	 
$headers .= "X-Mailer: My Mailer With PHP!\n";	

mail($email, $subject, $message, $headers);

Shouldn't the undeliverable stuff come back to the $maili address? Because it doesn't.

**carbonize** · May 30, 2006

USe it to send an email to webmaster@carbonize.co.uk so I can see the headers.

**Iki** · May 30, 2006

Sorry it took so long. Nap time for the night shift worker.

Email is coming your way.

**carbonize** · May 30, 2006

Not arrived yet.

**Iki** · May 30, 2006

You got spam filters? It might be in your trash.

**Iki** · May 30, 2006

You can go try it at

http://www.pbem2.com/add_game.php

just fill in garbage in the fields but use your correct email address. (Make sure there's something in all the fields or you'll get a little smackdown.

Can I add a cc: to the headers so I get a copy eveytime it sends an email?

**Iki** · May 30, 2006

I don't know where yours is, so I sent one to myself. Here's the headers:

>Return-Path: <nobody@server98.tchmachines.com>
Received: from mxsf41.cluster1.charter.net ([10.20.201.173])
	  by mtao01.charter.net
	  (InterMail vM.6.01.06.00 201-2131-130-20051209) with ESMTP
	  id <20060530220733.ISMG12200.mtao01.charter.net@mxsf41.cluster1.charter.net>
	  for <myemail@charter.net>; Tue, 30 May 2006 18:07:33 -0400
Received: from mxip02a.cluster1.charter.net (mxip02a.cluster1.charter.net [209.225.28.132])
by mxsf41.cluster1.charter.net (8.12.11/8.12.11) with ESMTP id k4UM7Bpm024035
for <myemail@charter.net>; Tue, 30 May 2006 18:07:31 -0400
Received: from server98.tchmachines.com ([204.11.51.229])
 by mxip02a.cluster1.charter.net with ESMTP; 30 May 2006 18:07:28 -0400
X-IronPort-AV: i="4.05,191,1146456000"; 
  d="scan'208"; a="196301475:sNHT18154656"
Received: from nobody by server98.tchmachines.com with local (Exim 4.52)
id 1FlCN8-0007nO-F8
for myemail@charter.net; Tue, 30 May 2006 18:07:30 -0400
To: myemail@charter.net
Subject: Key Code For Your Game Announcement
X-Sender:  myemail@charter.net <myemail@charter.net>
From: "postings@pbem2.com" <postings@pbem2.com>
Reply-To: "postings@pbem2.com" <postings@pbem2.com>
Date: Tue, 30 May 2006 18:07:30 -0400
Message-ID: <20060530180730postings@www.pbem2.com>
Subject: Key Code For Your Game Announcement
Delivered-to: postings@pbem2.com <postings@pbem2.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-type: text/plain;charset=ISO-8859-9
X-Priority: 3
Importance: Normal
X-MSMail-Priority: Normal
X-Mailer: My Mailer With PHP!
X-AntiAbuse: This header was added to track abuse, please include it with any abuse report
X-AntiAbuse: Primary Hostname - server98.tchmachines.com
X-AntiAbuse: Original Domain - charter.net
X-AntiAbuse: Originator/Caller UID/GID - [99 99] / [47 12]
X-AntiAbuse: Sender Address Domain - server98.tchmachines.com
X-Source: 
X-Source-Args: 
X-Source-Dir:

Edited May 30, 2006 by Iki

**carbonize** · May 31, 2006

Hmmmm the problem could lie in the very first header

Return-Path: <nobody@server98.tchmachines.com>

**Iki** · May 31, 2006

You're probably right. But my headers aren't putting that in the email; it's being added somewhere along the line. I'm specifying the return path right in my headers, but that line never makes it into the actual headers.

I just deleted the first header line (the blank one) and put the return path line at the very top and it still doesn't make it into the actual email headers.

Oh well. Thanks for trying!

**carbonize** · May 31, 2006

I think you are overdoing the headers. Since you are sending plain text all you really need is the From: header.

**Iki** · May 31, 2006

I can't even remember where I got those headers now. *lol* When I first made this function I was just using the from, subject, to, and message body variables. And still, it botched the return path:

>Return-Path: <nobody@server98.tchmachines.com>
Received: from mxsf30.cluster1.charter.net ([10.20.201.230])
	  by mtao02.charter.net
	  (InterMail vM.6.01.05.04 201-2131-123-105-20051025) with ESMTP
	  id <20060427065837.KZGU4189.mtao02.charter.net@mxsf30.cluster1.charter.net>
	  for <myemail@charter.net>; Thu, 27 Apr 2006 02:58:37 -0400
Received: from mxip09a.cluster1.charter.net (mxip09a.cluster1.charter.net [209.225.28.139])
by mxsf30.cluster1.charter.net (8.12.11/8.12.11) with ESMTP id k3R6wILe016444
for <myemail@charter.net>; Thu, 27 Apr 2006 02:58:36 -0400
Received: from server98.tchmachines.com ([204.11.51.229])
 by mxip09a.cluster1.charter.net with ESMTP; 27 Apr 2006 02:58:32 -0400
X-IronPort-AV: i="4.04,160,1144036800"; 
  d="scan'208"; a="60988341:sNHT22002374"
Received: from nobody by server98.tchmachines.com with local (Exim 4.52)
id 1FZ0Sv-0005yh-4k
for myemail@charter.net; Thu, 27 Apr 2006 02:59:05 -0400
To: myemail@charter.net
Subject: Your Game Posting Announcement Number
From: nobody@pbem2.com
Reply-To: nobody@pbem2.com
X-Mailer: PHP/4.4.2
Message-Id: <E1FZ0Sv-0005yh-4k@server98.tchmachines.com>
Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2006 02:59:05 -0400
X-AntiAbuse: This header was added to track abuse, please include it with any abuse report
X-AntiAbuse: Primary Hostname - server98.tchmachines.com
X-AntiAbuse: Original Domain - charter.net
X-AntiAbuse: Originator/Caller UID/GID - [99 99] / [47 12]
X-AntiAbuse: Sender Address Domain - server98.tchmachines.com
X-Source: 
X-Source-Args: 
X-Source-Dir:

I'd read somewhere that this "nobody" address was a spam trigger, so I went looking for some better headers in an attempt to stop the emails from going into people's spam folders.

I'm thinking the "nobody@server98" thing is what happens when the email originates from PHP. You can reply to these emails, and they come back to me like they should. But bounced email must be going into a blackhole. And that's fine with me - I just don't want to wake up one day and find my TCH account suspended because of something to do with this mailer.

**TCH-Bruce** · May 31, 2006

If you change your mail line to read

>mail($email, $subject, $message, $headers "-f".$myemail);

It will not have a "nobody@" header.

**Head Guru** · May 31, 2006

You need to change your php code to contain

mail($email, $subject, $message, $headers "-f".$myemail);

**Iki** · June 2, 2006

Excellent! Jumping off point, anyway.

My return address was held in the variable $maili so it's:

>mail($email, $subject, $message, $headers, "-f $maili"); 

or

mail($email, $subject, $message, $headers, "-f$maili");

The space in there doesn't seem to matter, I get this either way.

>Return-Path: <postings@pbem2.com>

But putting that period in there gives me this in the headers:

>Return-Path: <.postings@pbem2.com>

If your return address isn't held in a variable, and say it's "return@me.com", you can just put it in there like this:

>mail($email, $subject, $message, $headers, "-freturn@me.com");

and that works too. Either way, you're definitely going to need those quotes.

Oh, have I mentioned this? ... :tchrocks:

I fired up this site last night and already have 5 or 6 people who aren't getting the emails... hopefully this will help them. Should have checked in here last night. :rolleyes: (Although I can't help them with their spam filters or software... alas.)

Many many thanks!

**TCH-Bruce** · June 2, 2006

Glad we could help. :tchrocks:

**Iki** · June 8, 2006

Just a heads up - this DOES work. I did get an "undeliverable" email a couple days ago from someone's input. So it is coming back to me now.

Thanks again!

**TCH-Bruce** · June 8, 2006

Thanks for the update

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Php Mail() Function

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