What is the maximum number of addressees to whom one can send an e-mail using Outlook Express?

January 19, 2005 8:28 AM

Does anyone know what's the maximum number of addressees to whom one can send an e-mail using Outlook Express? (+)

At my job, I regularly have to send out an e-mail newsletter to 1800+ students, using Outlook Express. I've been breaking the address list up into several smaller chunks, based on nothing more than a vague intuitive sense that 1800 is too many addresses to use at once, but it's a nuisance to send the same message several times over. Is there an actual upper limit on the number of addressees to whom one can send an e-mail in OE? Does anyone know what that is? (Microsoft's Help/Support pages have been [characteristically] unhelpful.)

posted by Kat Allison to Computers & Internet (2 answers total)

I dunno specifically about OE, but the upper limit is generally one set by your SMTP server--the little piece of your ISP that actually sends your mail along its way.

I have used SMTP servers with a max of 99 and some with no max at all; they tend to clamp down on things a bit more now since, well, it probably seems to them like you're sending out spam.

Have you thought about using mailing list software to accomplish your task instead? Your ISP might already provide you with some. Mine uses Mailman, so I maintain the subscriber list via my website and then just send the email to one address and it gets copied on the server to all the other people. It would certainly save you the grind of endlessly cutting and pasting.
posted by bcwinters at 9:00 AM on January 19, 2005

Agree with bcwinters -- 1800 addresses is a lot to manage this way. See what sort of mailer app you can access via your ISP. Among the advantages of such an app are auto-removes of bounced emails, and the ability to let the list recipients do self-service address changes.

PS - hello from zip code 55406
posted by omnidrew at 9:23 AM on January 19, 2005