Distribution Lists¶
A distribution list (DL) is an email address that delivers to multiple recipients at once. When someone sends to support@example.com, Vantage expands the list and delivers a copy to every member — no separate forwarding rules or manual CC lists needed.
Creating a Distribution List¶
- Sign in to your Tenant Admin portal at
https://manage.yourdomain.com. - Click Distribution Lists in the left sidebar.
- Click New Distribution List.
- Fill in the form:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Email address | The address people will send to (e.g. support@example.com). Must be unique — cannot match an existing mailbox. |
| Display name | The friendly name shown in the Global Address List and autocomplete (e.g. Support Team). |
| Description | Optional. Shown in the address picker to help senders choose the right list. |
| Owner | The mailbox responsible for managing this list. Defaults to you. |
| Who can send to this list | See Send Permission below. |
| Reply behavior | Where replies go when someone clicks Reply on a list message. See Reply Behavior. |
| Expansion mode | How recipient visibility is handled when mail is delivered. See Expansion Mode. |
| Enabled | Uncheck to disable the list without deleting it. Disabled lists are removed from autocomplete and reject inbound mail. |
| Hidden | Check to hide the list from the Global Address List and autocomplete. Hidden lists still receive mail. Useful for internal-only lists. |
| Lock settings | When checked, the list owner cannot edit these settings from webmail. Only an administrator can make changes. |
- Click Create.
Managing Members¶
After creating a list, click its row in the table to expand the member management section.
Adding a Member¶
- Enter the member's email address in the Add Member field.
- Optionally enter a display name (useful for external addresses that won't have a Vantage profile).
- Click Add.
If the email address belongs to an active mailbox in your organization, it is automatically linked as an internal member. External addresses (outside your domain) are accepted as well.
Note
Distribution lists do not currently send a notification to members when they are added or removed. This is planned for a future release.
Removing a Member¶
Click the × button to the right of any member row. The removal takes effect immediately.
Send Permission¶
Controls who is allowed to send to this list.
| Setting | Who can send |
|---|---|
| Anyone (default) | Any sender, internal or external. |
| Members only | Only current members of the list. |
| Owner only | Only the designated list owner. |
| Allowed senders | A specific set of addresses you configure separately. |
Mail from unauthorized senders is rejected with a delivery failure notice.
Reply Behavior¶
Controls where the Reply-To header points when a message is delivered from this list.
| Setting | Replies go to |
|---|---|
| Sender (default) | The original sender of the message. Standard email behavior. |
| List | The list address itself, so all members see the reply thread. |
| Owner | The list owner's mailbox. |
Expansion Mode¶
Controls how the list address and member addresses appear to recipients when mail is delivered.
| Setting | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Preserve list address (default) | Recipients see the list address in the To field. Individual member addresses are not exposed. Members cannot see each other. |
| Expand — show all member addresses | The list is expanded and all member addresses appear in the To field. Recipients can see all other members. |
| BCC — individual delivery | Each member receives their own individual copy of the message. No recipient can see who else received it. |
Use BCC mode for announcement lists or newsletters where you want to protect member privacy.
Enabling and Disabling¶
You can enable or disable a list at any time from the Distribution Lists page without deleting it. A disabled list:
- Does not appear in the Global Address List or autocomplete.
- Rejects all inbound mail with a delivery failure.
- Retains all its members, so it can be re-enabled later with no setup required.
Deleting a Distribution List¶
Click Delete on the list's row and confirm. Deletion is permanent. Mail sent to a deleted address will be rejected as undeliverable.
Distribution Lists in Webmail¶
List owners can view and manage their lists directly from the Vantage webmail client:
- Open People from the navigation rail on the left.
- In the left pane, look for the Distribution Lists section (visible only if you own at least one list).
- Click a list name to see its current members, add new members, or remove existing ones.
Frequently Asked Questions¶
Can a distribution list be a member of another distribution list? Not currently. Nested lists are on the roadmap.
Can external addresses (outside my domain) be added as members? Yes. Any valid email address can be added as a member, regardless of domain.
Does a distribution list have its own mailbox? No. A distribution list is a pure alias — it has no mailbox, no storage, and no login. Mail is expanded and delivered to each member's individual mailbox.
Can members reply-all to a list message and reach the whole group? Only if Reply Behavior is set to List. With the default Sender setting, Reply All addresses the individual members shown in the original To/CC fields, not the list address.