Mini Mods - Email reminder for inactive users

Inactive reminder emails. This mod was designed to send out a reminder to inactive members to try and win them back.

***1.2.7 Update***
This update includes built in support for bouncing emails. The script will automatically detect the bounced mail, mark it as bounced so the user is not to be contacted again so as to avoid spam, and then move that user into a seperate usergroup. This plugin is still in it's testing stages, but I have addressed the bugs mentioned previously regarding the emailing side of things.

This is important so keep reading
To install this plugin and take advantage of the bounced email features you are going to need to follow these instructions very carefully. I can not gaurentee that they will work to the letter as this will be based on each persons individual hosting settings.

Step 1: Pre Install
Before you touch this product you need to do the following

• Create an "inactive" usergroup
• Set up a "bounce to" email address
  Pick an email address that you want to use as your bounced email address. Im using "bounce@icora.co.uk". feel free to use whatever you wish.
• Add a email message filter
  This is the hard part. You need to set up a filter that will 'pipe' an email sent to the above email address.
  I am using Cpanel 11 and this is how i have mine set up:
  Rules: 'To' 'Equals' 'bounce@icora.co.uk'
  Actions: 'Pipe to program' with the setting: |/usr/local/bin/php /home/icora/public_html/forum/bounce.php
  This will depend entirely on your settings and structure so you may have to do a little research. It would be very helfull if people who have to use diferent configurations would post them on here.
• Go into vBulletin options, and find the options for 'Emails'. there is a setting asking you if you want to use '-f'. set this to yes.
• While still inn the email options set the 'Bounce Email Address' to your above address.

Step 2: Install
Remove all previous trace of this modification, and upload all the files in the "upload" folder to your base directory of the server.
Go into your product management section and add a new product. upload the XML file with overwrite selected.
Refresh your admin CP to load the new menu items. Just under the "users" group you will find an "Inactive Reminders" group. open that up and click on settings.
Play with these settings and options to suit for the most part. when you come down to the bounce settings you MUST use the same email address as the one you created above.
Set to active and save.

I must re-iterate that this version has not been widely tested, but the simulations i have ran have worked. I look forward to your feedback!

Features:

• Select the period of time before a user is considered inactive.
• Select how many emails to send to each inactive user per inactivity period
• Choose weather inactivity is based on members "Last Post" or their "Last Visit"
• Specify how often followup emails are sent
• Specify alternative emails to send to reduce repetition
• Keep a log of all inactive users contacted

Planned Updates:

• More detail in reports
• ...such as
• Which useres returned
• Effectivness stats
• Email validity

**1.2.1 Update***
Added more detail to the reports section. You can now see the email address, and quickly indicate which emails were invalid. You can link directly to that user to edit as you wish.
I have fixed some errors which have been crashing people's database. Please post any problems if you can.

**1.2.3 Update***
Fixed several problems with escaping strings
Stopped database errors locking up site
***

**1.2.4 Update***
Added a "From Email" so you can specify your own email address to send the reminders from.
Fixed potential bug for people who do not use the mail queue.

Anyone having problems with sending emails out too fast, and multiple emails being sent need to consider changing their email settings in vbulletin options.
People with emails going out too fast - edit Number of Emails to Send Per Batch to a lower amount
People with multiple emails sending - edit Use Mailqueue System to "Yes, with locking"
***

**1.2.5 Update***
Added more stats in the reports page, also added a "Send test email" option so users can test the functionality of the mod
***

[Domenico]

What about a link for users to opt-out ? When they click on this link they will never get this email reminder again. That would be nice because no there is no way to disable this and users are complaining.

[djbaxter]

Originally Posted by Domenico

What about a link for users to opt-out ? When they click on this link they will never get this email reminder again. That would be nice because no there is no way to disable this and users are complaining.

Sure there is - and it's built right into their vBulletin UserCP - the "Receive email from Admins" checkbox.

Add that link into the message that goes out to your users. I've included it since I first installed this add-on and a number of former users have followed those instructions to opt out. Some of those who don't have emailed me and asked me to do it for them and I always comply with that.

1. Admin CP | vBulletin Options | vBulletin Options | Inactive User Reminder Emails
   
2. Scroll down to and edit Email message
   
3. Add the link in there somewhere

My email message looks like this (some portions specific to my forum deleted):

Hello, $username!

<p>You are receiving this email because you previously registered at the {name of your forum} with the following information:</p>

<p>Member name: $username<br>
User number: $userid<br>
Email address: $email</p>

<p>It's been some time since your last visit to our forum community.</p>

<p>You might be interested in having another look. We have added several features and enhancements to the forums, and many new topics and new members are added every day.</p>

<p>If you don't remember your password, you can request it here: <a href="http://{yourforum.com}/login.php?do=lostpw">http://{yourforum.com}/login.php?do=lostpw</a>.</p>

<p>We hope to see you back soon.</p>

<p>If you do not wish to receive further emails of this nature, please log into your UserCP at <a href="http://{yourforum.com}/profile.php?do=editoptions">http://{yourforum.com}/profile.php?do=editoptions</a> and uncheck the box next to Receive Email from Administrators.</p>

[sparky5693]

Originally Posted by kiFF

1. I'm using 1.11.

2. Well the thing is, the report said that ALL of my inactive users had invalid email addresses, which is unlikely.

I was just checking by looking for spelling errors in the email suffixes. But they should be valid, they have to confirm their email to register.

This modification had worked fine for some time, now all my users have invalid email addresses. I have this same problem.

[Icy]

Use 1.09. That one works fine for me so far. I had a similar problem with 1.11. So uninstalled it & reinstalled 1.09.

[kiFF]

Well this is probably something that should be fixed.

[zahool]

hello i am using version 1.09 and for some reason using the Scheduled Task Manager's RUN NOW only three emails are being send out each time.

I tested again - another three emails.

anyone knows how to tackle this prob?

[0tolerance]

Well... im finding something weird.. i have more than 6 innactive users, some that have been innactive for months, but its not picking them up in the scan for innactive.
its only picking up recently innactive members... people that have been viewing the forum, but not posting...

there has to be about 30 or more innactives that should ahve been on the list.

[pyd]

Super add-on!
Installed it and it seems to be just what I need!

Just one request though!
In the field where you select witch usergroups that this should be valid to, how about a dropdown-list or something like that to select them?

Not that it's a big issue to go into the usergroup-manager and see the id:s, but... just a thought!

[testebr]

I have a big problem with this mod.

My host reject all emails sent returning with this message:

Recipient address rejected: Policy Rejection:
--SENDER_QUOTA_REJECTION-- (in reply to RCPT TO command)

Can you please add one option to send xx emails per hour controled by cron job.

Example, in last time the mod tried to send 8k of emails at once only.

See: Cron Based E-Mail Sending

Thank you.

[djbaxter]

Originally Posted by zahool

hello i am using version 1.09 and for some reason using the Scheduled Task Manager's RUN NOW only three emails are being send out each time.

I tested again - another three emails.

anyone knows how to tackle this prob?

That's exactly what it's supposed to do - it limits the number of emails being sent out to avoid triggering your host's limits.

You can change it from 3 to another number if you wish in the vBulletin Options in your Admin CP, but keep it low.

Originally Posted by testebr

I have a big problem with this mod.

My host reject all emails sent returning with this message:

Can you please add one option to send xx emails per hour controled by cron job.

Example, in last time the mod tried to send 8k of emails at once only.

See: Cron Based E-Mail Sending

Thank you.

1. I think you're using version 1.11. Uninstall that and install version 1.09. If you're already using the Cron Based E-Mail Sending add-on, try disabling it.