Administrative and Maintenance Tools - Cron based e-mail sending

As of 24 Nov 2017 this modification has been withdrawn.

In default vBulletin, if you send a large number of e-mails, vbulletin either puts them in it's queue and attempts to send them as each user visits a page, or just simply tries to send them straight away (as is the case when you use the Administrators email users inteface).

The result of this can be that your server can gets seriously overloaded very quickly - or on many hosts, you get banned for exceeding their e-mail sending limits. This can make sending several thousand e-mails (like a newsletter) very difficult.

This modification does two things ;

1. The processing of the mail queue is set-up as a vbulletin cron item.

2. Allows you to add a small delay before each e-mail is sent (between 1 and 9 seconds).

3. E-mails from the ACP inteface are sent to the mail queue, not straight to the mail system.

Use option 2 carefully, otherwise you will slow your e-mail system right down.

For this to work, you must turn on e-mail queuing in the ACP options - set 'Use Mailqueue System' to 'Yes', and 'Number of Emails to Send Per Batch' to a realistic value (based on the cron setting, as below).

There are two options for the cron job, you can either set it to run every minute, and set the items to be processed to something small (like 10), or you can do what this modification does by default and set it to run every 10 minutes, and set the items to be processed to something larger (like 100).

Remember, 10 per minute = 600 per hour, 100 per 10 minutes is also 600 per hour. The numbers really depend on how quick you want large queues processed, and how much your mail server can handle in one go.

Once working, when using the ACP mail users inteface, remember you can set it to process 9999 at once (not 500 or whatever) as the mails will now go into the queue, not be sent directly.

Note: This modification will affect any queued e-mails such as subscription e-mails. It will not affect registration e-mails as they bypass queuing anyway.

This modification includes the code by Antivirus that displays the current size of the mail queue.


History:

v3.8.001 : First Release for vB 3.8.

[joe1989]

I'm sorry I don't really understand how to know what numbers to set the batch and processing times to.... My webhost allows me 100 emails per hour. What should I set everything to???

Thanks, and I'm sorry if this was answered already, I can't decipher some of this computer lingo...i'm no programmer!!

Thanks for a great mod!!

[joe1989]

Also, how do I view the mail queue, and see how many emails are currently queued for sending??

This modification includes the code by Antivirus that displays the current size of the mail queue.

Where? How to access it?

[joe1989]

Also, how do I view the mail queue, and see how many emails are currently queued for sending??

OK i see it in the ACP!! Nevermind!

Awesome Mod!

[obmob]

Originally Posted by joe1989

I'm sorry I don't really understand how to know what numbers to set the batch and processing times to.... My webhost allows me 100 emails per hour. What should I set everything to???

Thanks, and I'm sorry if this was answered already, I can't decipher some of this computer lingo...i'm no programmer!!

Thanks for a great mod!!

I think that would be toset the batch around 15

Originally Posted by joe1989

OK i see it in the ACP!! Nevermind!

Awesome Mod!

where, where? Oo

Can't figure out where to see it x_x

[joe1989]

After you've installed, it shows up with the quick stats in the admin cp.

If you just installed, you may need to reload the admin cp (by actually hitting reload or logging out and logging back in).

Take a look at my screenshot attached...

[obmob]

OMG! the last place I'd ever search x_x

thanks

[transparent]

God, this mod has been needed for way to long! It truly should be a default in VB. Thx a lot for making this Paul!!

[zlos]

Paul
Installed & clicked
One thought - maybe short help or some kind of how-to for setting a proper number of mails sent per batch, as this single setting is actually top important for proper batch mailing.

[belal_najjar]

heyy,

how can i start?

like sending 100 msj per hr and then activate it? or wt

[Paul M]

Huh ?