Glossary · Email

Mailing List

A mailing list is a managed group of addresses where one message sent to the list address is distributed to every subscriber, for discussion or announcements.

Updated October 6, 2026

A mailing list is a set of subscribers managed by list software, such as Mailman, Google Groups or a newsletter platform. A message sent to the list address is copied to every member.

Why it matters

There are two main styles: announcement lists, where only the owner posts, and discussion lists, where members reply to everyone. Lists make it easy to reach a group without exposing individual addresses as with CC and BCC. They also affect authentication: list software usually re-sends mail from its own server and may add a footer or subject prefix, which breaks the original DKIM signature and can fail DMARC for senders with strict policies. Solutions include rewriting the From header to the list's domain, or using ARC.

Example

To: dev-team@lists.example.org
From: Jane Doe via dev-team <dev-team@lists.example.org>
List-Id: <dev-team.lists.example.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <mailto:dev-team-leave@lists.example.org>

The list rewrote the From header so DMARC aligns with its own domain, and added List-Id and List-Unsubscribe headers.

Common mistakes

  • Letting anyone post to an announcement list.
  • Sending list mail from a domain with a strict DMARC policy without adjusting the list software.
  • Not honouring unsubscribe requests from list members.

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