Creating a CSV file from returned emails

[Tom]

I typically send out 300-1000 emails to prospects and
customers. Sometimes I'll get back 100 returned emails,
sometimes 10.

Is there a utility to read/scrape off the returned email
addresses so that I can create a script to update my
email database that's outside of Outlook?

For example, my email program sends out an email, logs
the outbound in the Notes/History section of the program
as a history activity of what's been done for a contact.
Then, sometimes I'll get the email back due to 1) bad
email address or whatever and 2) requested to be taken
off my list.

What I need is some ability to read the returned Outlook
2002 SP3 Inbox (or whichever box I desire or establish)
and then create a CSV file with the email address that is
returned WITH a reason (request or invalid).
TIA,
Tom
[I don't have to have a CSV file but some ODBC file would
be needed.]

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

Not easily, since there are nearly as many varieties of non-delivery reports
as there are types of mail servers. You'd be better off using an established
list manager program that's already done that work for you.

 

[Tom]

Thanks, Sue, for the update.
However, it seems that when some email addresses are
provided in a business setting and then there are
100's/1000's of emails sent out in the next couple of
weeks after receiving the addresses, some emails will
eventually 'fall off' in due time. Hence, buying a list
manager of email addresses isn't as productive as I'd
like for it to be. Even with a list manager the
emails 'fall off' in time, too.
Are there any 'somewhat' standard formats for business
email returns? I'm not super concerned with the AOL's,
Excite's, Yahoo's etc. just the typical
(e-mail address removed) addresses.
TIA
Tom

-----Original Message-----
Not easily, since there are nearly as many varieties of non-delivery reports
as there are types of mail servers. You'd be better off using an established
list manager program that's already done that work for you.

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of
Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

I typically send out 300-1000 emails to prospects and
customers. Sometimes I'll get back 100 returned emails,
sometimes 10.

Is there a utility to read/scrape off the returned email
addresses so that I can create a script to update my
email database that's outside of Outlook?

For example, my email program sends out an email, logs
the outbound in the Notes/History section of the program
as a history activity of what's been done for a contact.
Then, sometimes I'll get the email back due to 1) bad
email address or whatever and 2) requested to be taken
off my list.

What I need is some ability to read the returned Outlook
2002 SP3 Inbox (or whichever box I desire or establish)
and then create a CSV file with the email address that is
returned WITH a reason (request or invalid).
TIA,
Tom
[I don't have to have a CSV file but some ODBC file would
be needed.]

.

 

[Rob Schneider]

I think it would be hard to accomplish in Outlook (or at least not clear
to me how to do so). Using a list manager already developed seems the
best course to me, as suggested by Sue.

As an alternative to that, I don't know what access you have to your
mail server, but if by chance you do, then maybe you can add some sort
of processing on incoming mails, or on the mails held in a special mailbox.

WE have setup here using a Linux server with Sendmail SMTP sending mails
and Fetchmail getting mails from the mail provider at the ISP. The
*outstanding* program called "procmail" could be easily set to capture
these messages based on the obvious rules plus rules that you'd learn to
apply. These captured messages would be processed through some sort of
program written with tools that provide easy access to the mail message
(Perl, Python, etc.) to automatically populate a database with the
infomation you wish to keep. In that database you would then flag the
mail for what you want to do based on what they ask.

We use this type of thing to process incoming emails from people
"booking" to events for a professional club that I help manage. Works.

I mention this approach since it's possible you have this mail
infrastructure and with this infrastructure and a bit of system setup
you'd have what you want. Perhaps worth it for your business to buy in
the expertise for a few days or so.

By the way ... don't think there is a "standard"

Hope this is useful to you. Let us know.

rms

Thanks, Sue, for the update.
However, it seems that when some email addresses are
provided in a business setting and then there are
100's/1000's of emails sent out in the next couple of
weeks after receiving the addresses, some emails will
eventually 'fall off' in due time. Hence, buying a list
manager of email addresses isn't as productive as I'd
like for it to be. Even with a list manager the
emails 'fall off' in time, too.
Are there any 'somewhat' standard formats for business
email returns? I'm not super concerned with the AOL's,
Excite's, Yahoo's etc. just the typical
(e-mail address removed) addresses.
TIA
Tom

-----Original Message-----
Not easily, since there are nearly as many varieties of

non-delivery reports

as there are types of mail servers. You'd be better off

using an established

list manager program that's already done that work for
you.

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of
Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers



message

I typically send out 300-1000 emails to prospects and
customers. Sometimes I'll get back 100 returned

emails,

sometimes 10.

Is there a utility to read/scrape off the returned

email

addresses so that I can create a script to update my
email database that's outside of Outlook?

For example, my email program sends out an email, logs
the outbound in the Notes/History section of the

program

as a history activity of what's been done for a

contact.

Then, sometimes I'll get the email back due to 1) bad
email address or whatever and 2) requested to be taken
off my list.

What I need is some ability to read the returned

Outlook

2002 SP3 Inbox (or whichever box I desire or establish)
and then create a CSV file with the email address that

is

returned WITH a reason (request or invalid).
TIA,
Tom
[I don't have to have a CSV file but some ODBC file

would

be needed.]

.

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

I think you misunderstood my suggestion. I wasn't suggesting that you buy a
list of addresses, but that you use established list management software
that already understands the variety of NDRs in current circulation (there
is no single standard) and will likely to be updated to handle any new ones.

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of
Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

Thanks, Sue, for the update.
However, it seems that when some email addresses are
provided in a business setting and then there are
100's/1000's of emails sent out in the next couple of
weeks after receiving the addresses, some emails will
eventually 'fall off' in due time. Hence, buying a list
manager of email addresses isn't as productive as I'd
like for it to be. Even with a list manager the
emails 'fall off' in time, too.
Are there any 'somewhat' standard formats for business
email returns? I'm not super concerned with the AOL's,
Excite's, Yahoo's etc. just the typical
(e-mail address removed) addresses.
TIA
Tom

-----Original Message-----
Not easily, since there are nearly as many varieties of non-delivery reports
as there are types of mail servers. You'd be better off using an established
list manager program that's already done that work for you.

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of
Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

I typically send out 300-1000 emails to prospects and
customers. Sometimes I'll get back 100 returned emails,
sometimes 10.

Is there a utility to read/scrape off the returned email
addresses so that I can create a script to update my
email database that's outside of Outlook?

For example, my email program sends out an email, logs
the outbound in the Notes/History section of the program
as a history activity of what's been done for a contact.
Then, sometimes I'll get the email back due to 1) bad
email address or whatever and 2) requested to be taken
off my list.

What I need is some ability to read the returned Outlook
2002 SP3 Inbox (or whichever box I desire or establish)
and then create a CSV file with the email address that is
returned WITH a reason (request or invalid).
TIA,
Tom
[I don't have to have a CSV file but some ODBC file would
be needed.]

.