HaloITSM Guides

Disclaimer: Distribution Lists may be called Segments, depending on which Halo product you are using (functionality is the same between products).

In this guide we will cover:

- Enabling Distribution Lists

- Permissions

- Creating Lists

- Adding Members

- Setting the Mailbox

- Viewing Past Communications

- Bulk Add/Remove Users

- Dynamic Lists

Related Guides:

• Bulk Sending Emails 
• Mail Campaigns

Distribution Lists replace the depreciated bulk sending emails function. Mail campaigns work in tandem with distribution lists in order for emails to be sent on certain scheduled times after the campaign has been started. 

Note: If using dynamic distribution lists for a mail campaign, you will need to use to "Nurture" type of campaign.

Enabling Distribution Lists

You can decide the from address that the email comes from by deciding which mailbox to send from.

Enable "Show In From Address" in the "Outgoing" tab to use the mailbox of your choice.

Fig 1. Show in "From Address" setting on a mailbox.

In Configuration > Users, enable the module by hovering and clicking the '+' icon.

Fig 2. Enabling the Distribution List module.

Permissions

Ensure agents have permission in their agent profile > Permissions tab > "Distribution Lists Access Level", or from a role assigned to them.

Fig 3. Distribution Lists Access Level permission.

The permission option 'Read and Modify' will mean agents can look at distribution lists, send bulk emails via a distribution list and also edit the members of a distribution list. The option for 'Read and Send' will mean agents will not be able to edit the members of a distribution list, but they can send out emails to the distribution list members.

Note: If the agents role permission is a higher level of permission than what you are trying to manually set on the agent, the role will override due to inheritance. The highest level of access an agent has will always be granted, whether it be given manually or from the role.

Admins will have full access to distribution lists, meaning they are the only agents that can delete them.

Creating Lists

To begin configuring the lists, navigate to the distribution lists module found in the navigation area. This is likely to be found in the overflow menu (indicated by the three dots symbol in the left side navigation bar) by hovering over it.

Fig 4. Distribution Lists module in navigation pane.

Once in the distribution list area, you can click new in the top right to begin creating your first distribution list.

Fig 5. Creating a new distribution list.

After giving your list a Name, From Address, Reply To Address, deciding whether it is dynamic or not, you can save the page. Dynamic lists are covered further on in this guide.

Fig 6. New Distribution List configuration.

Adding Members

Now that it has been saved, you can "Add Members" via the button in the "Members" tab.

Fig 7. Members tab.

Setting the Mailbox

After configuring the mailbox, it will be an option in the following fields (From Address and Reply to Address).

Fig 8. From and Reply address.

Viewing Past Communications

The Distribution Lists module will allow you to add Users to a list, from which you can send Bulk Emails to (Send Individually or BCC).

Communications made to the Users on these lists are tracked and can be viewed in the History tab of the Distribution List, or from the Users activity feed if the "Show a Users Distribution List activity in their Activity Feed" setting in Configuration > Users > Distribution Lists is enabled.

Fig 9. Show a Users Distribution List activity in their Activity Feed checkbox.

Activity will show in the Overview > Recent Activity if enabled, and users can also be added to distribution lists from this page by the "Add to a Distribution List" button along the top.

Fig 10. User activity feed.

The From Address set on the Distribution List will override the from address set at client level. 

Bulk Add/Remove Users

Users can also be added in bulk from existing User lists by selecting with the checkbox, hovering over "Edit" and clicking "Add to a Distribution List".

Fig 11. Add to a Distribution List action.

This popup will then show with a dropdown to select a distribution list.

Fig 12. Add User to a Distribution List dropdown.

As well as adding users to the Distribution List, you can then also bulk remove them via the Distribution List.

Fig 13. Bulk remove users from distribution list.

Email templates are applied when bulk sending from anywhere in Halo, the templates must be custom made templates, you can't choose from the default options.

You can import users to distribution lists, this is achieved by using the following option in Configuration > Users > Distribution Lists.

Fig 14. Import Distribution Lists button.

The spreadsheet you will import with should have the following column headers: DistributionListName, UserID, UserEmail. The matching field used to match existing users in the system is the UserID field.

Fig 15. Spreadsheet import for distribution lists.

Dynamic Lists

You can set Dynamic Distribution Lists, which will allow the option to pick multiple entities from the table.

The "Overview" tab of the Distribution List will contain the following option to create dynamic lists.

Fig 16. Use a Dynamic Members list checkbox.

Upon enabling this, a Filter table will appear underneath. Clicking the "Add" button will allow you to set filters on what is included in the list.

Fig 17. Filter table on a dynamic distribution list.

A popup will then appear to set the criteria. Here we are filtering by account managers assigned to a user.

Fig 18. Add criteria popup on distribution list configuration.

After saving your list, you will not be able to make any changes to the Dynamic List checkbox.

The "Member Count" column of the Distribution List will also display as Dynamic.

Fig 19. Member count displaying as dynamic if list is set to be dynamic.