Managing your subscription to a listserv

Listservs are Electronic Distribution Lists. They can be used to maintain a list of email addresses (subscribers) and send messages to all of them at once. As a subscriber, there are many ways to manage the way listserv emails are sent to you.

Logging in to your listserv

  1. Visit https://listserv.it.northwestern.edu
  2. Click the Log In button located in the top right corner.
  3. Enter the email address that you provided to subscribe or manage lists.
    • Log in using your NetID password if the email address you entered is your primary email address through Northwestern University (i.e., your student @u.northwestern.edu email or a faculty/staff @northwestern.edu email).
    • Log in using your listserv password that you set if your email address that you entered is an alternate email address (e.g., johnsmith@gmail.com)

Managing subscriber digests 

If many messages are sent out on your listserv every day, you can view these messages in a single email as a digest. Digest settings can be managed through the Northwestern Listserv Web Interface  or in  Email Command  format.

 

Northwestern Listserv Web Interface

  • Log into the Northwestern Listserv Web Interface at https://listserv.it.northwestern.edu . 
  • Click Subscriber's Options on the left panel.
  • Find the list you want to modify and check the box
  • Under Mail Style column, click drop down menu and select Digest.
  • This will list in order all emails for the day from this list into one daily email message.
    For assistance with any listserv topic, select the  green question mark icon  next to the topic from within the Listserv Web Interface.

Email Commands

If you are unsure whether your list is configured for digests, you can check by using the REVIEW command. Send a plain text message to listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu with no subject line and REVIEW listname in the body. In the message that is returned to you, look for the line which begins with DIGEST:. If the line says no digests collected, then you need to write to the list owners and request that it be turned on. You can reach the list owners by sending an email to listname-request@listserv.it.northwestern.edu (where listname is the name of the list you're subscribed to).

Subscribing to a listserv

Northwestern Listserv Web Interface

  1. Log into the Northwestern Listserv Web Interface at https://listserv.it.northwestern.edu .
    • Note: To log in using an alternate (non-University) email address, you will need to establish a new NU LISTERV password. Each alternate email address will require a unique NU LISTSERV password. 
  2. Click on Subscriptions on the left panel, Once you are in Subscriber's Corner page, locate the list you would like to subscribe to using the alphabetical listings or the search bar.
    Note: If you are NOT seeing all List, click on Customize Report and change the Show All Lists option to 'Show All Lists'
  3. When you find the List, check the box on the left, and scroll to the bottom of the page
  4. On the bottom of the List Name column, click on the dropdown box and choose either Subscribe for the List that you check.
  5. Then click the Update button on the right.

Email Commands

  1. Log in to the email account you want to use to subscribe.
  2. Compose a new plain text email.
  3. Fill in the email as follows:
  4. To: listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu
  5. Subject:
  6. Body: SUBSCRIBE listname FirstName LastName
  7. Note: The listname is the part before the @listserv.it.northwestern.edu. For example, SUBSCRIBE TEST John Doe would subscribe you to the TEST@listserv.it.northwestern.edu listserv under the name John Doe. 
  8. Send Email.

Note: Do NOT include a signature in the email body. The signature will stop your subscription from going through. The only thing in the body of the email should be the SUBSCRIBE commands. You can also subscribe to multiple listservs by including multiple SUBSCRIBE commands each on a new line of the same email message.

Unsubscribing from a listserv

Northwestern Listserv Web Interface

  1. Log into the Northwestern Listserv Web Interface at https://listserv.it.northwestern.edu .
  2. Click on Subscriptions on the left panel, Once you are in Subscriber's Corner page, locate the list you would like to subscribe to using the alphabetical listings or the search bar.
    Note:     If you are NOT seeing all List, click on Customize Report and change the Show All Lists option to 'Show All Lists'
  3. When you find the List, check the box on the left, and scroll to the bottom of the page
  4. On the bottom of the List Name column, click on the dropdown box and choose Unsubscribe for the List that you check.
  5. Then click the Update button on the right.

Email Commands

  1. Log in to the email account that you are subscribed to the listserv with.
  2. Compose a new plain text email to listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu.
  3. Leave the subject line blank and type UNSUBSCRIBE listname in the message field.
  4. Send the email.

If you are unable to unsubscribe, you can send an email to the listserv owner asking to be unsubscribed manually. You can do this by emailing listname-request@listserv.it.northwestern.edu - where listname is the name of the list you would like to unsubscribe from.

If you are unable to reach the owner of your listserv, or if you do not have access to the email account for which you would like to unsubscribe, send an email to servicedesk@northwestern.edu and provide the email address(es) you would like unsubscribed, and the list names you would like to be removed from.

Finding what listservs you are subscribed to

Northwestern Listserv Web Interface

  1. Log into the Northwestern Listserv Web Interface at https://listserv.it.northwestern.edu .
  2. Click Subscriptions under Subscriber Options on the left panel.
  3. Under the My Lists tab, you will see all of the lists you are subscribed to.
  4. If you are NOT seeing your List, click on Customize Report and change the Show All Lists option to 'Show Subscribed Lists Only'

Email Commands

  1. Send a plain text email to listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu with a blank subject line.
  2. Type QUERY * into the message body.

Accessing a listserv's message archive

  1. Log into the Northwestern Listserv Web Interface at https://listserv.it.northwestern.edu .
  2. Click LISTSERV Archives and click the name of the listserv that you would like to see the archive of.
  3. Note: Not all lists have archives. If it is not listed, then there is not an archive available.

Suspending receipt of listserv messages while you're out of the office

  1. Log into the Northwestern Listserv Web Interface at https://listserv.it.northwestern.edu .
  2. Click Subscriber's Corner in the left panel.
  3. Check the list checkboxes that you would like to prevent mail from.
  4. Change the Mail Status to No Mail.
  5. Click Submit.

For assistance with any listserv topic, select the green question mark icon next to the topic from within the Listserv Web Interface.

 

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