Why did I get an email from group-relay.org?

Someone who runs a group you're part of added you to its list, and a member of that group wrote to it. Group Relay passed the message along to you and everyone else on the list.

The From line shows the group's name and the person who wrote. Hit Reply and your answer goes either to that person or to the whole group, depending on how the group is set up. The footer of every message tells you which.

Leaving a group

Either of these works right away, and you don't need an account:

  • Click Leave this group at the bottom of any message, then confirm.
  • Use the Unsubscribe button your email app shows near the top of the message.

Changed your mind? You have 24 hours to undo it. After that, just ask the group's administrator to add you back.

Something doesn't look right?

If you're getting mail from a group you never joined, or a message looks like spam or someone pretending to be someone else, email abuse@group-relay.org with the subject line and date. I read every one of these myself.

Behind the scenes, Group Relay checks that every message really came from the person it says it did, and anyone whose address bounces or who marks a message as spam is taken off every list automatically.

For the people running a group

Group Relay is the old-fashioned listserv, done simply: a board, a choir, a volunteer crew, a street full of neighbors. You add the members, you choose whether replies go to the sender or to everyone, and that's the whole setup. New members get a short welcome note with a leave link, every post is kept in an archive, and bounces take care of themselves.

Right now I'm setting up groups by invitation for the organizations I already work with. If that's you, or you'd like it to be, write to hello@group-relay.org.

Who's behind this

Tomatillo Design is my one-person studio in Durham, North Carolina. I've been building and caring for websites for nonprofits since 2011, and Group Relay grew out of the same work. Its sibling, Message Relay, carries website notifications for the same clients.

How I handle addresses and messages is spelled out, in plain language, on the privacy page.