EMail Parrot™ User Guide

Updated: September 2026 | Welcome to EMail Parrot™! This guide covers everything you need to know about using EMail Parrot™ for secure, private email communication—whether you’re using closed groups for internal team communication or open groups with Virtual Private Email¹ (VPE) for external outreach.

EMail Parrot™ is an email relay service designed for privacy: we anonymize sender details and minimize data collection. For full privacy details, see our Privacy Policy. No setup hassles—start with a 30-day free trial on your first list.

⚠️ IMPORTANT: EMail Parrot™ Is NOT For Cold Email Marketing

EMail Parrot™ is designed for communication between willing parties who expect to receive your emails. It is NOT a cold email marketing tool.

Prohibited Uses:

• Cold outreach to purchased email lists
• Unsolicited marketing campaigns
• Spam or bulk marketing emails
• Any communication where recipients haven’t opted in

Why This Matters:

• High spam complaint rates hurt sending reputation for ALL users
• We monitor complaint rates across all lists
• Excessive complaints (emails marked as spam by recipients) result in list cancellation without refund

Acceptable Uses:

• Customer support
• Client communications (existing relationships)
• Team coordination
• Personal email management
• Business communications with willing parties

Best Practice: Only email people who expect to hear from you and would recognize your address/name.

Table of Contents

1. Getting Started
2. Understanding Closed vs Open Groups
3. How EMail Parrot Works
4. Addressing Emails
5. Virtual Private Email (VPE)
6. Managing Your List
7. Key Features
8. Troubleshooting
9. Need Help?

Getting Started

1. Create an Account

• From the EMail Parrot™ homepage, click TOOLS > CREATE ACCOUNT in the upper right.
• Fill in your details and click Create Account.
• Verify your email via the confirmation link, then log in to your dashboard.

2. Create an Email List

• In the admin portal, click the Create Email List button (upper right).
• Enter list details:
  • List Name: The email address (e.g., team becomes team@emparrot.com)
  • List Common Name: The name recipients see (e.g., “Project Team”)
  • Your Name: The name displayed on your emails - Real name or pseudonym
• Agree to the Terms of Service and click Create.
• Your list is active immediately. Your first list is free for 30 days - no credit card required.
• When your trial ends or when you create additional lists, add a payment method via Account > Update Credit Card.

Pro Tip: For branded communications, custom subdomain support is available (e.g., yourlist@emp.yourdomain.com) — $10/mo for unlimited lists under your domain. Setup requires support team coordination. See Custom Domain Setup section with shared usage limits.

3. Add Members

• In the admin portal, select your list and click Add Member on the List Membership tab (this opens the Update Member tab).
• Enter member information:
  • Email Address: Their real email (never exposed to other members)
  • Display Name: Their pseudonym - how they appear to others (e.g., “John Smith” or “jsmith”)
• Set the member options:
  • List Admin: Check to make this member a list administrator; leave unchecked for a regular member
  • Moderate: Hold this member’s emails for admin approval (this is how you keep a member from posting to the list without review)
  • Receives Own: Member receives copies of their own emails
  • No Mail: Skip list delivery to this member (they stay on the list and can still send)
  • Sublists: Comma-separated sublist names
• Click Add Member.
• EMail Parrot does not send new members a welcome email automatically. A ready-to-edit Member Welcome Template is available - send it yourself from the Admin Email tab (Broadcast to All Members) or from your own email.

Understanding Closed vs Open Groups

EMail Parrot™ offers two types of email groups. Understanding the difference helps you choose the right configuration for your needs.

Closed Groups (Default)

What They Are: Private email lists where only members can communicate. External addresses cannot email the list, and members cannot email external addresses through the list.

Best For:

• Internal team communication
• Private family or friend groups
• Community organizations (PTA, neighborhood, clubs)
• Volunteer groups
• Any group where privacy within the group is the primary concern

Key Features:

• Members email each other anonymously via pseudonyms
• Direct messaging between members via ~pseudonym addressing
• Complete privacy—no external access
• Reduced spam and security risks
• Simple, focused communication

Privacy Level: High - Members’ real emails hidden from each other; external world has no access.

Example Use Cases:

• PTA members coordinating events
• Neighborhood watch discussing local issues
• Family group staying in touch
• Volunteer organization planning activities

Open Groups (Virtual Private Email)

What They Are: Email lists that support both internal member communication AND external outreach. Members can email external addresses while maintaining privacy protection.

Best For:

• Business teams that need to email clients/vendors
• Virtual assistants handling email on your behalf
• Freelancer collectives presenting as one brand
• Contractors/seasonal workers needing professional email
• Personal privacy—unlimited aliases for different purposes
• Any scenario where you need to email “everyone else” securely

Key Features:

• All closed group features PLUS external addressing
• Members can email external addresses via special + pattern
• External recipients see your list/brand, not personal emails
• Replies from externals route back to the list
• Unlimited aliases/sublists for different contexts
• Full security scanning for all emails (internal and external)

Privacy Level: Very High - Internal anonymity preserved; external addresses virtualized; all emails filtered and secured.

Example Use Cases:

• VA emailing vendors on your behalf
• Support team responding to customers
• Freelancers communicating as one brand
• Personal email aliases for stores/services
• Family coordinating with external vendors for events

Understanding Open Lists and VPE

Think of the relationship like this:

Open Email List = Network Connection

• You can reach external destinations
• You have connectivity beyond your immediate group
• Communication is possible with the outside world

VPE = VPN (Virtual Private Network)

• Your traffic is protected and encrypted
• Your real identity is hidden from external parties
• You get anonymity and security layer

Together: Open Email List + VPE Just like you might have an internet connection with a VPN enabled, an open email list uses VPE technology to maintain privacy protection while allowing external communication. You get the reach of an open list with the protection of VPE.

Closed Email List = Local Network (LAN)

• Communication only within the group
• No external connectivity
• Maximum simplicity and isolation

Comparison Table

Note on Member Aliases:

• Closed Groups: Members can have unlimited aliases (single-member sublists). These aliases can only be addressed by other members who have access to that member’s direct message (~) address. Useful for rotating roles (e.g., chairman alias moves to new chairman).
• Open Groups: Aliases function the same for internal communication, PLUS can be used for VPE external addressing (+ pattern).

*Open groups allow external addresses to send TO the list or sublist addresses directly. However, external addresses CANNOT send to member direct message (~) addresses or use VPE external (+) addressing. Only list members can use ~ and + patterns.

When to Use Each Type

Choose Closed Groups when:

• You only need internal communication
• All relevant people can be added as members
• You want maximum simplicity and focus
• External communication isn’t needed
• Privacy within a defined group is your goal

Choose Open Groups (VPE) when:

• You need to email people outside your group
• You want professional email without per-user costs
• You need unlimited email aliases for privacy
• You’re delegating email access (VA, contractors)
• You want one professional brand with multiple team members
• You need flexible, revocable external email access

Pro Tip: Start with a closed group for internal communication, then enable VPE when external communication becomes necessary. You can switch between modes with the Enable VPE setting in Group Settings (list owner with MFA required).

💡 Important for Businesses:

While you can use open groups with restricted sublists (^) at emparrot.com addresses, businesses are strongly encouraged to use custom domain support ($10/mo). Custom domains provide:

• Better security: Mix closed and open lists as needed
• More flexibility: Each list can have its own sublists and access controls
• Professional branding: All emails from your domain
• Simplified management: Separate lists for different purposes
• Scalability: Easy to add new lists as your business grows

Using only open groups with restricted sublists is less secure and flexible than having multiple properly configured lists at your custom domain.

How EMail Parrot™ Works

The Email Processing Flow

Every email sent through EMail Parrot™ goes through multiple security layers:

1. Email arrives at EMail Parrot
      ↓
2. Sender verification (member check)
      ↓
3. Virus scanning (ClamAV + AWS SES)
      ↓
4. Spoofing detection (SPF/DKIM/DMARC)
      ↓
5. Malicious attachment removal
      ↓
6. Tracking pixel removal (optional)
      ↓
7. Dangerous link detection
      ↓
8. Size check (configurable limit)
      ↓
9. Sender anonymization
      ↓
10. Distribution to recipients

If any step fails, the email is quarantined and administrators are notified.

Sending Emails (Internal)

For Closed Groups and Open Groups internal communication:

• Members email your list’s address (e.g., yourlist@emparrot.com)
• EMail Parrot™ processes and secures the email
• Sender’s real email is anonymized—replaced with their pseudonym
• Email distributes to all list members (or sublist members if using sublist addressing)
• Recipients see: ~pseudonym [List Name] as the sender

Example:

You send to: team@yourdomain.com
Members receive from: ~john_smith.team@yourdomain.com
Display name: ~john_smith [Project Team]
Your real email is never visible to other members

**Important:** The full direct message address appears in the email From field, while the display name shows the pseudonym and list name. **Clicking Reply will send to the entire list, not just to the individual sender.** To reply privately to the sender, manually address your email to their direct message address: ~john_smith.team@yourdomain.com

Sending Emails (External - VPE Only)

For Open Lists with VPE enabled:

• Members email external addresses using the + pattern
• Format: +external.email=at=domain.com+yourlist@yourdomain.com
• EMail Parrot™ processes and secures the email
• External recipient sees email from your list/brand
• Member’s real email stays completely hidden
• Replies route back through EMail Parrot™ to the list

Example:

You send to: +vendor=at=example.com+team@yourdomain.com
Vendor receives from: team@yourdomain.com
Vendor replies to: team@yourdomain.com
Team members receive the reply
Your real email is never exposed

Receiving Emails

Internal Emails:

• Land in your inbox with anonymized sender details (pseudonym only)
• Subject line preserved
• From field shows: ~pseudonym.list@domain.com
• Display name shows: ~pseudonym [List Name]
• Note: The pseudonym appears in the From field and display name, not in the email body
• Reply-To routes back to the list

External Emails (VPE Only):

• External sender’s email is virtualized with + pattern
• You see: +external.sender=at=domain.com+yourlist@yourdomain.com
• Display name shows: “External Name [List Name, External]”
• Reply routes back through EMail Parrot™ to the external address

Quarantined Emails

Emails are quarantined (held for admin review) for various reasons including:

• Sender is not a member
• Email exceeds size limit
• Moderation is enabled for sender
• Suspicious content detected
• Addressing rules violated (e.g., CC/BCC when blocked)
• SPF/DKIM/DMARC authentication issues (soft fails)
• And other security or configuration violations

Administrators receive quarantine notifications and can:

• Release the email (delivers to intended recipients)
• Delete the email
• No action (auto-deleted after 30 days)

Addressing Emails

EMail Parrot™ supports multiple addressing patterns. You can mix and match these in a single email to reach different audiences.

Basic Addressing (All Groups)

Full List:

yourlist@emparrot.com

Reaches all members of the list.

Sublist:

sublist.yourlist@emparrot.com

Reaches only members of that sublist. Examples:

• marketing.team@yourdomain.com - Marketing team only
• admin.neighborhood@emparrot.com - List admins only
• soccer.pta@yourdomain.com - Soccer parents only

Sublists are created by assigning sublist names to members in the admin portal. The admin sublist is built in: it always reaches the list’s admins.

Restricted Sublists (^sublist.list@domain.com):

• Prefix sublist name with ^ symbol
• Only sublist members can send to this sublist
• Only sublist members receive emails
• External addresses CANNOT send to restricted sublists (even in open groups)
• Higher privacy and access control
• Example: ^board.pta@yourdomain.com - only board members can send/receive

Individual (Direct Message):

~pseudonym.yourlist@emparrot.com

Sends private message to one member. Spaces in pseudonyms become underscores:

• ~john_smith.team@yourdomain.com
• ~mary_jones.team@yourdomain.com

Special Addresses (Members Only):

These addresses trigger built-in commands instead of normal list delivery. All commands reply with a confirmation email. External senders are blocked.

Note on pausing delivery: When you send to nomail, you will receive one confirmation email and then no further list email until you send to resumemail. Your membership and sublist assignments are preserved.

Note on unsubscribe: This pauses your list delivery immediately and notifies your list administrator; it does not remove you. An administrator completes the removal. Until then you remain on the list and can still receive direct messages.

VPE External Addressing (Open Groups Only)

External via Full List:

+external.email=at=domain.com+yourlist@yourdomain.com

Email an external address through your full list. All list members see the email.

Example:

+vendor=at=example.com+team@yourdomain.com

Sends to vendor@example.com, routed through team@yourdomain.com.

External via Sublist:

+external.email=at=domain.com+sublist.yourlist@yourdomain.com

Email an external address through a sublist. Only sublist members see the email.

Important: Only members of the specific sublist can use external addressing with that sublist. This ensures proper access control.

Example:

+client=at=company.com+sales.team@yourdomain.com

Only sales team members can use this address pattern.

External via Alias (Single-Member Sublist):

+external.email=at=domain.com+alias.yourlist@yourdomain.com

Personal alias for one-on-one external communication while representing the list.

Example:

+customer=at=example.com+john.support@yourdomain.com

John’s personal support alias for this specific customer.

Converting External Addresses to VPE Format

Manual Conversion:

1. Replace @ with =at=
2. Wrap in + signs
3. Add +yourlist@yourdomain.com

Example:

• Real address: client@company.com
• VPE format: +client=at=company.com+yourlist@yourdomain.com

Using the Conversion Tool:

We provide a free tool at /ext-email.html that does this automatically:

1. Paste the external email address
2. Enter your list information
3. Copy the VPE format address
4. Use it in your email client

Special Characters:

If the external address contains special characters (like + or #), they’ll be URL-encoded automatically by the tool:

• user+tag@example.com becomes +user%2Btag=at=example.com+list@domain.com
• user#tag@example.com becomes +user%23tag=at=example.com+list@domain.com

Addressing Tips

Use TO: Field: EMail Parrot™ addresses should be in the TO: field of your email. Avoid using CC: or BCC: unless you’ve specifically enabled them in your list settings.

Mix Addressing Patterns: You can address multiple EMail Parrot™ addresses in one email:

TO: team@yourdomain.com, +client=at=company.com+team@yourdomain.com

Internal members receive one version, external client receives another.

Reply Behavior:

• Reply to list emails → Goes to full list
• Reply to sublist emails → Goes to sublist
• Reply to direct messages → Goes to sender only
• Reply to external VPE emails → Goes back through EMail Parrot™ to external address

Virtual Private Email (VPE)

What is VPE?

Virtual Private Email extends EMail Parrot™’s privacy protection to your external communications. Just like a VPN protects your network traffic when using untrusted WiFi, VPE protects your email when contacting untrusted addresses.

With VPE, you can:

• Email external contacts while keeping your real email hidden
• Delegate email access to VAs or contractors without sharing credentials
• Create unlimited aliases for different purposes
• Maintain one professional brand with multiple team members
• Revoke access instantly by removing someone from the list

Enabling VPE

To enable VPE for your list:

1. Log in to your admin dashboard
2. Select your list
3. Go to Group Settings tab
4. Under Open List, check Enable VPE (Virtual Private Email)
5. Click Save Group Settings

Requirements: Only the list owner can change this setting, and the owner’s account must have MFA enabled (see Account Security and MFA).

Important: Enabling VPE allows list members to send emails to external addresses, and allows external addresses to email the list and its open sublists directly. External addresses still cannot use ~ direct message or + VPE addresses, and cannot reach restricted (^) sublists.

VPE Use Cases

Business: Virtual Assistant Email Delegation

Give your VA email access without sharing passwords:

1. Create sublists for different functions: vendors, scheduling, customer-service
2. Add VA as member of relevant sublists
3. VA emails vendors using: +vendor=at=example.com+vendors.yourbusiness@yourdomain.com
4. Vendor sees email from vendors.yourbusiness@yourdomain.com
5. Vendor’s replies route back to the VA through the sublist
6. You maintain oversight by being member of same sublists

Business: Professional Team Branding

Three freelancers operate as “ABC Design Studio”:

1. Create list: hello@abcdesign.com
2. Add all three as members
3. Each member emails clients via: +client=at=company.com+hello@abcdesign.com
4. Clients see unified brand: hello@abcdesign.com
5. All team members see client communications
6. Professional appearance with no per-user email costs

Personal: Unlimited Email Aliases

Create aliases for different life categories:

1. Enable VPE on your personal list
2. Create sublists: shopping, bills, travel, medical, social
3. Give stores: +storename=at=store.com+shopping@yourdomain.com
4. If they spam you, delete the shopping sublist and create a new one
5. Your real email stays protected

Personal: The Leak Detector

Track which services sell your email:

1. Create unique sublist for each service
2. Give each service its own sublist address: amazon.yourlist@emparrot.com, target.yourlist@emparrot.com, walmart.yourlist@emparrot.com
3. When spam starts flowing to one alias, you know who leaked
4. Delete that sublist, contact the company
5. Other aliases unaffected

Family: Shared Service Accounts

Manage household accounts without single ownership:

1. Create family list with all household members
2. Use VPE addresses for: Netflix, utilities, Amazon, etc.
3. Password resets go to entire family
4. Anyone can handle account issues
5. When someone moves out, they leave the list but can’t take contacts

VPE Security & Access Control

Who Can Use VPE Addressing:

• ✅ List members ONLY
• ✅ Members can send to external addresses using + pattern
• ✅ Members can receive replies from external addresses

Who CANNOT Use VPE Addressing:

• ❌ Non-members cannot send to + addresses
• ❌ External addresses cannot send TO + addresses directly
• ❌ External addresses cannot use ~ direct message addresses

Sublist External Addressing Access Control:

When using sublist external addressing (e.g., +external=at=domain+sublist.list@domain):

• Only members of that specific sublist can send
• Non-sublist-members’ attempts are quarantined
• Admin receives notification of quarantine
• This ensures role-based access control

Example: If Bob is a member of sales.team@yourdomain.com but not support.team@yourdomain.com:

• ✅ Bob can send: +client=at=company.com+sales.team@yourdomain.com
• ❌ Bob cannot send: +client=at=company.com+support.team@yourdomain.com (quarantined)

What External Recipients See

When you send via VPE:

• From: Your list name (e.g., “Support Team”)
• Email address: Your list address (e.g., support@yourdomain.com)
• Body: Your message content (personal email not mentioned)
• No indication that email was sent by a specific team member

When external replies:

• Reply goes to your list address
• EMail Parrot™ routes it to list/sublist members
• Members see virtualized external address: +external=at=domain+list@domain.com
• Display name shows: “External Name [List Name, External]”

Example Exchange:

1. You send to: +vendor=at=example.com+team@yourdomain.com
2. Vendor receives from: team@yourdomain.com (From: "Project Team")
3. Vendor replies to: team@yourdomain.com
4. You receive from: +vendor=at=example.com+team@yourdomain.com (From: "John Vendor [Project Team, External]")
5. You reply to: +vendor=at=example.com+team@yourdomain.com
6. Vendor receives from: team@yourdomain.com (From: "Project Team")

Your personal email is never exposed at any point in this exchange.

VPE Best Practices

For Business:

• Create role-based sublists: support, sales, admin, vendors
• Add multiple members to sublists for oversight and backup
• Use member aliases for one-on-one client relationships
• Monitor external communications by including managers in sublists
• Document your VPE addressing patterns for team reference

For Personal Privacy:

• Create category sublists: shopping, travel, bills, social, etc.
• Use unique addresses for each service to track leaks
• Rotate aliases periodically for high-risk categories
• Keep a list of active aliases for your reference
• Set up email filters to sort by sublist automatically

For Everyone:

• Use the conversion tool to avoid manual address errors
• Educate team members/family on proper VPE usage
• Only send through EMail Parrot™—direct emails expose your real address
• Update your address book with VPE addresses for frequent contacts
• Set rules in your email client to quarantine non-EMail Parrot™ emails

Warning: No Cold Emails

EMail Parrot™ is NOT a cold email marketing tool. Complaint rates (emails marked as spam) are stringently monitored. Significant complaint rates may result in deletion of your email list without refund. Only email people who expect to hear from you.

Managing Your List

Admin Dashboard Overview

Log in to the admin portal to manage your lists. Select a list at the top of the page (or choose Other and type a list address) to open these tabs:

List Membership Tab:

• View all members and their settings (click an email address to edit that member)
• Add members, or delete selected members
• Download member information as CSV, or upload a CSV to add or replace members

Update Member Tab:

• Add or update one member: Email Address, Display Name (pseudonym), List Admin, Moderate, Receives Own, No Mail, Sublists
• Load Current Settings fills in an existing member’s current values
• Delete a member

Group Settings Tab:

• List display name and maximum email size (1-10MB)
• Privacy & Security: Advanced Protection, AI Prompt Injection Protection, Sensitive emails or content, Strip External Content (tracking pixels, external images, and link tracking), Immediate Deletion
• Member Behavior: Disable Direct Messages, Allow CC / BCC, Allow Auto-Forwarding
• Attachments: Filter by Content-Type, Remove Archive Attachments
• Open List: Enable VPE (Virtual Private Email)
• Fetch Usage Report - this month’s email count and data sent (cached for up to 15 minutes)

Admin Email Tab:

• Send from the list admin address to external addresses
• Broadcast to all members (BCC)
• Send the address book to all members

Quarantined Emails and Manage Quarantined Emails Tabs:

• View quarantined emails with sender, subject, reason, and date
• View a quarantined email, release it to the list (with overrides), or delete it
• Quarantine notifications are sent to list admins

The Create Email List and Delete Email List buttons are at the top right. The account menu (showing your email address) has Update Credit Card, Change Password, Enable/Disable MFA, and Sign out.

See the Administrator Documentation for details on each setting.

Creating Sublists

Sublists are powerful organizational tools that work in both closed and open groups:

To create a sublist:

1. On the List Membership tab, click the member’s email address (opens the Update Member tab)
2. Enter sublist names in the Sublists field (comma-separated)
3. Click Update Member
4. Repeat for each member of the sublist

Sublist Types:

Regular Sublists (sublist.list@domain.com):

• Open to all list members
• Any list member can send to it
• Only assigned members receive emails

Restricted Sublists (^sublist.list@domain.com):

• Prefix with ^ symbol
• Only sublist members can send
• Only sublist members receive
• Higher privacy for sensitive teams

Single-Member Sublists (Aliases):

• Sublist with only one member
• Acts as personal alias for that member
• Perfect for VPE personal addressing
• Example: john.support@yourdomain.com

The Admin Sublist:

• Built in for every list - admin.yourlist@domain always reaches the list’s admins
• Membership follows the List Admin setting (it is not assigned like other sublists; admin is a reserved name)
• Any member can email it
• Used for admin communications

Member Settings

Each member has these settings:

List Admin:

• Member can administer the list (see Admin Roles below)
• Unchecked = regular member

Moderate:

• Member’s emails are held in quarantine for admin approval
• Useful for new or untrusted members, or to keep a member from posting to the list without review
• Admin releases or deletes the held emails

Receives Own:

• Member receives copies of their own sent emails
• Helpful for record-keeping
• Some prefer not to receive copies

No Mail:

• Member stays on the list, but list emails are not delivered to this address. Direct messages still are, unless another address with the same name receives mail – then they go only to that address
• Use for a member’s alternate send-only address, or to pause delivery
• Members can set this themselves by emailing nomail.yourlist@domain

Admin Roles

List Owner:

• The account that created the list (or custom domain) and is responsible for payment
• Can delete the list
• Only the owner can change the Enable VPE and Sensitive settings, and only with MFA enabled
• Ownership can only be changed by EMail Parrot support - contact support@emparrot.com

List Admins:

• Members with the List Admin setting checked (the owner is also a list admin)
• Can manage members and sublists, including making other members admins
• Can review, release, or delete quarantined email
• Can change group settings (except Enable VPE and Sensitive, which are owner-only)
• Cannot delete the list
• Can update their own member record, but cannot remove their own admin permission or delete themselves - another admin must do that. This ensures a list always has at least one admin.
• Need an admin portal login created with the same email address they use on the list

Regular Members:

• Send and receive list email (subject to their Moderate and No Mail settings)
• Cannot access admin functions
• Cannot see other members’ real emails
• Can use all addressing patterns based on membership

Custom Domain Setup

Using your own domain gives you a dedicated email namespace for groups and teams while your existing email addresses stay exactly as they are. Your top-level domain keeps working normally – the subdomain becomes a clean, separate space just for EMail Parrot lists.

Benefits:

• Professional appearance with your brand
• Unlimited lists for $10/mo
• No list name collisions - your own namespace
• Your choice of subdomain name (see below)

Choosing Your Subdomain Name

The subdomain name is yours to pick – any valid text works. Some common choices:

• emp – short, implies the service (team@emp.yourdomain.com)
• e – minimal, nearly invisible to recipients (team@e.yourdomain.com)
• mail or lists – descriptive and familiar
• A name that reflects your group’s purpose: a nonprofit might use vols for volunteer communications (updates@vols.habitat.org), a school district might use pta, a business might use team or ext for external-facing addresses

The subdomain you choose becomes part of every list address, so it is worth a moment of thought. There is no wrong answer – just pick one that fits how you want your addresses to read.

Prerequisites:

• Own a domain with DNS management access
• Can add a DNS NS record for a subdomain at your registrar or DNS provider

Setup Steps:

1. Choose your subdomain - e.g., emp.yourdomain.com or team.yourdomain.com

   • A subdomain keeps your existing top-level email untouched while giving EMail Parrot™ its own space

2. Contact support@emparrot.com

   • Provide your chosen subdomain
   • Email address(es) authorized to create lists at this domain
   • We will provide the NS record value to enter at your registrar for the subdomain
     • This NS record delegates the subdomain to EMail Parrot’s servers so we can manage all the records it needs

3. Wait for propagation

   • NS record changes typically take a few hours, up to 24 in some cases
   • We’ll verify and activate your custom domain

4. Create lists

   • Use admin portal to create unlimited lists at your custom domain

Domain Admins: Only designated email addresses can create/delete lists at your domain. Contact support to add or remove domain admins.

Need help? Contact Support - we’ll walk you through DNS configuration for your specific registrar.

Bulk Operations

CSV Download and Upload:

Download current members:

1. On the List Membership tab, click Download Member Information as CSV
2. The file contains every member’s real email address - treat it as sensitive

Upload members:

1. Prepare a CSV with a header row using these columns: email, name, sublist, list_admin, moderate, self_email, nomail
2. Check Replace All Members on Upload only if members not in the file should be removed; leave it unchecked to add or update just the members in the file
3. Click Upload CSV File and select the file - it is processed immediately

The member limit (25 until a payment method is on file, 500 after) applies to the list’s total after the upload. An upload that would go over it is rejected whole, with nothing changed.

Pro Tip - Multiple Sublists: When a member belongs to multiple sublists, enclose the sublist field in double quotes so the commas are kept:

email,name,sublist,list_admin,moderate,self_email,nomail
john@example.com,John Smith,"sales,support",true,false,false,false

Sublist names reserved for system commands (such as admin, help, and nomail) are rejected - see Reserved Sublist Names.

List size: Lists can have up to 25 members until a payment method is on file, and up to 500 after that. (These limits make sure billing is set up and support is involved for larger lists - contact support@emparrot.com to go beyond 500.)

Bulk Member Updates: Download the CSV, edit it in a spreadsheet, then upload it to update many members at once.

Key Features

Security Features

Multi-Layer Virus Scanning:

• ClamAV virus database scanning
• AWS SES built-in threat detection
• Regular definition updates
• Suspicious files quarantined

Spoofing Detection:

• SPF (Sender Policy Framework) validation
• DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) verification
• DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication) enforcement
• Hard fails quarantined

Dangerous Content Removal:

• Malicious attachment types blocked (.EXE, .BAT, .CMD, .SCR, etc.)
• Archive files with dangerous contents (.ZIP with .EXE inside)
• Tracking pixels removed from HTML emails
• External content optionally blocked
• Dangerous links detected (email quarantined for admin review)

Access Control:

• Member-only sending (non-members quarantined)
• Sublist access restrictions
• VPE addressing member-only
• Closed groups: external addresses cannot send to the list

Privacy Features

Sender Anonymization:

• Real email addresses removed from headers
• Pseudonyms replace sender identification
• Pseudonym shown as the sender’s display name
• “No walk-away” contact info—members can’t take contact lists

Metadata Minimization:

• Minimal data collection
• Diagnostic logs deleted after 30 days; usage records (used for billing) deleted after 90 days
• No profile building
• No selling of addresses
• GDPR/CCPA compliant

VPE Address Virtualization:

• External addresses masked with + pattern
• Real emails never exposed to externals
• Unlimited aliases possible
• Instant revocation by deleting sublists

Address Protection in Attachments and Links

EMail Parrot’s address protection extends beyond the message body into calendar invites, contact cards, and links.

Calendar Invites (.ics):

• Organizer and attendee addresses rewritten to protected addresses
• Works for invites, replies, and cancellations
• Member addresses removed from the event description, summary, and location text

Contact Cards (.vcf):

• Email fields rewritten to protected addresses
• The sender’s name replaced with their list persona on outbound cards

Mailto Links:

• mailto: links in message bodies (HTML and plain text) rewritten so a click composes to the protected address

What’s Not Covered:

• Free-form text on a contact card (for example, the Notes field) or unusual/custom fields may still contain a typed email address – EMail Parrot does not rewrite arbitrary free-form contact-card content
• Non-standard calendar or contact formats and fields from uncommon email clients may not be recognized

Recommendation: Before relying on this for a sensitive list, send a test invite or contact card through the list to an external address you control and confirm what the recipient sees.

Encryption Support

EMail Parrot™ is encryption-neutral. Emails encrypted by senders before sending (using PGP, GPG, or S/MIME) pass through the relay unchanged. EMP has no role in key management and cannot screen encrypted content for viruses or malicious attachments. Admins enabling encryption should ensure their member list is fully trusted.

For group lists, a shared symmetric key works (all members encrypt and decrypt with the same key). For VPE direct messaging, asymmetric encryption such as PGP is practical for one-to-one communication. Key distribution is entirely up to the list administrator.

Account Security and MFA

Protecting your admin account is important, especially if your list handles sensitive communications.

Enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA):

MFA adds a second verification step at login using an authenticator app on your phone. If your password is ever compromised, MFA prevents unauthorized access.

To set up MFA:

1. Sign in to your account at emparrot.com/admin/.
2. After signing in, select Enable MFA for Account from the account menu (where your email address shows).
3. Open an authenticator app on your phone (Google Authenticator, Authy, Microsoft Authenticator, or any TOTP-compatible app).
4. Scan the QR code displayed on screen with your authenticator app.
5. Enter the 6-digit code shown in your app to confirm setup.

Once enabled, you will be prompted for a code from your authenticator app each time you sign in. MFA is optional for non-VPE lists but recommended for any list used for sensitive or organizational communications.

If you lose access to your authenticator app:

Losing your phone, reinstalling your authenticator app without backing up, or switching devices will lock you out of your account if MFA is enabled. There is no self-service recovery path. To regain access, the list owner must contact support at support@emparrot.com to request an MFA reset. Support will use the list owner’s account email address to verify the request before disabling MFA. Plan ahead - save your authenticator app backup codes at setup time if your app provides them, or keep a note of your registered email address so the reset request can be verified quickly.

Direct Messaging:

• Private member-to-member communication
• ~pseudonym addressing
• Maintains anonymity
• Can be disabled by admin if desired

Sublists:

• Unlimited sublists per list
• Focused communication for subgroups
• Can be open (all members) or restricted (^prefix)
• Perfect for departments, teams, projects, or personal categories

Mixed Addressing:

• Send to multiple lists, sublists, individuals in one email
• Efficient communication to different audiences
• Each group sees appropriate version

Reply Routing:

• List replies go to full list
• Sublist replies go to sublist
• Direct replies go to sender
• External replies route back through VPE

Administrative Features

Moderation:

• Per-member approval requirements
• Admin review before delivery
• Useful for new or untrusted members
• Quarantine notifications to admins

Quarantine Management:

• View all held emails
• Release or delete
• Notifications to relevant admins
• Auto-deletion after 30 days

Usage Monitoring:

• Group Usage Report on the Group Settings tab (Fetch Usage Report)
• This month’s email delivery count and data sent
• Cached for up to 15 minutes; no automatic warnings

Custom Settings:

• Max email size (1-10MB)
• Allow CC / BCC
• Disable direct messages
• Allow auto-forwarding
• Strip external content (tracking pixels, external images, link tracking)
• Filter attachments by content-type
• Remove archive attachments
• Advanced protection
• AI prompt injection protection
• Sensitive emails or content
• Immediate deletion

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Problem: Emails Not Arriving

Possible causes and solutions:

1. Check Spam Folder:

   • EMail Parrot™ emails might be filtered
   • Add list address to your contacts/safe senders
   • Create filter rule to trust from your list domain

2. Verify Membership:

   • Ensure recipient is a list member
   • Check the member’s No Mail setting is off
   • Verify correct email address in membership list

3. Check Quarantine:

   • Log in to admin dashboard
   • Go to Quarantine tab
   • See if email was held for review
   • Check quarantine reason

4. Verify Sender Membership:

   • Non-members’ emails are quarantined
   • Add sender as member, or
   • Add their alternate email as a member with “No Mail” checked

5. Size Limits:

   • Check if email exceeds size limit (1-10MB)
   • Reduce attachments or increase limit in settings

Problem: Non-Member Email Rejected

When someone outside your list tries to email it:

1. This is Normal Behavior:

   • Closed email groups (the default) accept email from members only
   • Non-members are quarantined for security
   • Admins receive quarantine notification

2. Solutions:

   • Add person as member if appropriate
   • Add their alternate email as a member with “No Mail” checked (they can send but won’t receive)
   • Or, if appropriate, have the list owner enable VPE - VPE lists accept email from external senders

Problem: VPE External Addressing Not Working

If external addresses aren’t receiving emails:

1. Verify VPE is Enabled:

   • Check Group Settings tab
   • Enable VPE (Virtual Private Email) must be checked

2. Check Address Format:

   • Must use exact +email=at=domain+list@domain.com format
   • Use conversion tool to avoid errors
   • Special characters must be URL-encoded

3. Verify Sublist Membership:

   • For sublist external addressing, sender must be sublist member
   • Check member’s sublist assignments
   • Non-sublist-member attempts are quarantined

4. Check Quarantine:

   • Email might be held for other reasons
   • Review quarantine for details

Problem: External Cannot Reply

If external recipient can’t reply to your VPE email:

1. They Should Reply Normally:

   • External recipients just click “Reply”
   • Reply goes to your list address
   • No special format needed on their end

2. Check Their Email Client:

   • Some email clients might mangle reply-to
   • Verify reply is going to correct address
   • Check their sent items for actual destination

3. Verify List is Still Active:

   • Ensure list subscription is current
   • Check usage limits not exceeded

Problem: Quarantine Notifications Not Received

If admins aren’t getting quarantine alerts:

1. Check Admin Membership:

   • Notifications go to every list admin whose No Mail setting is off
   • Verify the admin’s List Admin setting is checked
   • Verify admin email address is correct

2. Check Spam Folder:

   • Quarantine notifications might be filtered
   • Add admin sublist address to safe senders

Problem: Emails Landing in Recipient’s Spam Folder

EMail Parrot™ has excellent SPF/DKIM/DMARC configuration. Spam filtering is usually due to new sending patterns, not authentication issues.

Most Common Cause: Email providers use AI to detect spam. New addresses or changed volume/patterns may be temporarily flagged.

Solution:

1. Have recipients mark emails as “Not Spam” - trains their provider’s filter
2. Warm up gradually - start with small volumes, increase over days/weeks
3. Only email people who expect your messages

Problem: Forgot Password

To reset your password:

1. Go to login page
2. Click Forgot Password
3. Enter your email address
4. Check email for reset link
5. Follow link to set new password
6. Link expires after 24 hours

Problem: Usage Limits Exceeded

If you exceed 5K emails or 5GB per month:

1. Check Usage:

   • Group Settings tab > Fetch Usage Report
   • Shows this month’s email count and data sent
   • There are no automatic warnings - check periodically

2. Overage Billing:

   • Overages are added automatically to your next invoice, based on actual use
   • $2 per block of 10,000 extra emails (each block also adds 10GB of data)
   • $0.20 per GB of data beyond your allowance
   • See Pricing for details

3. Optimize Usage:

   • Review who needs access
   • Consolidate lists under custom domain
   • Consider if all emails are necessary
   • Use sublists to reduce full-list sends

Advanced Topics

Custom Email Rules

Set up rules in your email client to enhance organization:

Auto-Folder by Sublist:

If TO: contains "sales.team@yourdomain.com"
Move to folder: "Sales"

Priority for Admin Sublist:

If FROM: contains "admin.yourlist"
Mark as Important
Play sound

Quarantine Non-EMail Parrot™:

If FROM: does not contain "@yourdomain.com"
AND FROM: does not contain "@emparrot.com"
Move to folder: "Quarantine Review"

API Access

Currently, EMail Parrot™ does not offer API access. All operations must be performed through:

• Email interface (sending/receiving)
• Web dashboard (administration)
• CSV import/export (bulk operations)

Future API access may be considered based on user demand.

Best Practices

For All Users

Security:

• Use strong, unique password
• Regularly review member list
• Monitor quarantine notifications
• Keep contact information current
• Don’t share your admin credentials

Communication:

• Educate members on proper addressing
• Document your addressing patterns
• Provide members with conversion tool link
• Set expectations for response times
• Use sublists to keep communication focused

Privacy:

• Don’t include personal info in signatures (it’s visible to all)
• Remember pseudonyms are visible to all members
• Use direct messages for private communication
• Consider what information is appropriate for group

For Business Users

Team Management:

• Create role-based sublists
• Assign multiple people to critical sublists
• Document who has access to what
• Include managers/supervisors in key sublists
• Review permissions quarterly

Professional Communication:

• Use custom domain for branding
• Maintain consistent tone across team
• Set VPE addressing patterns as standards
• Train team members on usage
• Monitor external communications for quality

Access Control:

• Use sublist external addressing for departments
• Revoke access immediately when someone leaves
• Don’t share admin access unnecessarily
• Keep admin list small and trusted
• Regular access audits

For Personal Privacy Users

Alias Management:

• Create category sublists (shopping, bills, etc.)
• Use unique addresses per service
• Track your aliases in a spreadsheet
• Rotate high-risk aliases periodically
• Delete compromised aliases immediately

Organization:

• Set up email filters for automatic sorting
• Use consistent naming for sublists
• Document what each alias is used for
• Regular cleanup of unused aliases
• Monitor for signs of leaks/spam

Safety:

• Never use VPE addresses for critical accounts (bank, email provider)
• Keep a backup email for account recovery
• Don’t rely solely on VPE for irreplaceable communications
• Use VPE for external/untrusted contacts
• Keep tier 1 (personal) email for tier 1 contacts

Need Help?

Support Resources

Email Support:

• General inquiries: info@emparrot.com
• Privacy requests: info@emparrot.com
• Support requests: support@emparrot.com
• Response time: Within 24 hours (usually faster)

Documentation:

• FAQ - Frequently asked questions
• Features - Detailed feature descriptions
• VPE Overview - Virtual Private Email explained
• Business Use Cases - Business applications
• Administrator Documentation - Advanced admin guide

Tools:

• External Email Virtualizer - Convert addresses to VPE format
• Administrator Portal - Manage your lists

Legal:

• Privacy Policy - How we handle your data
• Terms & Conditions - Service agreement

Community

Share your use cases and learn from others:

• Post questions in our community forum (coming soon)
• Share feedback via email
• Suggest features via support email
• Report bugs directly to info@emparrot.com

Feature Requests

We actively develop based on user feedback. To request features:

1. Email info@emparrot.com
2. Describe your use case
3. Explain why the feature would help
4. Include any specific requirements

Bug Reports

If you encounter issues:

1. Check troubleshooting section above
2. Try reproducing the issue
3. Email info@emparrot.com with:
   • List name
   • What you were trying to do
   • What happened vs. what you expected
   • Any error messages
   • Screenshots if applicable

Thank you for using EMail Parrot™! We’re committed to providing secure, private email communication for everyone.

Happy, secure emailing!