Change "From" header on the fly.

Forums › IT Pro and developers › Change "From" header on the fly.

Paul1977

5171 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2192

#183987 5-Nov-2015 13:54

This probably isn't the right forum, but none of them seemed applicable.

We have a database system that generates emails and then sends them via an SMTP sender to our Exchange 2010 server, which then takes over and sends them where they need to go.

The problem we have is the database creates and sends the mail with a from field in the format of <user@domain.com>, but we would like for the recipient to see a "friendly name" in their inbox, not just the email address. The database will not allow us to set the addresses in the format of "User Name <user@domain.com>".

All email addresses are actual addresses for users on the Exchange server, so is there any way to make it append the appropriate 'friendly name' into the From header?

I tried doing this with transport rules on a per user basis, but Exchange 2010 will not allow a transport rule to modify the From header.

Home: Work:
Home Work

1 | 2

8667 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 3883

Moderator

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1421687 5-Nov-2015 13:57

Wouldn't the recipient need to have the sender address in their contacts or address book already for it to show the friendly name? Otherwise it's only going to see whatever is defined in the Name field of the senders mailbox.

Paul1977

5171 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2192

#1421689 5-Nov-2015 14:03

gehenna: Wouldn't the recipient need to have the sender address in their contacts or address book already for it to show the friendly name? Otherwise it's only going to see whatever is defined in the Name field of the senders mailbox.

It previously worked by having the sender address defined in the database as "User Name <user@domain.com>" (including the quotation marks) and at the recipient end it would display as User Name in their inbox. Unfortunately the developers for some reason have broken this in an update and it will now only accepts user@domain.com. No telling if or when the old functionality will be restored.

Edit: For clarity.

gzt

18679 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 7809

Lifetime subscriber

#1421707 5-Nov-2015 14:27

Two things;

Are you sure it is broken. Is there an entry already in the database that still works?

What is the input method? Maybe the quote character must be escaped. Ooth maybe all hell would break loose if you did that so maybe ask before trying.

Paul1977

5171 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2192

#1421715 5-Nov-2015 14:52

gzt: Two things;

Are you sure it is broken. Is there an entry already in the database that still works?

What is the input method? Maybe the quote character must be escaped. Ooth maybe all hell would break loose if you did that so maybe ask before trying.

Yes, it's definitely broken. They've put some validation rules in place by the looks of it that will accept nothing but a straight email address (so not broken, it's a feature!).

Input method is that the email address is just typed into a field in the User setup.

wasabi2k

2102 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 860

#1421718 5-Nov-2015 14:56

Create new Transport rule in Exchange 2010:
From - your sender, to your destination
Action - set header with value
set header and value as you want with correct formatting.
Enable rule.

I don't believe friendly names are part of a strict SMTP RFC so YMMV.

Sounds like a pretty pedantic request.

Paul1977

5171 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2192

#1421724 5-Nov-2015 15:11

wasabi2k: Create new Transport rule in Exchange 2010:
From - your sender, to your destination
Action - set header with value
set header and value as you want with correct formatting.
Enable rule.

I don't believe friendly names are part of a strict SMTP RFC so YMMV.

Sounds like a pretty pedantic request.

Thanks, but as stated in the OP, Exchange 2010 will no allow me to create a transport rule that modifies the From header. You can go through all the steps, but it fails to create the rule. Apparently this is by design.

It may sound pedantic to you, but how our emails are presented to our customers reflects on our image, which we take quite seriously.

Mighty Ape

Shop now at Mighty Ape (affiliate link).

nathan

5695 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1630
Inactive user

#1421732 5-Nov-2015 15:28

The developers can't or won't revert their change?

Paul1977

5171 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2192

#1421734 5-Nov-2015 15:38

nathan: The developers can't or won't revert their change?

That's the million dollar question.

As it stands the issue has been escalated to their development team in Australia, but based on past experience I'm not hopeful of a speedy resolution so am hoping there might be something I can put in place in the interim at least.

From what I've tried and read it sounds like Exchange 2010 just won't do it (at least not in a single Exchange server environment), but if anyone knows a way I would be extremely grateful.

I think I need some third party software that I can have between the database and Exchange that can modify the headers based on rules, but I'm not having much luck finding anything. Would like it Windows based too.

Paul1977

5171 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2192

#1421756 5-Nov-2015 16:07

Hmmm... might be able to do it with address rewriting in Exchange. I'll update if successful or not.

EDIT: OK, address rewriting not an option as the Exchange is on an SBS 2011, so doesn't have the Edge Transport role.

wasabi2k

2102 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 860

#1421765 5-Nov-2015 16:16

Paul1977:
nathan: The developers can't or won't revert their change?

That's the million dollar question.

As it stands the issue has been escalated to their development team in Australia, but based on past experience I'm not hopeful of a speedy resolution so am hoping there might be something I can put in place in the interim at least.

From what I've tried and read it sounds like Exchange 2010 just won't do it (at least not in a single Exchange server environment), but if anyone knows a way I would be extremely grateful.

I think I need some third party software that I can have between the database and Exchange that can modify the headers based on rules, but I'm not having much luck finding anything. Would like it Windows based too.

Yeah sorry header rewrite stuff is an edge server transport thing.

nathan

5695 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1630
Inactive user

#1421766 5-Nov-2015 16:17

I used to be an exchange expert in the 4.0,5.0,5.5 days but not any more

How does their app connect to exchange. Is it SMTP or MAPI or?

Lego

Shop now for Lego sets and other gifts (affiliate link).

Paul1977

5171 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2192

#1421771 5-Nov-2015 16:19

wasabi2k:

Yeah sorry header rewrite stuff is an edge server transport thing.

Yeah, just realized that :(

Paul1977

5171 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2192

#1421776 5-Nov-2015 16:24

nathan: I used to be an exchange expert in the 4.0,5.0,5.5 days but not any more

How does their app connect to exchange. Is it SMTP or MAPI or?

SMTP. It sends via BLAT which they have incorporated into the application. So Exchange is really just functioning as a relay for the database generated emails.

wasabi2k

2102 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 860

#1421780 5-Nov-2015 16:26

Paul1977:
nathan: I used to be an exchange expert in the 4.0,5.0,5.5 days but not any more

How does their app connect to exchange. Is it SMTP or MAPI or?

SMTP. It sends via BLAT which they have incorporated into the application. So Exchange is really just functioning as a relay for the database generated emails.

And you can't just change the BLAT config?

blat -profile should show how it is configured.

Paul1977

5171 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2192

#1421811 5-Nov-2015 16:33

wasabi2k:
Paul1977:
nathan: I used to be an exchange expert in the 4.0,5.0,5.5 days but not any more

How does their app connect to exchange. Is it SMTP or MAPI or?

SMTP. It sends via BLAT which they have incorporated into the application. So Exchange is really just functioning as a relay for the database generated emails.

And you can't just change the BLAT config?

blat -profile should show how it is configured.

They have implemented it so all the config info is passed to BLAT from the database app, so nothing I can change from the BLAT side. And it is the database rather than BLAT that is rejecting the addresses if I incorporate the friendly name.

1 | 2