Summary: Customers using the Alumni Forwarding self-service portal can customize the verification (opt-in) email that destination recipients receive when a forward is added. This article explains what can be customized and lists the available merge variables.
Objective
Show customers how to brand and customize the verification email recipients receive before a forward is activated, and document the merge variables available in the template.
Availability
- This feature is included with the self-service portal feature of Alumni Forwarding.
- Verification email customization can also be enabled on its own, separately from the self-service portal. If you’d like it enabled, contact sales for a customized quote.
What Is the Verification Email?
When a forwarding destination address is added and opt-in is required (see Do We Need to Validate Email Forwards?), the recipient receives an automated verification message asking them to confirm and activate the forward. The recipient must click the activation link to begin receiving forwarded mail. With customization enabled, you can replace the default branding and wording of this message with your own.
What You Can Customize
- Logo / branding — replace the placeholder logo with your organization’s logo.
- Heading and body text — adjust the wording recipients see, while keeping the activation link present so they can complete verification.
Available Merge Variables
Use the following variables in the template. They are automatically replaced with the correct values for each recipient when the verification email is sent:
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
{$email_forwarding_activation_link} | The unique activation link the recipient must click to verify their approval and activate the forward. This must be present in the template. |
{$email_forwarding_source} | The forwarding source address — the address that mail is being forwarded from. |
{$email_forwarding_target} | The forwarding destination address — the recipient’s own address that mail will be forwarded to. |
{$email_forwarding_token_exp} | The expiration date/time of the verification token, formatted as F, jS, Y @ H:i (for example, June, 29th, 2026 @ 14:30). |
{$email_forwarding_token_days} | The number of days before the verification link expires. Use this in your expiry notice so the displayed window always matches the actual token lifetime. |
Notes & Best Practices
- Always keep
{$email_forwarding_activation_link}in the template — without it recipients cannot activate the forward. - If you reference the expiry window in your wording, use
{$email_forwarding_token_days}or{$email_forwarding_token_exp}rather than a hard-coded value so the message stays accurate if the token lifetime changes. - Verification links are time-limited; expired links require re-sending the verification message.