How can I know if an email has been delivered?

[simplyroberto]

Hello there,

Is there a way to automatically determine if an email sent with the mail() function has been successfully delivered?
Members of my website can send emails to each others. When an email bounces, I remove the recipient email address from the database. The problem is that I have to do this manually by checking all the bounces. Is there a way to automatically determine if an email has been successfully delivered? If there is, I could automatically delete from the database all recipients who are no longer able to accept emails.

Can anybody help?

Many thanks,
Roberto

[Alexei Kubarev]

well..you will need a php script to access your mailbox and check the bounces.. alternativly there might be a script that already does that, so you only need to search for it... use google and may be hotscript.com might help

[simplyroberto]

Thanks Alexei,

Thanks for your suggestion. I actually thought about that solution, but I was hoping there was a neater way of doing it. But I suppose checking the bounces it's the only way...

Ta ta,
Roberto

[WiZARD]

I think what you have a 2 variant:
1 put the form in mail whare you just make a request about readed mail.
2 do you know how people generate a images via php? same you a create a counter for images any and when mail opened in mail have a vimk on the image http://www.mysite.com/images/counterimage.php.

But in both solution have one problem user may configure mail as do not get mail as HTML. I this situation you are no not have a varian to get some info from user.

The best variant: you are registered user in our forum. do you remember how you do it? Yes, you submmited a registration using a link. )
Good luck.

P.S. This is not a code, It's just a logical propose.

[gesf]

Well, maybe i am being a bit stupid, but if we're talking about HTML emails.... can't we put a little JS (XmlHttpRequest) script to automaticaly(body onload event) call a server side script to make that validation...1?

I think it can be a solution... at least in last case.

[simplyroberto]

Gesf,

Could you give me an example? Would actually all mail programs perform a body onload event? I believe some mail programs disable JS and I suppose emails are more likely to be marked as spam. Also I believe that would work only when the user actually opens the email, is that right?

Regards,
Roberto

[Alexei Kubarev]

gesf: this is NOT foolproof at all... dont forget that most clients do not allow JS..
Especially when it comes to some security obsessed ffreaks like me and almost everyone i know