Auto Reply Emails Not Using SMTP Relay – Goes to Spam (Debian 12 + HestiaCP)

Community Support Mail
1

I have installed HestiaCP on a Debian 12 VPS and configured an external SMTP relay. Normal emails are working fine through the relay.

But Auto Reply (Vacation) emails are not sent through the relay. They are sent directly from the server IP.

Because of this, those emails go to the recipient’s spam folder.

SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are correctly set up and passing, so DNS is not the issue.

How can I force auto reply emails to also go through the relay?

Thanks.

2

Try modifying /etc/exime/exim4.conf.template, in routers section modify domains directive in send_via_unauthenticated_smtp_relay and send_via_smtp_relay

By default it is domains = !+local_domains so change it to domains = * and restart exim4.

Complete example.

Before:

send_via_unauthenticated_smtp_relay:
  driver = manualroute
  address_data = SMTP_RELAY_HOST:SMTP_RELAY_PORT
  domains = !+local_domains
  require_files = SMTP_RELAY_FILE
  condition = ${if eq{SMTP_RELAY_USER}{}}
  transport = remote_smtp
  route_list = * ${extract{1}{:}{$address_data}}::${extract{2}{:}{$address_data}}
  no_more
  no_verify

send_via_smtp_relay:
  driver = manualroute
  address_data = SMTP_RELAY_HOST:SMTP_RELAY_PORT
  domains = !+local_domains
  require_files = SMTP_RELAY_FILE
  transport = smtp_relay_smtp
  route_list = * ${extract{1}{:}{$address_data}}::${extract{2}{:}{$address_data}}
  no_more
  no_verify

After:

send_via_unauthenticated_smtp_relay:
  driver = manualroute
  address_data = SMTP_RELAY_HOST:SMTP_RELAY_PORT
  domains = *
  require_files = SMTP_RELAY_FILE
  condition = ${if eq{SMTP_RELAY_USER}{}}
  transport = remote_smtp
  route_list = * ${extract{1}{:}{$address_data}}::${extract{2}{:}{$address_data}}
  no_more
  no_verify

send_via_smtp_relay:
  driver = manualroute
  address_data = SMTP_RELAY_HOST:SMTP_RELAY_PORT
  domains = *
  require_files = SMTP_RELAY_FILE
  transport = smtp_relay_smtp
  route_list = * ${extract{1}{:}{$address_data}}::${extract{2}{:}{$address_data}}
  no_more
  no_verify

I didn’t test it so you should test whether you can send, receive, autoreply, etc. correctly using this change.

1 Like
3

Thanks for the suggestion.

I changed the domains value to * as you mentioned and restarted Exim, but auto reply emails are still not going through the SMTP relay. They are still being sent directly from the server IP.

Normal emails are working fine through the relay.

If there’s anything else I should try, please let me know. Thanks again!

1 Like
4

Sorry, I thought that would work. I don’t have any more ideas to solve it but if I think of anything else, I’ll let you know.

1 Like
5

No worries at all, I really appreciate you taking the time to help. If you do come across anything else, please let me know. Thanks again!

1 Like