A simple HTML editing tool is provided under the Bulk Email System to facilitate sending of HTML messages. Optionally, the submitters can prepare a separate web page and add its URL for sending an HTML email via the Bulk Email System.
Here is a step-by-step instruction on how to submit bulk email in HTML format:
- Login HKU Portal.
- Type “bulk email” in the Search field and click the link “Bulk Email (Submit Request)”.
- Select “Send Bulk Email” and click the “Submit” button. You can start composing your bulk email.
Below tabulates the size and character limits:
Item | Limit |
Character limit for email subject | 400 Characters including space |
Character limit for email content | 20000 Characters including space |
Size limit for image to be inserted into a bulk email | 600KB each |
A. On the first page of the form...
- Input the information of the contact person, type of bulk email, email subject and select groups of recipients.
- Click “HTML & Plain Text” button to submit a bulk email in HTML format, as highlighted in red below.
B. On the second page of the form...
- Read the instruction carefully and compose your message body in HTML format inside the text area, as indicated in the image below.There are formatting tools on the toolbar of the text area (as highlighted in green below). You can format your paragraph and change the font style using these tools. You can also insert images into your message. Please add alt-text for all inserted images for ease of reading by readers with visual impairment.If you don’t want to compose the message from ground up, you can compose it using existing web page on your department web servers. It is simple by entering the URL of the web page (e.g. https://its.hku.hk/news/) and clicking the “Import” button (as highlighted in red below).
Points to note: Email in HTML format does not support certain formats in a regular web page. For example, background image, Cascade Style Sheet and Javascript are not supported. You will have to preview your email before confirming submission. Please examine the preview carefully, including all hyperlinks and images being used. You will also receive a sample of the email after the submission. If any amendment is necessary, you can remove the bulk email and submit another one by using Bulk Email Submission System.
If you need to insert image in your bulk mail content without campus network, please connect to HKUVPN first. - Compose your message in plain text format inside the text area, as shown below.In this text area, you can provide a complete message in plain text format. Or, if your message is already posted on a web page, you can alternatively provide an URL and ask recipients to read it. For example, you can write:
"This message is in a format that is not supported by your email program. To read this message, please refer to https://www.its.hku.hk/its-news"
Points to note: To read bulk email in HTML format, recipients require email reading program that support this format. Bulk email in HTML format follows web standards and therefore recipients using popular email reading programs, like MyEmail in HKU Portal and Microsoft Outlook, will find no problem in reading the bulk email. To cater for the need of recipients that cannot read email in HTML format, you must provide the email in plain text format. Email in both formats are embedded into one bulk email and email reading program displays either one of them.
C. On the final pages of the form...
- Click “Preview” button and examine the preview of your bulk email carefully.
- Click “Confirm” button to submit the bulk email.
- Examine the sample of the bulk email. Remove it from the Bulk Email Submission System if amendment is necessary.