UNC-CH Webmail: Introduction
What is UNC-CH Webmail?
UNC-CH Webmail is a web-based email client provided and maintained by Information Technology Services (ITS). You can use Webmail to access your UNC email account on the central campus email server. Webmail is a supplement to, not a replacement for, your desktop email client (e.g. Mulberry, Outlook, Thunderbird). Webmail should be used in situations where you do not have access to your usual desktop email program - when traveling or using computer labs, for example.
Preparing your Browser
UNC-CH Webmail utilizes current World Wide Web standards and therefore requires a "modern" web browser, such as Firefox, Internet Explorer 8, Mozilla or Safari, in order to be fully functional (Firefox and Internet Explorer 8 are recommended by ITS).
Your web browser must be Javascript-enabled and must accept cookies in order to use the Webmail client. Also, if you use a pop-up blocker, you should make sure it allows pop-ups from Webmail in order to utilize all of its features.
Logging In
To access UNC-CH Webmail, open up a web browser and type the following address into the location or address bar: http://webmail.unc.edu. At the login page, enter your Onyen and password and click the Login button.
What If I Don't Have an Onyen?
If you do not have an Onyen, you can create one by going to http://onyen.unc.edu and clicking on the Create an Onyen button. For more information on the Onyen creation process, see the Creating an Onyen document.
Identifying Yourself
Before sending email using Webmail, you should set up your identity information so that messages sent out have your name in the From field of the message. To do so, click the Personal Settings link at the top of the screen. On the next screen, click on the Identities tab to edit your name (as it will appear to your email recipients), your signature file, and your Reply-To email address, if you want replies to go an email address different than onyen@email.unc.edu. To save the changes, click the Save button.
Introduction to the Interface
There are four primary sections to the interface of Webmail:
1. The top section features icons and links to message composition and manipulation as well as personal options and settings.
2. The leftmost, vertical section is a hierarchical listing of your mail folders.
3. Messages pane: The middle section is an individual listing of messages in the selected mail folder that can be sorted by Sender, Subject, Date, and message Size. A single click on the column heading will toggle sorting between ascending and descending order.
4. Preview pane: The bottom section displays a message that has been selected by a single click. A double-click of a message will open it into its own window.
Finding Your Way Around Your Inbox
Navigating
Your web browser screen will display only a limited number of messages at one time. In the lower right-hand corner of the screen, below the message preview pane, information regarding the portion of your messages that are currently being displayed can be found. The default number of message displayed in Webmail is 40 per page. To navigate to other unseen messages in the Inbox, use the arrows to the left and right of the text that identifies the group of messages that are currently being viewed:
Click the single right or left arrow to move one group at a time, and the arrow-line icons to move to the very first group (left) or very last group (right) of your messages.
Reading Messages
To read a message, simply click on the message to view it in the preview pane, or double-click the message to view it in a separate window. If you no longer want to keep the message, click on the Delete link to delete it from your Inbox. To move the message to another folder, click and drag the message(s) to the destination folder in the Folders section. This ‘drag and drop’ functionality may be used when moving singular or multiple messages within Webmail.
Attachments
If there is an attachment included in the message you're reading, it will be listed in the section of the message just below the headers. Attachments are indicated by a paperclip icon in the section below the message headers as well as to the right of the message size in the messages pane. Click on the attached file’s name to download it to your computer.
To attach a file to a message, click the paperclip icon or click the + button under the Attachments section of the message composition window. Choose the file you would like to attach from your computer, and click the Upload button to complete your attachment. To remove an attachment from an email you are composing, click the red icon to the left of the attachment.
1.
2.
3.
Printing Messages
To print a message, click the message to select it and then click the Printer icon (labeled Print this message). The message will open in a new window, in a printer-friendly format, and a print dialog box will open for printing.
Reading Messages in Other Folders
To access other email folders that you have previously created, select them by name in the hierarchical folder list on the left side of the screen. Clicking on the folder name displays its contents in the messages pane to the right of the folder list.
Creating and Using Folders
To create, rename and/or delete email folders, as well as manage folder permissions, select Personal Settings and then the Folders tab.
Options to rename 
, delete 
and manage permissions 
are on the right side of the listing of folders with individual icons for each action.
To ensure that you are able to view all of your folders, view the checkboxes under the Subscribed heading. The folders you wish to see should be selected with a check mark. Any folder that is not checked will not be visible in your folder list when you log into webmail or another mail client that is synced with your UNC email account.
Moving Messages to Folders
As mentioned earlier, to move the message to another folder, click and drag the message(s) to the destination folder in the Folders section. This ‘drag and drop’ functionality may be used when moving singular or multiple messages within Webmail.
Sending Messages
To draft a new message, click on the Create a new message icon and link above the messages pane, and a new message composition window will open. (Note: it is advised that you check and set your Identity Preferences according to how you wish to identify yourself before sending any mail. This process is described in the Identifying Yourself section above.)
Composing Messages
To send any email message you mush first address the message to a recipient. The To field sends a message to the recipient whose email address you type into the field. For multiple recipients, separate the addresses in the list with a comma. The Cc field sends a carbon copy of the message to another recipient. Bcc sends a blind carbon copy--that is, upon receiving your message, each recipient in the To and CC fields will not see the addresses that were Bcc'ed as additional recipients. Next, enter a subject for your message in the Subject line so that your recipient will know what your message is about. In the white text box, located in the bottom half of the screen, you can then type the message you'd like to send. Note that if you have a signature file saved in Webmail, your signature will be already displayed in the text box. To send your message, click on the Send now link below the text of the email. If you decide you no longer want to send the message, click on the Cancel link.
Find-as-you-type Address Expansion
Based on how you have your address book configured (more on that in the Configuring Address Books section below), you may be able to take advantage of address expansion (auto-fill) when composing email messages. To use this feature, begin entering a name or address in the To, Cc, or Bcc field. Webmail will begin searching for a matching unique entry in your address book(s).
Webmail will display a drop-down list of all names and addresses that match the information you entered. Click on the address of the contact you wish to use.
Keeping a Copy of Sent Messages
Webmail will automatically save each message that you send to your ‘sent-mail’ folder. You may designate another folder to store sent messages by navigating to Webmail’s Personal Settings. Choose the Preferences tab and then scroll to the Special Folders section to select another folder to store your sent mail.
You can also choose to save a copy in a folder you select from the ‘Save sent message in’ drop down menu at the top of the Compose a Message window. Choosing a folder here only affects the action for that particular message, and will not change any settings in your Preferences.
Address Books
To view your address book and address book options, click Address Book in the upper right corner of your screen. Notice that the UNC Campus Directory is listed here by default in addition to your personal address book, which is labeled myWebmail Directory.
Replying to Messages
To send a response to the sender of a message, click the Reply link and a new window will open for the reply composition. Webmail will automatically insert the sender's name in the To line of the message and will include the original subject line and email text. When you are finished composing your reply click the Send Now button.
Forwarding Messages
The Forward link sends a copy of your message to a person who was not on the original list of recipients. Again, choosing this command will open a new composition window, in which you can add additional text to the message if you choose to do so. Note that it is proper etiquette to obtain the permission of the message's author before forwarding the message on to others.
Deleting Messages
To mark a message for deletion from your Inbox view and send it to the Trash folder, select the message and click on the Delete icon and link above the messages pane.
To permanently delete all the messages in the Trash, select the Trash folder and then click the Empty link below the folder column.
If you decide to keep a message after marking it for deletion, drag the message from the trash to your inbox or another folder.
If you use another email client primarily, you may see messages that have been marked for deletion, but not yet permanently erased. These messages will appear in webmail in light gray text with a gray ‘delete’ icon to the left of the sender’s name.
To clear out, or Expunge, these message that have been marked for deletion, click the Compact link below the folder column.
Logging Out
When you are finished with your Webmail session, click the Logout link to log off. For maximum safety, close out of the browser window completely.
Need More Help?
If you have questions or encounter problems, please contact the ITS Service desk at 919-962-HELP (962-4357) or 1-866-962-4457 (US and Puerto Rico), or submit a help request at http://help.unc.edu for assistance.
Document Overview
Tags: UNC Webmail , Webmail , emailSubjects: Email , Webmail
Audience: UNC-CH Campus
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.
