MailStart Template Program Details and Instructions

The enclosed details and documentation are for the MailStart Template Program.  The MailStart Template program provides you with all the features of MailStart, with the benefit of using your own logo and color scheme for generating response pages. If you have an issue that is not outlined in this document please use our contact form to reach the Template Administrator.

Quick Start Guide

You can have a branded version of MailStart set up and deployed in as little as 15 minutes, here is how easy it is:

1. Sign up for the MailStart Template program at http://template.mailstart.com
2. Log into your administration section at http://template.mailstart.com/login.asp
3. Configure your Template Settings
4. Create and upload logos of 111X100 and 240X88 for your branded service. 
5. Set up a Check Mail form on one of your pages so users can check their mail with your Branded Service.

You may also create new buttons for your service, add a link on your site for users to just send mail with your branded templates and create links to the various static MailStart pages on the MailStart site using your layouts.

General Program Features

The MailStart Template program includes the following features:

• All the email services available on the MailStart service (http://mailstart.com).
• 100% compatibility with all open POP3 servers.
• Users only need their email address and password, MailStart will find their server!
• Strong, TRUSTe certified, privacy policy to protect user personal information.
• Branding opportunities in the following area:
  1. Main Header (this is where your logo goes)
  2. Header button graphics
  3. Mailbox and Read Mail Toolbar graphics
  4. Table border colors, font colors and background colors
  5. Hyperlink colors (vlink, alink, link)
  6. Text font color
  7. Page background colors
  8. Up to 3 font faces
  9. Configure the return link of your logo to go to any active internet location

Minimum Image Requirements

At the very least you need to supply us with the following images.  These images should all be logos and/or banners directly related to your site and/or related to the web based email service being offered.  All these images can be in either GIF or JPG format.  Animation is up to you, but is supported. 

General Template Modification Sections

Each brandable section of MailStart has different types of modification options, some areas are much richer than others.  Below is a detailed explanation of the different branding opportunities available in each brandable area of your Templates.

Linking to static MailStart Pages with your layouts

MailStart has many help pages which you can link to that will provide your users with general help.  The following pages are available for you to link to.  The only thing to keep in mind is it will be necessary for you to tell the page, who you are. 

Use the table below as a reference to the layout aware static pages, an example on linking to the problems page is provided at the end of the table.

Linking example

Creating a link to the static pages is very easy, it only requires you to use one of the links in the table, and attach a name/value pair (lang=USERNAME) to the end of the page extension .asp.  For example if my username is test, then I would link to the problems page in the following way:

http://mailstart.com/problems.asp?lang=test

This works for all pages EXCEPT the privacy page, which must remain under the MailStart Template umbrella due to our TRUSTe affiliation.

Sample Login Form

Once your service is set up you will want to provide your users with a form to log onto the service.  Below is a generic log-on form.  You may use this sample form, but all that is truly required are the HTML fields outlined in bold.

The hidden field with the NAME lang should have the value set to YOUR username.

HTML For the above form

Please be sure to update the value "USERNAME" with your username!

<form action="http://gate.mailstart.com/scripts/checkmail.dll" method="post">
<input type="hidden" name="popserver" value>
<input type="hidden" name="lang" value="USERNAME">
<input type="hidden" name="firsttime" value="111">
<table border="1" width="440" cellpadding="2" bordercolor="#000000">
  <tr bgcolor="#336699">
    <td align="center" width="441" height="30">
      <b><font face="arial, helvetica" size="-1" color="#FFFFFF"> Check your Email</font></b>
    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr bgcolor="#C0C0C0">
    <td width="444" valign="top" align="left">  
<font face="Arial,Helvetica,Verdana" size="2"><b>Email Address:</b>
<input type="text" size="20" name="popacct"> <b>format user@domain.com</b></font>
<br>
<font face="Arial,Helvetica,Verdana" size="2">
<b>Email Password:</b></font><input type="password" size="20" name="poppass">
<input type="submit" value="Login" name="login">
    </td>
  </tr>
</table>
</form>

Adding a link to a blank sendmail form

It is possible to add a link on your site that provide your users with a branded send mail page.  This will provide your users with the abilty to send email without first checking their existing email.  This is excellent for users who find themselves online, but perhaps do not have an email address.   The link to MailStart that will render a branded Send Mail page is formatted as follows:

http://cgi.mailstart.com/scripts/link.dll/ms.clsmain.aa?ac=blankmail&lang=USERNAME

The most important portion of this hyperlink is the inclusion of the lang=USERNAME variable.  This will tell MailStart to create the send mail page using your templates.