by Kelly McElligott on Sep 8, 2020
Koha has the ability to send a Welcome Email to your newly created patrons. This email is generated to your patrons if the system preference, AutoEmailOpacUser, is set to Send.
Note: This system preference was renamed AutoEmailNewUser in 22.05.
Customizing the Welcome Email
The default Welcome Email that Koha will send can be found under the Tools Module within the Notices and Slips. This email is called ACCTDETAILS. Since this is just a default notice, most libraries will want to change this email to fit the libraries' needs.
The welcome email (ACCTDETAILS) can be used in so many different ways, but essentially it is a great way to send your patron information about how to find the library’s catalog, logging into the OPAC, and other library information.
Sending the Email
Koha will send this Welcome Email (ACCTDETAILS) to your newly created patrons when a patron has been created through the staff interface. The patron must be created with the following three fields to ensure successful delivery of the email:
UserID
Password
If all these fields are not entered before the patron has been saved the first time, the email will not generate.
NOTE:
If your library does not set up a password for your patron - the email will not send.
For security reasons, this email will not appear in your patron’s notice tab in Koha. By default, the password that is created for the patron at the time of creation will appear in the notice and this should not be seen by others.
NOTE:
This does not email patrons who register for an account through the OPAC.
Passwords
There are great system preferences within Koha that if enabled can allow your patrons to change their password or reset their password.
Patron Imports
Currently, this welcome email will not send when patrons are created by a patron import. However, there are other ways that an email can be sent through Koha for your patrons that you are importing, see this blog post:
Monday Minutes: Emailing Customized Patron Notices
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