If you're new to mail templates, please read How do I customize the messages LISTSERV sends to my subscribers? first.

The following deals specificially with the mail templates used to store a 'header' (TOP_BANNER) or 'footer' (BOTTOM_BANNER) that will be included in all messages to your list. These banners are often used to provide information on posting, signing off, and contacting the list manager.

• BOTTOM and TOP banners work identically, except where they're placed in the message.
• There are no BOTTOM_BANNER and TOP_BANNER sections in the default MAILTPL (because these are not used for a list unless the owner wants them). So, unless you already have a listname.mailtpl because you've customized other sections, you can just create the listname.mailtpl without getting the default.mailtpl: see How do I customize the messages LISTSERV sends to my subscribers?.
• Here is a sample bottom banner mailtpl file ready to send to Listerv:

  PUT yourlistname.MAILTPL PW=yourlistservpassword
  >>> BOTTOM_BANNER
  ------------------------------------------------------------
  ... whatever text you want to include ....
  

  Replace BOTTOM_BANNER above by TOP_BANNER if you'd rather have the text at the top of each message.
• If you want to include a clickable link in your banner, use the .asis flag, as in this example:

  >>> BOTTOM_BANNER
  ------------------------------------------------------------
  sample@listserv.uga.edu - A forum for ................
  To leave this list, click on the following web link:
  .asis http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=sample&A=1
  Type your email address and name in the appropriate box and
  click leave the list.
  -----------------------------------------------------------------
  This FAQ prepared by a list owner shows some interesting uses of banners:
  http://www.panix.com/~donwiss/listowner/banners.txt