Opting Out with #nomxhero

You can let your users send a single message without attachment protection by adding #nomxhero to the subject line. This is useful when a recipient needs real attachments, for example a billing system that reads invoices from email, or a partner who can't open cloud links. This page explains how to allow it, what it skips, and what it doesn't.

What #nomxhero does

When a sender puts #nomxhero in the subject of a message:

• Protect Attachments, Secure Emails and Zip Attachments rules that allow the opt-out don't run for that message. The recipient gets the original attachments.
• Once one of these rules is skipped, all later Protect Attachments, Secure Emails and Zip Attachments rules are skipped for that message too.
• mxHERO removes #nomxhero from the subject before delivery, so recipients don't see it.

#nofusion works the same way, for compatibility with older setups.

It does not affect:

Before you begin

• The sender must be a managed account, an account of your organization in Settings › Accounts and Groups. A hashtag from anyone else is ignored. See Accounts and Directory.
• Decide which rules may be skipped. Allow the opt-out only where sending real attachments is acceptable.

Allow the opt-out in a rule

The opt-out is off until you turn it on, rule by rule.

1. Open Rules › Rules List and click Edit on a Protect Attachments or Secure Emails rule, or create a new rule.

2. Click Add Filters under the Target step. The Target Filters panel opens.

3. Turn on Cancel on short code. Its description reads "Do not execute this rule when a short code #NOMXHERO is used in the subject. Only managed accounts can use this option."

   

4. Click Save Rule.

The change applies within about 1 to 2 minutes.

Cancel on short code can't be combined with Trigger on short code in the same rule: a rule that runs only when users add a hashtag doesn't need an opt-out. See Filters and Exclusions.

How senders use it

1. Write the message as usual and attach the files.
2. Add #nomxhero anywhere in the subject, separated from other words by spaces. For example: Invoice 1043 #nomxhero.
3. Send.

Upper or lower case doesn't matter: #NOMXHERO and #nomxhero both work. The hashtag must stand alone: Invoice#nomxhero doesn't work.

Tell users when they may use it and when they must not. See Planning End User Communications.

Warning: With the opt-out allowed, any managed sender can send original attachments to any recipient by adding the hashtag. Don't allow it on rules that enforce a compliance or data-loss policy. For recipients that always need real attachments, use an exclusion in the rule instead. That way, the decision stays with the administrator.

Alternatives

See Filters and Exclusions.

Verify

1. From a managed account, send a test message with an attachment and #nomxhero in the subject to a recipient the rule covers.
2. Check that the recipient got the original attachment and that the subject no longer contains #nomxhero.
3. In Reports › Email Flow Logs, open the message. The rule shows as not applied with the reason rule_shortcode_avoid_processing. See Email Flow Logs.

Troubleshooting

Related pages

• Filters and Exclusions
• Planning End User Communications
• Protect Attachments
• Secure Email
• Password-Protected Emails