Webmail text expander: shortcuts for Roundcube, Horde and cPanel
If your email runs on your own domain and you open it in your host's webmail, here's what it offers for repeated text and when a text expander suits you better.
Lots of small businesses and freelancers use email on their own domain through their host's webmail: the one you open from cPanel, Plesk or DirectAdmin. It's almost always Roundcube, and on some servers still Horde.
In this guide we compare Roundcube's Responses, Horde's templates and signatures with a webmail text expander like NexoPad. You'll see the steps, the limits of each option and when what you already have is enough.
Short answer
If you only need a few fixed texts and always write from Roundcube, its Responses are enough. They're free, already included and saved in your email account.
If your texts include details that change (a name, an amount, a date) or you want to insert them by typing a few letters instead of opening a menu, a text expander like NexoPad is worth it.
If you also write on other sites (Gmail, Outlook on the web, your help desk), NexoPad lets you use the same shortcuts on all of them. Roundcube Responses only exist inside Roundcube.
Which webmail you have, by control panel
cPanel
The webmail is Roundcube. cPanel removed Horde in version 108 and moved its contacts and calendars to Roundcube. SquirrelMail had already been removed before that.
Plesk
Your host chooses which webmail to install on the server. On Linux, Roundcube is the usual one, and some servers also have Horde.
DirectAdmin
Its documentation says new installations use Roundcube. SquirrelMail is still an option, but the documentation itself calls it outdated.
Horde
Still on some servers. It has compose templates, but they vary with the version your host has installed.
Webmail tools compared with a text expander
| Roundcube Responses | Signatures | NexoPad | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where it works | Only inside Roundcube | In the webmail where you create it | Any website in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera and Brave, including your webmail |
| How you insert it | Responses button > click the response | Added automatically, or by choosing the identity | By typing a shortcut like /quote and a space |
| Variable details | No: the text goes in as is | No | Yes: a form with fields, dropdown lists and a calendar |
| Sharing with your team | Only if the admin sets responses for everyone | No | Shared vault with NexoPad Teams, with departments |
| Price | Included with your hosting | Included with your hosting | Free plan; Pro $7/month or $49/year; Teams $12/user/month |
How to use Roundcube Responses
Create a response in Settings
Go to Settings > Responses and click Create. Type a name that's easy to recognize, paste the text and click Save.
Or create it while you write
In the compose window, click the Responses button in the top bar. From there you can create a new one or edit the ones you have.
Insert it in an email
Put the cursor where you want the text, open Responses and click the one you want. It's added to the message.
With formatting, if your version allows it
Since Roundcube 1.6, responses can be HTML, with bold text, links or small images. If your host runs an older version, they'll be plain text only.
- Use short, clear names, like “Quote” or “Bank details”.
- Responses aren't auto-replies: they only insert text into the email you're writing.
Signatures and identities: the classic workaround
In Roundcube, you set up your signature in Settings > Identities. Each identity has its own name, address and signature, in plain text or HTML. If you create several identities, you can switch signatures while writing by picking another one in the From field.
Some people use identities to store longer texts, like a sign-off with terms or payment details. It works, but it's a hack: the signature always goes at the end and you can't add two at once. For ideas on what to write, see our email signature guide.
Horde has something similar: compose templates and several identities with signatures. Where they are and how they work depends on the version your host runs.
Webmail limits for repeated text
- You insert them with clicks. You open the Responses menu and pick one. There's no shortcut you type in the text.
- They don't ask for details. The text goes in as is. If it includes a name, an amount or a date, you change it by hand in every email, and it's easy to miss one.
- They only work in that webmail. If you switch hosts tomorrow or also reply from Gmail or your help desk, you have to copy and paste.
- Sharing is limited. The server admin can set responses for all users, but nobody can edit them from their account. There's no team library everyone can add to.
- They depend on your host. The Roundcube version, the plugins installed and whether you have Horde are decided by whoever runs the server.
What a text expander adds
A text expander saves your texts with a short shortcut. With NexoPad you type /quote and a space in the body of a Roundcube email and the text appears. No menus to open.
If the text has details that change, NexoPad shows you a form before inserting it: fields for the name or the amount, dropdown lists, a calendar for dates and a preview of the final text. It remembers the values you used recently and warns you if you leave a field empty.
You can make a shortcut work only on your webmail's site, or everywhere. If you can't remember a shortcut, type // in any text field to search for it, or press Ctrl+K. And the same shortcuts work in Gmail, Outlook on the web or your help desk.
If your texts are already somewhere else, you import them from the web dashboard: NexoPad supports 15 sources, including a CSV file. For teams, NexoPad Teams shares shortcuts by department. And the same extension keeps your notes and links. More details in the text shortcuts guide and the import guide.
Example texts for your webmail
Quote · /quote
Hi {{input:Name}}, here's the quote for {{input:Project}}: {{input:Amount}}, taxes included. This offer is valid for {{dropdown:Validity|15 days|30 days|60 days}}. If you have any questions, just reply to this email.
Acknowledgment · /received
Hi {{input:Name}}, I've received your message. I'll look into it and get back to you by {{date:+3_days}}. Thanks for writing.
Payment details · /payment
Hi {{input:Name}}, you can pay invoice {{input:Invoice number}} by bank transfer. Once you do, please send me the receipt at this address. Thanks!
Follow-up · /followup
Hi {{input:Name}}, did you get a chance to look at what I sent? If it suits you, let's talk in the {{dropdown:Time|morning|afternoon}}. Best regards.
If you also write in other email apps
If you use Gmail, see our comparison of Gmail templates vs text expander. If you work with Outlook, read Outlook Quick Parts vs text expander. New to all this? Start with what is a text expander or compare options in the best text expanders.
When to choose each one
Use Roundcube Responses if…
You have a few fixed texts that hardly ever change and always write from Roundcube.
Use the signature if…
You only want your contact details at the end of each email. Set it up in Identities and forget about it.
Use NexoPad if…
Your texts include details that change, you want to insert them with a shortcut, you also write on other sites or you want to share them with your team.
FAQ
Where are canned responses in Roundcube?
In Settings > Responses. Also in the Responses button in the compose window, where you can insert, create and edit them.
Does cPanel webmail still have Horde?
No. cPanel removed Horde in version 108 and moved its contacts and calendars to Roundcube, which is now its webmail.
Do Roundcube Responses support variables?
No. They insert the text exactly as you saved it. If it includes a name or an amount, you change it by hand in every email.
Does NexoPad work inside Roundcube?
Yes. It works in Roundcube's editor like on any other website. You can limit your shortcuts to your webmail's domain. It doesn't work in desktop apps like Thunderbird.
How much does NexoPad cost?
The free plan includes 15 shortcuts and 200 uses a month. Pro costs $7/month or $49/year. Teams costs $12 per user per month, or $8 a month billed yearly, for teams of 3 to 25 people.
Published on October 21, 20267 min read
Communication: ready-to-use templates
Copy them or add them to NexoPad and type them with a shortcut.
- Out-of-office auto-reply
/ooo - Ask for a meeting
/meeting - Meeting follow-up
/recap - Reschedule a meeting
/reschedule
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