A Listserv is a method of communicating with a group of people via email. It is a piece of software used to run a group email discussion list. In a Listserv, everyone emails the same email address, which then distributes the messages to each person within the list. It is a tool used to keep in touch with a large group of people. People join a Listserv because they share a common interest, such as a hobby, recreational pursuit, educational, work-related, health-related, or just members of a big family staying in touch. Listservs are known by many other names, such as electronic mailing lists, email discussion groups, private discussion forums, mail groups, online discussion groups, discussion boards, or message boards.

LISTSERV is a registered trademark owned by L-Soft International, Inc., which coined the term after building one of the first and most popular electronic mailing list programs. While the software is still in use, many people refer to any type of list management as a Listserv.

The mechanics of a Listserv are quite simple. You have a group email address and a bunch of people who are members of that group. Whenever one of those members sends an email to the group address, that message is then sent to all the other members of the group. Listservs are a very easy way to facilitate group discussion, and they are a tool used to keep in touch with a large group of people.

LISTSERV is available in several licensing options, including LISTSERV Lite Free Edition for non-commercial hobby use, LISTSERV Lite for smaller workloads, LISTSERV, the standard, full-featured version, LISTSERV HPO (High Performance Option), and LISTSERV Maestro (for customized and targeted email publishing and reporting).