Apache SpamAssassin
SPAM = Unsolicited bulk email.
SpamAssassin marks suspicious email as spam as it arrives into your inbox.
If included with your hosting control panel you may find that SpamAssassin has been enabled by default.
If you choose to use it then we recommend you do so in conjunction with Email Filters.
See below how to use with Email Filters.
SpamAssassin Filter Scores
The default filter score is 5.
You can either increase the score or decrease it.
If you increase it, let's say to 7, the filter will identify more mail as spam than before.
If you decrease it, let's say to 3, it will identify less mail as spam.
At the filter score level of 5, spam will continue to arrive in your inbox unless you select the option: AUTO DELETE email marked as spam.
If you want to change the score to any other level you will have to select the option: AUTO DELETE.
See next tab.
About Auto Deletion
If mail is auto deleted you will not be offered the opportunity to review email marked as spam.
For this reason we recommend leaving the Fliter Score at level 5.
And instead reducing the amount of spam arriving in your inbox through creation of an Email Filter.
You will need to create one email filter per email account (or Mail Box).
See next tab.
How to create an Email Filter to handle Spam
SpamAssassin will label mail it identifies as spam as shown here.
When SpamAssassin is enabled you will see such labelled mail in your INBOX.
This can be annoying.
You could change SpamAssassin settings so as to auto-delete identified spam, but if you run a business this could lead to the loss of mail from customers.
So instead you may wish to create an Email Filter.
How to create an Email Filter to handle Spam
First open the Email Filters screen. Then:
- choose a mailbox,
- name the filter: Spam Filter,
- use the drop-downs to set the following rule: Spam Status begins with Yes,
- set the following action: Deliver to Folder,
- select the browse button to choose either the SPAM or JUNK folder,
- select CREATE.
The Deliver to Folder field will then be populated with either:
- /.Spam when you choose SPAM, or
- /.Junk if you chose JUNK.
Repeat for each of your Mail Boxes (or email accounts).
SpamAssassin will henceforth divert all mail identified as spam to a folder in each Mail Box called SPAM.
You can then review the SPAM or JUNK folder at your leisure and either save or delete mail.
Click on the image to view a larger version.
POP3 vs IMAP Protocol
If you use IMAP then you will in future see a folder called SPAM when you review your email account using your device's email client.
If you use POP3 you will only be able to do this when you visit the server to review email as webmail.
Want to change to IMAP?
Please use the link below.
