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Filtering mail for 'spam'
| How we check and mark possible spam |
To resolve the wide problem of spam, incoming mail at our servers is checked with a spam filter.
The spam filter checks the message for a large number of features characteristic for spam, and whether the sender is included in the blacklists of notorious spammers. Each single test contributes to a total score for the message.
- If the spam score exceeds the limit of 10.0, the message is deleted.
There is hardly any chance that false positives will be amongst such messages.
- If the spam score is between 5.0 and 10.0, the message will be marked as possible spam.
There may be false positives between these messages. The choice to remove this possible spam from your new mail and to delete it - after or without being read - is up to you!
Marking of a message as possible spam is done in two ways:
- The subject line of the messages gets the addition: **might-be-SPAM**.
- The headers of the messages get an extra line: X-Spam-Status: Yes.
The reason why or why not the message has been marked as spam is included in the headers of all messages. Further information about this subject is included at the bottom of this page.
| Filtering spam in your mail programme |
By defining a filter in your mail programme, you can regulate that messages marked as possible spam no longer enter your new mail folder or inbox.
The filter automatically moves the messages to another folder, specially created for this purpose.
- The filter rule shall be set for the expression X-Spam-Status: Yes in the headers of the message.
- Outlook Express doesn't have the possibility of creating filter rules for headers. In this programme, the filter rule shall be set for the expression **might-be-SPAM** in the subject-line of the message.
Step-by-step instructions for the most commonly used programmes can be found in the right column of this page. Setting up a mail filter doesn't take more than 2 minutes!
- Additional information about the spam-status description included in the headers of messages
For viewing the full headers of messages see the explanation about this subject at Viewing mail headers.
When viewing the headers, you will see the following:
or
In the first example, the message got a total score (hits) of 3.6 while a total score of 5.0 is required. Therefore, the message isn't marked as SPAM.
In the second example, the message got a total score of 9.0 and is therefore marked as SPAM.
In both cases, the list of tests contributing to the total score is shown.
- Additional information about our anti-spam policy
Our pronounced opinion about anti-spam measures is elaborated at http://www.suares.com/spam
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Step-by-step instructions for setting up mail filters: |
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