Spam filters automatically identify and sort unsolicited email to keep your inbox clean. OBHost provides spam filtering powered by Apache SpamAssassin, which scans incoming messages and assigns spam scores to determine if they're legitimate or junk mail. You can adjust sensitivity, configure whitelists and blacklists, and choose how to handle suspected spam.
What Are Spam Filters and How Do They Work?
Spam filters are automated tools that examine every incoming email message for characteristics commonly found in unsolicited or unwanted mail. The system analyzes factors like sender reputation, message content, links, attachments, and formatting patterns. Each message receives a calculated spam score, and messages scoring above your threshold are flagged or moved to a separate folder.
Apache SpamAssassin technology evaluates hundreds of rules and tests against each email. Lower scores indicate legitimate mail, while higher scores suggest spam. You control what happens to flagged messages by configuring your spam filter settings through your control panel.
Enabling Spam Filter Processing
To activate spam detection for your email accounts, you need to enable the spam filter feature first. This setting tells the system to process all incoming messages and calculate spam scores.
Toggle the Process New Emails and Mark them as Spam option to enabled. Once activated, Apache SpamAssassin examines every message for spam characteristics. Both the Spam Box and Auto-Delete features require that you enable this setting first.
Important: Some hosting configurations may enforce spam filtering at the server level. If your provider has enabled global spam filtering, you may not be able to disable this feature for your account.
Setting Your Spam Threshold Score
The spam threshold score determines how aggressive your filtering is. Messages scoring at or above this number are marked as spam.
A lower threshold (such as 1 or 2) is aggressive and catches more spam but may also flag legitimate messages as false positives. A higher threshold (such as 8 or 10) is more passive and only flags obvious spam, but may let some unwanted mail through.
Most users find a threshold between 5 and 7 provides the best balance. To adjust your spam threshold:
- Click Spam Threshold Score to access the adjustment interface
- Select a preset value from the dropdown menu, or choose Custom to enter your own number
- Click Update Scoring Options to save your changes
Monitor your spam folder regularly after changing this setting to ensure legitimate mail isn't being filtered incorrectly.
Using the Spam Box Feature
The Spam Box automatically moves suspected spam messages to a separate folder instead of your inbox. This approach is safer than deleting spam automatically because you can review flagged messages before permanently removing them.
Enable the Move New Spam to a Separate Folder toggle to activate this feature. The system will create a spam folder the first time you receive a message that exceeds your threshold score. All future spam gets delivered to this folder instead of your main inbox.
You should check your spam folder periodically for legitimate messages that were incorrectly classified. Also remember to empty this folder regularly, as messages stored there count toward your email storage quota.
Managing Your Spam Folder
Access your spam folder through your email client or webmail interface. Review messages to identify any false positives, then either move legitimate mail back to your inbox or delete unwanted messages. Most email clients let you select multiple messages at once for batch deletion.
Consider setting up an automatic cleanup schedule if your email client supports it, deleting spam older than 30 days to prevent the folder from consuming too much storage space.
Automatically Deleting Spam
If you prefer not to review spam manually, you can configure the system to automatically delete messages that score above your threshold. This option permanently removes suspected spam without storing it.
Warning: Auto-delete is riskier than using a spam folder because falsely flagged legitimate messages are permanently lost. Only use this option if you're confident in your threshold settings or if storage space is extremely limited.
Enable the Automatically Delete New Spam toggle to activate this feature. Messages scoring above your threshold will be discarded immediately upon receipt.
Whitelists and Blacklists
Whitelists and blacklists give you direct control over specific senders, overriding the automatic spam scoring system.
Whitelist (Always Allow)
Add email addresses or domains to your whitelist to ensure messages from those senders always reach your inbox, regardless of their spam score. This is useful for newsletters, automated notifications, or contacts whose messages are frequently misclassified as spam.
Common whitelist entries include business partners, subscription services, automated systems, and mailing lists you've intentionally joined.
Blacklist (Never Allow)
Add email addresses or domains to your blacklist to automatically reject or discard all messages from those senders. This is effective for blocking persistent spam sources or unwanted contacts.
Be cautious when blacklisting entire domains, as this blocks all users from that domain, not just the specific sender bothering you.
Avoiding Conflicts with Other Email Features
If you use BoxTrapper (a challenge-response system for email verification), you may experience conflicts when running it simultaneously with Apache SpamAssassin. These two systems can interfere with each other's operation, potentially causing delivery issues or false positives.
If you need both features, contact OBHost support to discuss the best configuration for your specific needs. In most cases, spam filtering alone provides adequate protection without the additional complexity of challenge-response systems.
Best Practices for Spam Filtering
Follow these recommendations to get the best results from your spam filters:
- Start with a moderate threshold (5-7) and adjust based on results
- Use the Spam Box feature rather than auto-delete until you're confident in your settings
- Check your spam folder weekly for false positives
- Add frequently contacted addresses to your whitelist
- Never respond to spam messages, as this confirms your address is active
- Report persistent spam sources to your email provider
- Keep your email address private and avoid posting it publicly online
- Use different email addresses for different purposes (personal, shopping, newsletters)
Frequently Asked Questions
What spam threshold score should I use?
Most users find a threshold between 5 and 7 works best. Start at 5 and increase it if you notice too many legitimate messages being flagged as spam. Lower the threshold if too much spam reaches your inbox. Monitor your results for a few weeks and adjust accordingly.
Why are legitimate emails going to my spam folder?
False positives happen when legitimate mail shares characteristics with spam. Common causes include messages with many links, promotional language, HTML-heavy formatting, or senders with poor email reputation. Add trusted senders to your whitelist to prevent their messages from being filtered.
Can I use spam filters with multiple email accounts?
Yes, spam filter settings can be configured separately for each email account associated with your hosting package. Each account can have its own threshold score, whitelist, blacklist, and spam handling preferences.
How often should I empty my spam folder?
Review your spam folder at least once per week to check for false positives, then delete old messages. Messages in your spam folder count toward your storage quota, so regular cleanup prevents you from running out of space. Consider deleting spam older than 30 days.
OBHost provides powerful spam filtering tools to protect your email from unwanted messages. Our support team is available 24/7 if you need help configuring your spam filters or troubleshooting delivery issues. Contact us at https://www.obhost.net/contact or email support@obhost.org for assistance.
