Spam Filtering: Configuring Microsoft Outlook

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Spam Filtering: Configuring

Microsoft Outlook

EI&O Document ID: D0167

Last Updated: 05/10/2004

CNS provides a "spam-detection" system for e-mail sent to

GatorLink

[email protected] addresses. This process gives

each message a score, using asterisks (*) to "grade" each

message. Because these spam scores are now a part of the

headers in your e-mail, they can be used as a

sorting/screening device in some e-mail clients--including

Microsoft Outlook.

Currently, CNS rejects outright (at the server) only the most

blatant examples of Spam

[http://docweb.cns.ufl.edu/news/n0416/], in order to minimize

the risk of accidentally blocking valid messages. Before you

see any further benefit, you will have to set up filters in your

e-mail program to read the "spam scores" and take whatever

action you decide (such as moving the messages to a special

folder to review later).

This document describes the process of configuring the

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Spam Filtering: Configuring Microsoft Outlook

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Introduction

CNS provides a "spam-detection" system for e-mail sent to GatorLinkuserid@ufl.edu addresses. This process gives each message a score, using asterisks (*) to "grade" each message. Because these spam scores are now a part of the headers in your e-mail, they can be used as a sorting/screening device in some e-mail clients--including Microsoft Outlook. Before you see any benefit, you will have to set up filters in your e-mail program to read the "spam scores" and take whatever action you decide (such as moving the messages to a special folder to review later).

This document describes the process of configuring the Microsoft Outlook 2003 e-mail program to filter messages based on these spam-score headers.

Outlook 2003 is the most recent version of the Outlook e-mail/calendaring package. Other versions of MS Outlook, as far back as 97/98, have e-mail filtering ability. This ability is usually referred to as "rules" or "filters" or "alerts" in Outlook. All the instructions in this document are for Outlook version 2003 (v11) but should work for other versions, allowing for minor changes in button names and placement.

The document will also assume that you are using imap.ufl.edu to check your e-mail. For general information on setting up and configuring MS Outlook for checking your e-mail, refer to the CIRCA Outlook 2002 email settings

[http://www.circa.ufl.edu/handouts/gatorlink/outlook2002.html] document.

Step by Step

1. Open Outlook & go to your usual e-mail In-Box.

2. From the Menu bar at the top of the screen, select "Tools". From the "Tools" drop-down menu, select "Rules and Alerts..." (or "Rules Wizard..." in some earlier versions of Outlook)

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This will open the "Rules and Alerts" panel (titled "Rules Wizard" in some earlier versions of Outlook.

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3. Click the "New Rule..." button (this is just labeled "New..." in some earlier versions of Outlook). This will open a new window.

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4. Select the "Start from a blank rule" radio button (found near the top of the window). Then highlight "Check messages when they arrive".

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Then click the "Next" button.

5. The next "Rules Wizard" panel opens, asking "Which condition(s) do you want to check?"

Scroll down if necessary until you find an option which says "with specific words in the message header". Check the box to the left of that option, as shown in the example below.

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When you check the box, the phrase "with specific words in the message header" will appear in the "rule description" box in the lower-half of the window. 6. Click on the underlined "specific words" phrase which appeared in the "rules

description" box at the end of the previous step. A new window will open titled "Search Text".

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7. In the top line of this window, under "Specify a word or phrase to search for in the message header:" enter the phrase "X-Spam-Level: *****" exactly as it is displayed here. The phrase IS case sensitive and the quotes should not be entered. See the screenshot for clarification. There is only one (1) space after the colon. There should be at least five (5) asterisks in a row, with nothing between them. You might want to start with six (6) asterisks at first, until you become more familiar with the types of messages that are getting screened out.

8. Click theAddbutton to complete your entry. The window should now appear like the following example. Note that your "X-Spam-Level: *****" entry has now moved to the "Search list:" panel in the bottom half of theSearch Textwindow. Also note that your entry is surrounded by "quotes," even though you did not type the quotes. This is normal; the quotes were added by Outlook when you clicked theAddbutton.

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Now click theOKbutton at the bottom of theSearch Textwindow. TheSearch Text

window will disappear.

9. You are back at the "Rules Wizard" window. Note that the "rule description" panel now contains a line reflecting the entry you just made in the previous step. Now click theNext

button at the bottom of theRules Wizardwindow. The next panel of the Rules Wizard will open:

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Here is where you tell Outlook what you want it to do when it encounters a message matching your criterion. We strongly recommend that you select the first option, "Move it to the specified folder". This will give you a "safety net"--an opportunity to go back and review the messages intercepted by your filter, to make sure you're not inadvertently losing messages which are important to you. Later, after you have become more familar (and comfortable) with the operation of the filter, you may wish to come back here and change this selection to "delete it" or "permanently delete it."

10. After you click the check-box next to "Move it to the specified folder", the screen will change, as shown in the following example:

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You will see the words "move it to the specified folder" have appeared in the "Edit the rule description" panel in the bottom half of the window, and the word

"specified" is underlined.

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Click the "OK" button to confirm your choice. The "Choose a folder:" panel will disappear, and you will be back at the Rules Wizard "What do you want to do with the message?" panel. You can see the selection you just made reflected in the "rule description" panel at the bottom of the window.

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Click the "Next" button to proceed.

12. The next panel asks you "Are there any exceptions?" Spam Filtering: Configuring Microsoft

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Review the options available. It may be that you wish to allow certain messages which would otherwise be caught, to pass the filters if they meet certain other criteria. Even if you do not elect to specify any exceptions at this time, it may be useful to know that these options are available, in case you find that you want to "fine tune" your filter later. 13. One exception which you may wish to consider at the outset is found near the bottom of

the list: "except if sender is in specified Address Book". Selecting this will prevent the filter from screening out mail from people in your address book. If you elect to implement this exception, click the check-box next to "except if sender is in specified Address Book". You will see that the "rule description" panel in the bottom half of the window has a new line: "except if sender is in specified Address Book".

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14. In the bottom panel, click the underlined word "specified". You will see a window listing the various address-books which you have defined to Outlook. In this example, we have selected the Outlook "Contacts" list.

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Click theAddbutton, and the "Add Address List" window will close, returning you to the Rules Wizard's "exceptions" window. If you wish to add additional address-books to the exception, you may repeat this step as needed.

15. Here, we have added the single exception of "except if sender is in Contacts Address Book." You can see that the "rule description" panel has another line indicating this addition.

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Click theNextbutton to proceed to the next step, once you have completed creating your rule description.

16. Now we are at the final panel of the Rules Wizard. Review the settings, and make any Spam Filtering: Configuring Microsoft

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Then click theFinishbutton to complete the process.

17. TheRules Wizardwindow will close, and you will be back at theRules and Alerts

summary window, with your new rule listed in the Rules panel, as shown in the example, below.

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ClickOK. The Rules and Alerts window closes and you are back to your Outlook in-box. Your new spam-filter rule is now active. All incoming messages matching the criteria you specified will be automatically handled according to the choices you made when you created the rule.

If you wish, you may repeat the process to create more rules, or modify rules you have already created.

If you need assistance with any part of this procedure, please contact the UF Computing Help Desk at 392-2061, or e-mail them at<[email protected]>.