How to Setup a Spam Filter in MS Outlook 2007

Quicknote # 107

October 2007

Introduction:

This Quicknote is written as a tool to assist University of Michigan-Flint Students, Staff, and Faculty in reducing the amount of spam email messages present in their Outlook Inbox.

Table of Contents

¨       Introduction

¨       Before You Begin

¨       Setting up the Spam Filter

¨       Using the Junk Senders List

¨       Additional Resources

2. A “Create New Folder” window will appear, and in this window type in Spam in the “Name” field.  In the “Folder Contains:” field make sure Mail and Post Items is selected.  Finally under “Select where to place this folder:” select your name at the top and click OK.  An example of this process appears to the right.

3. Finally you will see that you have a “Spam” folder in your Folder List now, just as it appears to the right.

1. In Outlook go to Tools, and select “Rules and Alerts.”

2. Click “New Rule…” button at the top of the window.

3.  Click “Move messages with specific words in the subject to a folder” at the top of the window and click Next.

4. The box that says “with specific words in the message header” should be checked.

In the box below labeled “Step 2: Edit the rule description” click the link titled “specific words.”

5. In the Search Text window enter in X-Spam-Status: Yes in the “Specify a word or phrase box” and click Add.

The text will now appear below in the “Search list:” and select Ok.

6.  Now, in the box titled “Step 2:” click the link that says “specified.”

7.  Select the Spam folder you created previously and click Ok.

8. After you have selected the folder to which you would like your Spam e-mail redirected, click the Next button.  Since you have already specified a folder, click the Next button again.  You’ll then be asked to select any exceptions; just click the Next button.

10. Make sure the “Turn on this rule” box is checked and click the Finish button.  On the Rules and Alerts Window, click OK.  The Spam Filter setup is complete.