Short answer: Two tools. Trusted Senders guarantees a particular address or domain reaches your inbox — Settings, Trusted Senders, New. Filtering lets you override the default spam thresholds and choose what happens at low, medium and high probability. We recommend the defaults; if you do change them, send to junk rather than delete while you are testing.
Applies to: Infosaic web hosting email · webmail users and domain administrators
The default spam settings suit most people, and the single most useful thing you can do is not to change them but to add the senders you care about to your trusted list.
If you do want to tune the filtering, it helps to understand the two ideas behind it — weight and action — because they explain why a message ended up where it did.
Trusted Senders — the first thing to try
If a particular sender consistently ends up in your spam folder, do not loosen the filter for everybody. Add them to your trusted list instead.
- Click the Settings icon — the pair of gears.
- Click Trusted Senders.
- Click New.
- Add the email address, or the whole domain if everything from that company should come through.
- Save.
That fixes the case in front of you without weakening anything else, which is why it is the right first move almost every time.
Changing the filter thresholds
If you do not like the default settings, you can make them stricter or less strict. Both directions have a cost: too strict and you lose email, too lenient and you get a lot of spam. We recommend the default.
- Click Settings, then Filtering. This filters at the domain level, and individuals can override it.
- Click override and save.
- Click Actions and specify the weight for low, medium and high probability, and what should happen at each.
If you are using the default options set up by your administrator, these settings cannot be edited until you override them.
While you are testing, set high probability to “send to junk” rather than delete. Anything you delete at high probability is never delivered, so a filter that is slightly too aggressive loses mail silently and you have nothing to inspect.
What weight and action actually mean
Weight. Each type of spam check has a weight. When a message arrives, every check runs, and for each one it fails the weight is added to the message’s overall score. The thresholds for low, medium and high probability are then compared against that score, and the message is placed in the matching category.
Action. For each probability level you choose what happens: leave it alone, move it to junk, add text to the subject line, or delete it. If you choose to add text to the subject, type the text in the box below the action.
Understanding this is what makes tuning productive rather than trial and error. A message you disagree with did not get one verdict — it accumulated a score, and lowering one threshold changes a whole class of mail, not just that message.
Sensible practice
- Add trusted senders before touching thresholds.
- Change one level at a time and give it a few days.
- Never delete at low or medium probability. Those are the levels where legitimate mail lands.
- Check the junk folder weekly for the first month after any change.
- Tell senders whose mail is being caught — if their server is blacklisted, you are not the only one not receiving it.
If mail from an important sender is consistently caught however you configure things, open a ticket with the sending domain and we will look at why.
Questions and answers
How do I make sure a particular sender always reaches my inbox?
Add them under Settings and Trusted Senders. You can add a single address or an entire domain.
Where do I change my spam filter settings?
In webmail under Settings and Filtering. You have to click override before the settings can be edited.
What does weight mean?
Each spam check has a weight. Failed checks add their weight to the message score, and the total decides whether it is low, medium or high probability spam.
What actions can I choose?
Leave the message alone, move it to junk, add text to the subject line, or delete it.
Should I set high probability spam to delete?
Not while you are testing. Deleted mail is never delivered, so mistakes are invisible. Send to junk instead.
Why can I not edit my spam settings?
You are still using the defaults set by the administrator. Click override first.
Do domain settings or my own settings win?
Filtering is set at domain level and individual users can override it.
Real mail keeps going to junk. What should I do?
Add the sender to Trusted Senders, and let them know their mail server may be blacklisted.
Related articles
- How do I control spam on my hosting account?
- What your Infosaic mail service can do
- Can I forward my email to another email account?
- Configuring email on your computer, phone or device
- Can I set up email aliases?
- How do I contact tech support?
Still stuck?
Open a support ticket from your hosting control panel at controlpanel.infosaic.com — that is the fastest route, because it reaches the team who can already see your account. You can also email [email protected].