PerfectMail™ can mark spam messages so that your desktop mail client (e.g. Outlook) can filter your e-mail based on PerfectMail's assessment. This information is stored in the X-Spam-Flag and X-Spam-Level e-mail headers. These headers can be used to filter spam with your e-mail client.

To filter e-mail flagged as spam you need to create Filter Rules. Filter rules can automatically file messages in your "Spam" or "Junk" folder. For sites that are particularly concerned about loosing e-mail, or even for specific users, you can have PerfectMail not reject any e-mail and use these filtering rules to filter messages on your local e-mail client.

The steps for creating filter rules are specific to your e-mail client. We have instructions for creating filter rules for several popular e-mail clients. The steps for other e-mail clients are likely very similar to those presented here.

How to Configure Microsoft Outlook 2003™ Filters

Microsoft Outlook 2003™ includes spam filtering. Outlook will filter messages based on its own concept of spam, but you can also have it put spam messages identified by PerfectMail in your "Junk" folder.

1. Select "Inbox" in the Folder List.
2. Select "Tools" and then "Rules and Alerts".
3. View the E-mail Rules tab.
4. Click "New Rule..."
5. Check "Start from a blank rule" and select "Check messages when they arrive". Click "Next".
6. Check "with specific words in the message header".
7. In the rule description, click "specific words".
8. Under Specify a word or phrase to search for in the message header, enter X-Spam-Flag: YES to put spam in your "Junk" folder. Click "Add", then "OK", and finally "Next".
9. Under "What do you want to do with the message?", check "move it to the specified folder".
10. In the rule description, click "specified".
11. Under Choose a folder, select "Junk E-mail" and click "OK".
12. Click "Finish".