If you have an email inbox, it’s critical you use a spam filter to sift through the countless junk emails you get each day. Spam mail is not only time consuming. It can also bring in malware, phishing software and viruses.

Spam filters are software used to scan emails to determine whether of not they’re spam. Before choosing one, it helps to know how the various spam filters differ, so you can have the best one for your purposes.

Types of Spam Filters

Different spam filters have different means of filtering email. Some are more effective than others. The most common types include:

• Head filters—This spam filter uses the subject line to filter mail. It’s not the most dependable filter.
• User defined filters—This type of spam filter scans subject lines, as well as email content, that come into a user’s inbox. It checks for reoccurring patterns in emails.
• Content filters—These filters decide if an email is probably spam. A disadvantage of content filters is that they can occasionally prevent requested messages or newsletters to reach your inbox. Therefore, you’ll have to consistently check your junk folder.
• Language filters—These are used to filter out emails from other languages and countries.
• Permission filters—As the strictest type of filter, permission filters only accept senders that you’ve approved to enter your inbox.

Considerations and Warnings

• Mailbagging is a spam filter that  holds your mail when a server is down. It’s similar to  as a post office holding mail when people are away from their homes. It’s a good idea because you can be assured that your mail won’t bounce back to a sender when your email server isn’t working.
• Be sure any spam-filtering you select supports more than one email account that’s web-based.
• There are many words and phrases that can trigger a spam filter. A few of the most common ones are those such as “get paid” and “gift certificate.”

When you choose the spam filter that is best for your personal or business needs, you don’t have to worry about spam and a cluttered inbox. Please contact us and ask about our services.