How to Filter Spam in Email

Block unwanted emails with a filter, available through many email providers.

Filtering spam through an email program has become simpler since email programs began to realize that clients look for strong spam filters when they choose an email provider. Spam frustrates an email user by cluttering inboxes and sapping her time as she sorts through the spam to find the emails that she wish to see. Spam takes a toll on a productivity in business as well. Email providers have been developing strong filters that assist users to block unwanted spam emails.

Instructions

Yahoo Filter

1. Open the Yahoo inbox page. Click the "Options" button on the page's upper-right corner. When the drop-down menu opens, select "Mail Options".

2. Click the "Spam" button on the left side of the page. Next to "Automatically send suspected spam to my Spam folder" option, click the box. Click "Save Changes".

3. Return to the Yahoo inbox. Check the checkbox to the left of any spam messages that enter the inbox. You can check this box either before or after opening the spam message. Click the "Spam" button on the inbox's toolbar to mark the message as spam. The Yahoo SpamGuard will mark the message as spam in the future and will immediately deposit it into the spam folder.

Hotmail Filter

1. Open your Hotmail inbox. Click "Options" in the upper right-hand corner.

2. Click on the drop-down menu's "More Options". Click the "Filters and reporting" link.

3. Under the "Select the filter level you want to apply to incoming messages" option, click "Exclusive". This option provides Hotmail's highest level of spam filtering. You know that you will only receive emails from contacts and prenoted safe senders, in addition to Hotmail service announcements and requested alerts.

Gmail Filter

1. Open your Gmail inbox and click the box next to any spam message that came into the inbox.

2. At the top of the email toolbar, click "Actions". Then click "filter messages like these".

3. On the "Create a filter" page, fill in the fields to block future spam. Note in the email field, subject line field, included words field or excluded words field which messages you want Gmail to block in the future. Check the box next to "attachments" if you want Gmail to block messages with attachments in the future. Click "Next Step".

4. Click the box to the left of the requested action that the Gmail filter should take. Options include deleting the email altogether, moving the email to a selected folder or labeling it (choose the label), marking the email as 'read' or marking the email with a star. Click "Create Filter".

Tips & Warnings

• Always mark all recipients of your email messages as "safe senders" in your Hotmail email program. This ensures that Hotmail's filter will not filter them out of your inbox.

References

• Email Talk: High Cost of Spam on Business