Email filters for Microsoft Outlook XP for PC

NOTE: Outlook Express is not currently able to use filters based on the PureMessage headers.

1. Open Outlook.
2. From the Tools menu, select Rules Wizard.
3. Choose New.
4. Select the Start from a blank rule radio button.
5. Select Check messages when they arrive.
6. Choose Next.
7. From the list of conditions, select with specific words in the message header.
8. Under Rule description, select specific words.
9. Type: X-Spam-Flag: YES
10. Choose OK.
11. Select Next.
12. Select move it to the specified folder.
13. Under Rule description, select specified.
14. Under Inbox, select your spam folder.You may need to expand the directory structure a few times to reach this folder.
15. Choose OK.
16. Choose Finish.
17. Select OK.
18. Under Perform this action, select Move to folder.
19. Under your account name, choose Inbox.
20. From the pull-down menu, choose your spam folder.
21. Select OK.

X-Spam-Level filter
An X-Spam-Level filter can be used to catch messages whose hits percentage is less than the 50% threshhold. You might want to create one if you feel that 50% is too high (doesn't catch enough spam). If you choose a threshhold that is not a multiple of 10 (e.g., 45%), you will need to create two of these filters instead of one. Before you construct a spam filter, be sure to set up a spam folder in the Inbox of your email client so that you can retrieve any legitimate messages caught by the filter.
WARNING: Be very careful if you create an X-Spam-Level filter. The lower the hits percentage you choose for filtering, the more likely you will mistakenly catch legitimate mail and send it to your spam folder.

To construct a spam filter based on the PureMessage X-Spam-Level header:

1. Open Outlook.
2. From the Tools menu, select Rules Wizard.
3. Select New.
4. Select the Start from a blank rule radio button.
5. Select Check messages when they arrive.
6. Choose Next.
7. From the list of conditions, select with specific words in the message header.
8. Under Rule description, choose specific words.
9. Type in X-Spam-Level: followed by your chosen hits percentage represented by the letters X and/or I:
   • If your percentage is a multiple of ten, type a number of X's equal to the tens digit of the percentage.
     For example, for 60%, you would type 6 X's (upper case):
     X-Spam-Level: XXXXXX
   • If your percentage is not a multiple of ten, type a number of X's equal to the tens digit and a number of I's equal to the ones digit.
     For example, for 65%, you would type 6 X's and 5 I's (upper case):
     X-Spam-Level: XXXXXXIIIII
     NOTE: In this case, you will need to create a secondary filter (see below).
10. Select OK.
11. Choose Next.
12. Select move it to the specified folder.
13. Under Rule description, select specified.
14. Under your account name, choose Inbox.
15. From the pull-down menu, select your spam folder. You may need to expand the directory structure a few times to reach this folder.
16. Select OK.
17. Select Finish.
18. Select OK.
19. Under Perform this action, select Move to folder.
20. Under your account name, choose Inbox.
21. From the pull-down menu, select your spam folder. You may need to expand the directory structure a few times to reach this folder.
22. Select OK.

If your hits percentage is not a multiple of 10, you will need to create a secondary filter:

1. From the Tools menu, select Rules Wizard.
2. Select New.
3. Select the Start from a blank rule radio button.
4. Select Check messages when they arrive.
5. Choose Next.
6. From the list of conditions, select with specific words in the message header.
7. Under Rule description, choose specific words.
8. Type in X-Spam-Level: followed by a number of X's equal to one more than the tens digit of your chosen hits percentage.
   For example, for 65%, you would type 7 X's (upper case):
   X-Spam-Level: XXXXXXX
9. Select OK.
10. Choose Next.
11. Select move it to the specified folder.
12. Under Rule description, select specified.
13. Under your account name, choose Inbox.
14. From the pull-down menu, select your spam folder. You may need to expand the directory structure a few times to reach this folder.
15. Select OK.
16. Select Finish.
17. Select OK.
18. Under Perform this action, select Move to folder.
19. Under your account name, choose Inbox.
20. From the pull-down menu, select your spam folder. You may need to expand the directory structure a few times to reach this folder.
21. Choose your spam folder.
22. Click OK.

X-Virus-Detected filter
By using an X-Virus-Detected filter and creating a virus folder in the Inbox of your email client, you can retrieve legitimate messages that arrived with virus-laden attachments that were later removed by PureMessage. Be sure to set up your virus folder before you construct a virus filter.

To construct a virus filter based on the PureMessage X-Virus-Detected header:

1. Open Outlook.
2. From the Tools menu, select Rules Wizard.
3. Select New.
4. Select the Start from a blank rule radio button.
5. Select Check messages when they arrive.
6. Choose Next.
7. From the list of conditions, select with specific words in the message header.
8. Under Rule description, select specific words.
9. Type X-Virus-Detected: YES.
10. Select OK.
11. Choose Next.
12. Select move it to the specified folder.
13. Under Rule description, select specified.
14. Under Inbox, select your virus folder. You may need to expand the directory structure a few times to reach this folder.
15. Select OK.
16. Choose Finish.
17. Select OK.
18. Under Perform this action select Move to folder.
19. Under your account name, select Inbox.
20. From the pull-down menu, choose your virus folder.
21. Select OK.

Go to the PureMessage main page.

Content last updated September 2, 2004 by chk
Page last modified September 21, 2004 by cawalker