How to set up My Filters |

Filters allow you to define what MailWasher Pro tags as spam-like email. You can specify certain words or combinations of words that, if they appear in the Subject, Body, From and/or To fields of the message, will trigger an automatic categorization from MailWasher Pro.

Filters can also be useful in identifying legitimate email. You may receive email via a list from a company whose products and news you want to know about, but this email might be ordinarily identified as spam. Using the Filters function, you are able to instruct MailWasher Pro that you want to receive this email.

Filters that you personally create, work with the software's heuristics to ensure you receive only wanted email in your inbox.

To find out more about filters, please see the Related Links at the bottom of this page.

To view My Filters:

then click My Filters from the tree, or

View > Filter Sidebar or

[Ctrl] + [F7]

Complete the steps below to add a new filter.

Step | Action
1 | Either select the Filters tab from the Filter Sidebar or click and then My Filters

2

Click to display the Edit Filter window and complete the following fields:

Filter name - enter a name for your filter.

Priority - select the Priority checkbox:

If you have not marked this filter for Legitimate email, you can select This filter takes precedence over the Friends list (otherwise, the Friends list has precedence over this filter).

If you have selected that this filter is for Legitimate email, you can choose to select This filter takes precedence over the Blacklist (otherwise the Blacklist has precedence over this filter).

Status Description - enter a description for the Status of the filter, and if required, select a color for the status using the color square on the right. The Status description is what is displayed in the Status column of the MailWasher Pro message table when an email is caught by the filter.

Make the status description similiar to the name of the filter so that you can see which filter caught the message.

Action - select the radio button corresponding to the action that you want MailWasher Pro to take when a message matches your filter. Select Display the email or Hide the email.

Mail is legitimate - if required, select this checkbox to indicate that this filter is for legimate email.

Mark the sender of the email to be blacklisted - if required, select this action to be performed by MailWasher Pro.

Mark the email for deletion - if required, select this action to be performed by MailWasher Pro.

Mark the email for bounce - if required, select this action to be performed by MailWasher Pro.

Apply this filter when - select the radio button corresponding to your requirements for rule matching.

3

There are three fields in the Rules area. Use the Rules drop down selection list on the left to select which part of an email your filter applies to.

Select from:

The 'From' field

The 'Subject' field

The 'To' field

The 'CC' field

The body

The return path

The entire address

4

Use the Rules drop down selection list in the middle to define the condition of the filter.

Select from:

contains

does not contain

is

contains RegExpr

does not contain RegExpr

For information on using RegExpr filters, please see the Related Links below.

5 | Use the field on the right of the Rules area to enter the relevant address or keywords for the filter. Click or to control the number of rules you require.
6 | Click to save your filter. The Spam Tools window displays.
7 | Select the precedence for the filter using the Adjust Filter Order precedence arrows to the right of the filters area.
8 | Select the checkbox next to a filter to enable it, and deselect the checkbox to disable it.

How to manage Filters How to edit a Filter How to delete a Filter Using RegExpr filters Using the Filters sidebar | Can you show me an example of a filter? Can I import existing filters from other programs? Can I filter foreign language emails?

Troubleshooting

Can you show me an example of a filter?

1. To identify all email with "Dear Friend" in the body of the email:

Tools > Spam Tools > my Filters > Add

Enter a name, priority and action for the filter.

In the Rules section, select The body contains and enter the text Dear Friend.

Click OK.

2. To identify all email with a Microsoft Word attachment (.doc):

Tools > Spam Tools > my Filters > Add

Enter a name, priority and action for the filter.

In the Rules section, select The body contains and enter the text .doc.

Click OK.

Can I import existing filters from other programs?

Probably not. MailWasher Pro has its filters in a text file in the application data directory (which can be located by selecting MailWasher Pro > Help > About and selecting the blue link at the bottom). You will probably have to add your own filter in.

Ensure you close MailWasher Pro before you edit this text file in order for the changes to be saved.

Can I filter foreign language emails?

With foreign character set spam, you can filter for the character set code.
Have a look at the entire header (by clicking "Raw Source view" above the preview pane) and you will see "charset=?????".
Just set up a filter where the entire header contains that "????" and it will work.