How do I train mailcow about spam?

tobiaseigen

I use an IMAP email client and have been getting alot of spam, mostly from recognizable senders. I keep moving these messages into the junk folder but it does not seem to be training mailcow to identify it as spam, as gmail does it. What do I need to do to train mailcow’s spam checker?

ETNyx

Hello,

1) Inspect the mail headers mails. If Bayes learning is working, you should see a BAYES_SPAM tag with a higher score. It’s possible the filter is learning correctly, but the message simply isn’t reaching the spam threshold yet.

2) Make sure your IMAP client isn’t creating its own “Spam” or “Junk” folder. If it does, your messages may not be moved into the folder Mailcow actually monitors for learning, which means nothing is being trained.

3) Also Bayes need certain number of messages to be able, so if you mark only few messages you need to continue,..

4) Maybe check Rspamd logs to see more information, you should be able to see there if it’s learning or not,..

esackbauer

ETNyx Also Bayes need certain number of messages to be able, so if you mark only few messages you need to continue,..

I think that number is around 200 mails, someone posted a while ago.

Also, if there is something in front of mailcow receiving the mails like fetchmail or popcon, you lose the DNSBL, SPF and DMARC functionality. Mailcows SMTP has to be put directly via NAT to the internet for that to work.

tobiaseigen

Wow! This is all super helpful. Many thanks.

There is only one “junk” folder in my inbox.

The rspamd log is amazing! I see some messages from my own discourse forum are landing there, delivered via mailgun. I need to retrain it to please not do that.

I am going to spend some time at https://docs.rspamd.com/ to learn how rspamd works and how to troubleshoot email issues. I’d like to understand better what the different actions mean, eg reject, soft reject, rewrite subject, add header, and no action.

tobiaseigen

Quick followup - I learned that my mailcow’s Rspamd is working and it is adding the headers. It was my apple mail IMAP client that I had not changed from the defaults. It was not moving spam to the junk folder.

There was one especially insiduous spam newsletter I somehow got on that has been triggering me and I just do not want to ever see again. I have blocked the sender in my mail client hopefully that will work!

In the meantime learning about Rspamd and how it plays with my mail client has been useful and interesting. Really appreciate all the help received here. You all are great! 😎

stefan21

In german - use a translator:

https://community.mailcow.email/d/5756-rspamd-not-working/8