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Spam Protection in cPanel

cPanel includes a built-in anti-spam filter based on Apache SpamAssassin.

The filter analyzes incoming messages and determines whether they look like spam.

You can, among other things:

  • enable or disable spam filtering,
  • change the filter sensitivity,
  • move spam to a separate folder,
  • automatically delete messages identified as spam,
  • add trusted senders,
  • block selected senders.

1. Where to find spam settings

After logging in to cPanel, go to:

Email → Spam Filters

This section contains the anti-spam settings for your account.

The availability of some options depends on the hosting configuration.

2. Enabling spam filtering

Find the option:

Process New Emails and Mark them as Spam

When enabled, the server analyzes new messages and assigns them a Spam Score.

The more a message resembles spam, the higher its score.

3. Spam Threshold Score

The:

Spam Threshold Score

option determines the score at which a message is considered spam.

For example:

5

means that a message with a score of 5 or higher will be marked as spam.

How the value works

A lower value:

1
2
3

means more aggressive filtering.

More messages may be stopped, but the risk of legitimate messages being marked as spam also increases.

A higher value:

8
9
10

means less aggressive filtering.

More suspicious messages may reach the inbox.

If you do not have a specific reason to change this setting, it is best to leave the default value.

4. Separate Spam folder

If the following option is available:

Move New Spam to a Separate Folder (Spam Box)

you can enable it.

Messages classified as spam will then be moved to a separate folder instead of the regular inbox.

The folder may be displayed as:

Spam

or:

Junk

This allows you to review messages before deleting them.

This is safer than automatically deleting spam.

5. Automatically deleting spam

cPanel may provide the option:

Automatically Delete New Spam

When enabled, messages exceeding the configured Spam Score threshold may be deleted automatically.

Warning

Use this option carefully.

The anti-spam filter may occasionally incorrectly classify a legitimate message as spam.

If automatic deletion is enabled, such a message may be removed before you have a chance to review it in the Spam folder.

Therefore, in most cases, it is better to use the:

Spam

folder first and check it periodically.

6. Trusted senders — Whitelist

If messages from a particular sender are incorrectly marked as spam, you can add the sender to the trusted list.

In Spam Filters, find the advanced settings and an option such as:

Whitelist

or:

Edit Spam Whitelist Settings

Add an address, for example:

faktury@firma.pl

Messages from this sender will be treated as trusted by SpamAssassin.

Only add addresses that you genuinely trust.

7. Blocked senders — Blacklist

If you regularly receive unwanted messages from a specific address, you can add it to the blocked list.

Find:

Blacklist

or:

Edit Spam Blacklist Settings

Example:

spam@example.com

After saving the setting, the filter will treat messages from this sender as spam.

8. Blocking an entire domain

You can use wildcard characters in the blacklist settings.

Example:

*@spamowa-domena.pl

may apply to every address in that domain.

For example:

jan@spamowa-domena.pl
newsletter@spamowa-domena.pl
test@spamowa-domena.pl

Use this carefully.

Blocking an entire domain may also cause legitimate messages to be rejected.

9. A legitimate message was marked as spam

If a legitimate message is moved to the Spam folder:

  1. check the sender,
  2. make sure the message is genuine,
  3. move it to the inbox,
  4. if the problem repeats, add the sender to the Whitelist.

Do not add a sender to the trusted list only because the message looks familiar.

First make sure the sender address is correct.

10. Where to find messages marked as spam

If you use Webmail, check:

Spam

or:

Junk

If you use an email client over IMAP, the folder should also be visible in applications such as:

  • Outlook,
  • Thunderbird,
  • a phone.

11. The Spam folder uses storage space

Messages in the Spam folder may still use mailbox storage.

It is therefore worth periodically:

  1. checking the Spam folder,
  2. making sure it does not contain important messages,
  3. deleting unnecessary messages.

This is especially important if the mailbox has a storage quota.

12. Do not lower the threshold without a reason

Setting a very low threshold, for example:

1

may cause many legitimate messages to be classified as spam.

If the current filtering works correctly, there is no need to change the Spam Threshold Score.

13. Safest setting for a typical user

The simplest approach to spam protection is to:

  1. enable spam filtering,
  2. leave the default Spam Threshold Score,
  3. enable the separate Spam folder if available,
  4. avoid automatic deletion unless necessary,
  5. check the Spam folder periodically.

This keeps suspicious messages separate from regular email without deleting them immediately.

14. Simplest procedure

To check spam protection:

  1. Log in to cPanel.
  2. Go to:

Email → Spam Filters

  1. Check whether:

Process New Emails and Mark them as Spam

is enabled.

  1. Leave the default Spam Threshold Score unless you have a reason to change it.
  2. Enable the Spam Box folder if available.
  3. Check the Spam folder regularly.

Done.

If legitimate messages are regularly marked as spam or large amounts of spam pass through the filter, contact Cloud4You technical support.