Filtering E-Mail in GroupWise Web Access
(For GroupWise 6.5 Client click here)

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As you know, unwanted E-mail is a real nuisance and can lead to low productivity and an increased risk of computer virus infections. Unfortunately, the district’s filter cannot block all of the unsolicited E-mails blasted across the Internet every day by spammers and other nare-do-wells. In fact, spammers are very clever and will spoof E-mail messages to make them appear like they are arriving from legitimate senders with the intention of tricking you into opening potentially malicious messages. Click here to read more about E-mail spamming and spoofing.

Consequently, we rely on you to help us in our battle against the spammers by deleting unwanted E-mail from your personal inbox. Is this inconvenient? Absolutely! But there is a way you can automate some of this by using rules available in GroupWise Web Access. Remember, the best protection and easiest way to deal with spam is to never open a message from someone you don’t know— just delete it.

   
   
1. To set up a spam rule in GroupWise Web Access, click the middle “Options” button above the list of messages in your inbox — it looks like a little checklist. clicking on the options button.
   
2. You will see a tab named “Rules.” Click on it. clicking on the rules tab.
   
3. Let’s set a rule that will search all incoming messages for a few suspect words and then have GroupWise automatically trash these messages if they contain these words. This is referred to as a “Delete” rule, so choose “Type: Delete” from the drop-down box and click the “Create” button. Creating a delete rule.
   

4. Type a name for your rule. In this example we’ll title it “SPAM RULE.”

Then, set the If condition to “Subject” and the restriction to “Contains.” This rule will search incoming E-mail messages delivered to your inbox based on words contained in the incoming message’s subject line. We will define these words in the next step.

Defining the subject contains conditions.
   

5. In the box, type any word(s) you tend to see in subject lines of spam messages you receive, and then separate these words using the operator “OR.” In this example, all new messages delivered to your inbox containing the words “free” or “viagra” or “golf” or “debt” in the subject line will be moved directly to the trash folder from your your inbox.

Be sure to save the action after it is defined. Keep in mind that ALL messages containing these words will be trashed, including potential E-mails that are legitimate. Thus, choose your words carefully!

Using the OR operator to separate words in the subject field.
   

6. You could create a slightly different rule that would filter messages to your mailbox’s trash based a sender’s domain, too.

For example, if you are receiving multiple junk messages from a spammer at aexp.com, create a rule that will trash all of his or her E-mail regardless of what words he or she puts in the subject line.

Defining a domain in the from field.
   

7. The last step is to activate your new rule by checking the box next to the rule’s name and then clicking the “Save” button. Notice in this screen shot to the right that a little message displays under the button telling us the rule will be active after we click “Save” (Rules activate status saved).

 Enabling the rule by selecting the checkbox next to the rule's name.
   
8. That’s it! All future E-mail delivered meeting the filtering conditions defined in your new rule should be routed directly into your mailbox’s trash trash can icon. Showing filtered email in the trash bin.

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Page last updated February 8 2011
To report a broken link or other problem contact Matthew Evans at mevans@guhsd.net