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Spam filters: everything you need to know

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          TABLE OF CONTENTS

    What is a spam filter?

    Spam filters are an excellent way to keep unwanted emails from blocking your inbox. They use advanced software programs that can detect malicious phrases and words, so they can prevent harmful communications before they even arrive at you. In other terms, spam filters help safeguard us in the digital realm – keeping our data safe!

    Initially, the Internet provider eliminates junk email by filtering out messages from blacklisted IP addresses. Then, to ensure further protection of their users and keep them safe from unwanted content, mail services analyze emails with advanced filters. Furthermore, for added defense against commercial networks and for blocking marketing campaigns directed at corporate employees’ emails – companies may have an additional corporate spam filter installed.

    Lastly, emails are filtered through individual configurations that have been set up by the receiver themselves in their mailbox or application settings. These user settings remain valid for each account separately. 

    Why spam filters are needed

    Protecting your mailbox from the ever-growing number of unwanted junk emails is essential to avoiding frustration and safeguarding yourself against scammers’ malicious links. Not only do spam filters protect your mail, but they also safeguard confidential data, trade secrets, and even money stored on your computer. Successful email marketing is impossible without good spam filters.

    Types of spam filters

    All spam filters can be divided into two types:

    1. Automatic

    Which is fully controlled by the system.

    2. Non-automatic

    Those that the user configures himself. For example, the user can set up a list of spam words based on which emails will be identified as spam messages.

    Have you ever wondered how spam filters are able to block unwanted emails?

    Almost all modern spam filters use artificial intelligence in their work. 

    For example, Google has been using AI since 2015, the company already claims to be able to block 99.9% of spam from reaching inboxes while misclassifying legitimate email as spam only 0.05% of the time.

    Filters are self-learning and ever-evolving. They observe the status of a sender’s domain, authenticate it to confirm its legitimacy, then review both the message content and how recipients interact with it. In this way they can ensure that only quality emails make their way through.

    1. Analysis of the reputation of the IP address and domain.

    If you are added to the DNS Block List, your emails will be blocked due to spam filters that access blacklists of IP addresses and domains. Don’t let this happen; make sure you’re taking all necessary precautions against spammers!

    If you want to ensure the reliability of your IP address and emails, checking blacklists manually is time consuming and tedious. Luckily, Warmy provides an easy solution! Simply input your data into their system and in minutes it will let you know if any of them are on a blacklist. This speedy process helps prevent embarrassing email bounces or blocked communications due to being flagged as spam. Don’t waste another minute – use Warmy now for fast results that keep your communication running smoothly!

    ip blacklist

    If your domain is new, you’ll likely encounter difficulty with email spam filters since there isn’t yet any established credibility. As a result, Warmy strongly recommends warming up these domains by slowly increasing the mailing volume. This gradual approach will help build up trust and ensure that emails from this domain are treated properly by subscribers.

    2. Checking the settings of authentication protocols.

    Authentication is a process of verifying the identity of message originators. Emails that fail authentication are blocked as suspicious or spam. Three primary methods for email authentication exist – DKIM, SPF, and DMARC.

    A DKIM signature verifies that emails come from approved domain owners, while SPF blocks messages from originating addresses outside its record list. Last but not least, DMARC safeguards domains against malicious attempts to spoof them with fake sender identities in an email address field

    Read more about this in our article – Why do you need to configure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC?

    3. Content and format

    It’s essential to experiment with various approaches when creating emails, so be sure to A/B test emails. The spam filter examines the presence of any potential spam words, whether a sender is present or not, how many recipients there are, if attachments and links exist (as well as their sizes), pictures included in the email—the list goes on.

    Unfortunately for those who don’t pass this verification process; their messages will automatically go straight into that dreaded Spam folder! To guarantee your message reaches its destination without fail why not use our convenient free Email Template Checker?

    It is very easy to do this, just follow the link – Email template checker and paste your text into the window, and the system will automatically detect errors that can lead your email to the spam folder.

    4. Checking the Subject of Your Emails

    Crafting the proper email title is an art form that requires precision. If you fail to carefully craft your titles and include spam words or excessive capitalization, your emails could end up in the dreaded abyss of a recipient’s spam folder. To avoid this fate, A/B testing will be absolutely crucial for getting your messages seen!

    To learn how to write an email subject that will be effective, read our article – 14 Tips for Writing an Email Subject

    5. User engagement analysis

    The reaction of your subscribers to your emails is an absolutely vital metric. If people don’t take the time to read and delete it, mark it as spam or complain about you, then naturally their confidence in your mailing list will decrease. On the other hand, if they open up the email, click on any links inside it, reply back or forward while also marking “This is not spam”, then that means a great deal for building up their reputation with those recipients.

    Our revolutionary Warmy tool allows you to trust your mailings by employing AI that warms up emails and domains. This technology automatically opens, replies, and draws emails out of the Spam folder – all in an effort to educate spam filters on what is reliable correspondence. 

    How to avoid spam filters?

    Taking into account the information we have already discussed, let us determine how to keep our messages from going straight to spam. Here is a brief overview of what needs to be done: Pay close attention to your domain’s standing and credibility.

    ☑ Set up authentication.

    ☑ Warm up domain. To simplify the process, you can take advantage of Warmy’s specialized tool. Warmy is the best email deliverability tool in 2023. Although it is possible to do this manually, that path will only lead to hours of your time and hard work wasted. Keep in mind: if your domain is new start out with a low volume mailing rate then gradually increase as needed.

    Email warm up increases your sender’s reputation and email deliverability.

    You may be interested in – Warming up the domain manually or using special services.

    ☑ Do not use one mailing address for all mailing lists. To maintain an organized and clean inbox, it is recommended to have separate mailboxes for various types of emails (ads, transactions, business-related messages). Moreover, if your organization performs cold emailing activities as part of its operations plan – create a new domain instead of using the main one. This action will keep the primary address from potential issues that may arise.

    ☑ Watch your reputation. Ensure the IP address of your email is not on any email blacklist before sending it out. You can quickly and easily verify your email reputation by using our service to check both an IP address or a domain name.

    Our email deliverability checker is a reliable tool that will help you ensure your messages land in the inboxes of those they’re intended for.

    ☑ Follow the schedule. Send regular mailings, such as every week or month.

     Maintain the original intent of the newsletter, don’t change it into a never-ending marketing platform;

    ☑ Check email content for spam words, always check if links are working, don’t add too many pictures, and check email for grammatical errors.

    ☑ Sign your email. Always close your email with a mark of professionalism by signing off, and don’t forget to include contact details. Make sure you leave an indelible impression!

    ☑ Always leave a visible unsubscribe link. Make sure that your contacts know they can easily unsubscribe if needed – display a visible link to ensure their options are crystal clear.

    ☑ Attachments. Sending attachments can evoke suspicion, and therefore it should be done with caution. Attention to detail is essential when choosing which type of information to include in email communication for the best possible results.

    ☑ Purge your subscriber list of inactive emails and those that haven’t been opened in multiple months. Doing so will keep you email database neat and organized, ensuring only the most engaged users remain on it.

    ☑ Do not break promises. If you stated that a subscriber will receive 2 emails per week, and you end up sending out a lot more often, you risk being flagged as spam.

    Best spam filters in 2023

    As a business owner or marketer, you can ensure that your emails are not spammed by taking precautionary measures. In this section of our guide, we’ll provide guidance on how to protect your emails from spam, scams and viruses. 

    Do you struggle with sifting through endless spam emails in your inbox? Then it’s time to invest in a good spam filter! Even though most email hosts include free filters that offer basic protection, they still make mistakes and can send important messages to the wrong folder.

    Investing in a paid filter will ensure that only relevant emails land directly into your inbox – no more sorting through unwanted clutter or missing crucial communications.

    Downloading free spam protection software will give you the same result, but with more sophisticated features and options. With additional benefits that come with this kind of software, it’s definitely something worth exploring to help protect your device from unwanted emails. 

    If you are a large company that is very careful about the safety of confidential data and the protection of its employees and PCs, you will most likely need a paid filter.

    A paid spam filter will provide the best protection for your company’s computers and email accounts. They will scan and analyze processes more carefully.

    Here is a list of the top 9 Email Spam Filters by version – www.getastra.com

    ​​​​◾ SpamTitan (TitanHQ)

    ​​​​◾ Zerospam 

    ​​​​◾ Spambrella

    ​​​​◾ MailChannels

    ​​​​◾ Xeams

    ​​​​◾ Topsec Email Security

    ​​​​◾ Symantec Email Security.Cloud

    ​​​​◾ MailWasher

     ◾ Spameo

    Conclusion

    Your reputation is your most valuable asset, so it’s important to uphold the highest standards and abide by the rules outlined above. Not only will this help you avoid being marked as a sender of unsolicited emails (spam), but it can also help build trust and credibility with customers – leading to increased satisfaction, loyalty, and ultimately improved business success! 

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