Mail filtering

From Boomerang Wiki

What is mail filtering?

Mail filtering allows a user or corporation to filter email based on specific criteria. The most common use for mail filtering is to filter out unwanted emails (such as spam) from view. Mail filters can exist in various locations:

• On the email client (Outlook, Thunderbird, Eudora)
• On the email server (SMTP gateway, IMAP/Exchange server)

More and more companies are contracting with companies like Postini to filter their emails at the SMTP gateway. When these filters are utilized, the corporate user may or may not (usually not) have control over how the filters are implemented or what they filter. SMTP gateway filters allow the IT staff to manage these filters at a corporate level, but can sometimes end up being more of a sledgehammer approach (filters too much). Some gateway filters may offer an Outlook or Thunderbird add-on to allow limited control over what not to deliver.

Client filters and IMAP/Exchange filters give the user control over what's filtered. The user can go into an interface and add or remove filters at will. These types of filters give the most flexibility to the end user.