Correct a Wrong Result

When SpamFoo misses a spam message, marks a message you wanted as spam, or puts a message in the wrong Email Classification, tell it. Your correction helps SpamFoo handle mail like it better next time.

Ways to Correct SpamFoo

In your mail app: If your mail runs on SmarterMail, marking a message as spam or not spam, or moving it to a different classification, in webmail sends the correction to SpamFoo for you. See What SmarterMail Users See.
In the SpamFoo Dashboard: Report the message from My Messages or the Recent Messages card on your Overview. The steps are below.

Report a Message in the Dashboard

Open the SpamFoo Dashboard and go to My Email > My Messages.
Find the message. The Classification column shows where SpamFoo put it. Filters can help. See Filter Messages.
Right-click the message and choose Report Misclassification. You can also click the message and then click Report Misclassification in the details panel.
In the Report to SpamFoo window, under Report this message as, choose the right result. See Choose the Right Result.
Click Report.

The window shows the message's Current Classification, such as Spam, Phishing, Not Spam, or a classification. That choice is marked (current) and can't be picked.

Choose the Right Result

Spam that got through: Choose Spam.
Phishing that got through: Choose Phishing for a fake message that tries to trick you into giving up a password, money, or personal details. SpamFoo treats it as spam for your mailbox and tells SpamFoo it was phishing, which helps improve the phishing checks.
A message wrongly marked as spam or phishing: Choose Not Spam, or choose the classification it belongs in. Either one tells SpamFoo the message isn't spam.
A message in the wrong classification: Choose Primary, Transactions, Updates, or Promotions. See The Four Email Classifications.

What Happens Next

When you see Message reported to SpamFoo, SpamFoo has done two things:

It learns your choice for your mailbox. SpamFoo saves the correction on your mail server. Similar mail from the same sender follows your choice from then on, and very similar mail from other senders can too. Different kinds of mail from that sender are still handled on their own. If a sender's receipts and newsletters both land in the wrong place, correct one of each.
It sends the correction to SpamFoo. SpamFoo uses corrections from many servers to improve its models for everyone. If your administrator turned on content sharing, a sanitized copy of the message text is sent too. See Sharing Message Content.

Tip If you always want a sender's mail marked as Spam or Not Spam, add a spam rule for that sender. A rule decides every time, while a correction only teaches SpamFoo. See Add a Spam Rule.

Some things don't change:

The message stays where it is in your mailbox. Move it in your mail app if you want to.
The message keeps its original result in My Messages. The menu now shows Reported to SpamFoo instead of Report Misclassification.

To change your answer, click Reported to SpamFoo and report a different result. To remove what SpamFoo learned, see Undo a Correction.

Other Results You May See

Message	What It Means
No report was sent because the SpamFoo model already classifies this message that way	SpamFoo's models already agree with you, so a report would teach them nothing. Something else decided this message. The message often starts with what that was, such as a spam rule or the sender's reputation, and what to do about it.
Your correction was saved for this mailbox	Appears with the message above. No report was sent, but SpamFoo still learned your choice for your mailbox.
No report was sent because the message is already classified that way	The message already has the result you picked.
This correction has already been reported	You already reported this message with the same result.
Too many reports from this mailbox in the last hour	Each mailbox can send a limited number of reports per hour. Wait and try again later.

Always Allow or Always Block a Sender

A correction teaches SpamFoo, but it doesn't promise the same result every time. To always treat a sender one way, create a spam rule. See Add a Spam Rule. Spam rules only decide spam or not spam. No rule always puts a sender in one classification.

Review What SpamFoo Learned

Go to My Email > My Rules. What SpamFoo learned from your corrections is listed under Trained Rules. Each row shows:

Applies To Emails From: the sender, or a description such as Emails that look like one you sorted.
Result: Spam or Not Spam, or a classification such as Promotions.
Training Method: Manual or Automatic. See Trained Rules.
Times used: how many times the rule has matched since it was created.

Undo a Correction

Go to My Email > My Rules.
Under Trained Rules, find the row.
Right-click the row and choose Delete, or click the row and then click Delete.
Click Delete to confirm.

SpamFoo stops using what it learned for that mail in your mailbox. This doesn't take back a report that was already sent to SpamFoo.

Troubleshooting

Report Misclassification Is Missing

Cause: You already reported this message.
Fix: Look for Reported to SpamFoo instead. Click it to report a different result. If it's grayed out, SpamFoo no longer has the details it needs to report this message again.

Cause: SpamFoo no longer has the details it needs to report this message, or your server isn't set up to send reports.
Fix: Correct the message in your mail app instead, or create a spam rule for the sender. If no message offers the option, ask your administrator.

New Messages Are Still Wrong After a Correction

Cause: A spam rule from you or an administrator decided whether those messages were spam. Rules come before what SpamFoo learns from you.
Fix: Check My Rules for a rule that matches the sender. Set By shows whether the rule is yours or an administrator's. If an administrator's rule matches, ask your administrator to change it.

Cause: The new messages are too different from the one you corrected.
Fix: Correct a few more of them, or create a spam rule for the sender.