SmarterMail Overview

SmarterMail has SpamFoo built in. SmarterMail downloads, licenses, runs, and updates SpamFoo Client for you, so there is nothing separate to install. This page explains what the integration does and where to go next.

Using SmarterMail? Skip the SpamFoo Client install and configuration guides. SmarterMail runs spamfoo-client itself and manages its files, license, and updates. To run SpamFoo Client on its own server instead, see Use SpamFoo Client on Another Server.

What the Integration Does

  • Spam checking: SpamFoo scans each incoming message once per recipient and returns a spam verdict. SmarterMail turns that verdict into a spam weight and adds it to the weights from its other spam checks.
  • Email Classifications: SpamFoo sorts each user's Inbox into Primary, Transactions, Updates, and Promotions. Users see these Classifications in webmail. See The Four Email Classifications.
  • Learning from corrections: When users report spam, report not spam, or move a message to a different Classification, SmarterMail passes the correction to SpamFoo. SpamFoo uses it to personalize results for that mailbox. Spam and not spam reports are passed on only while correction sharing is on. See How Personalization Works.
  • The SpamFoo dashboard: System administrators, domain administrators, and users can open the SpamFoo dashboard from inside SmarterMail. Each sees the view that matches their role.

Spam checking and Email Classifications are turned on separately. You can use either one or both. With only Email Classifications on, SpamFoo adds no spam weight and SmarterMail's other spam checks decide what is spam.

What SmarterMail Handles for You

  • Download: SmarterMail downloads the SpamFoo Client package for your operating system from global-api.spamfoo.com and checks its SHA-256 hash before installing it.
  • Install: SmarterMail places the client in a SpamFoo folder inside the SmarterMail program folder and creates the folders and files the client needs.
  • License: SmarterMail uses the SpamFoo add-on on your SmarterMail license when you have one. Otherwise it requests a SpamFoo license for the server automatically.
  • Run: SmarterMail starts spamfoo-client when spam checking or Email Classifications are turned on, watches its health, and stops it when neither is in use.
  • Updates: SmarterMail checks for a newer client before it starts SpamFoo. The running client also downloads new models and client versions on its own schedule.

What You Need

  • A SmarterMail system administrator account.
  • Outbound HTTPS from the mail server to global-api.spamfoo.com and services.smartertools.com. SmarterMail uses these to download the client, check for updates, and get and verify the SpamFoo license.
  • Enough memory and CPU on the mail server for SpamFoo Client. See System Requirements.

SmarterMail Pages