Overview

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Learn how to adjust your settings in Mailman to reduce the amount of spam your list gets.

 

Critical Concepts

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Spam is unsolicited bulk email that includes commercial solicitations, advertisements, chain letters, pyramid schemes, and fraudulent offers.

 

Steps to Take

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Basic

Set Mailman automatically discard all messages from non-members

1. Log in to the list's administration page: https://mailman.ucsd.edu/mailman/admin/ListName-l with your Active Directory username and password (replace ListName with the actual name of your list. The final character is a lowercase letter 'L' for 'list.')
2. Under Configuration Categories find Privacy Options > Sender filters
3. Set generic nonmember action to Discard and submit your changes

Advanced

Allow specific domains to post to your list while discarding all other messages

(These domains are based on the From address of the incoming message and you should be aware that this address is often forged by spammers.) For example, if you would like addresses ending in ucsd.edu to be able to post to your list regardless of whether or not they are members, while still discarding all other messages from non-members, add the following entry to the accept these non-members setting on the Privacy Options > Sender filters page and then submit your changes:

^.*ucsd\.edu

Only allow members to post without moderation

Messages from non-members can be discarded automatically, and messages from non-member ucsd.edu addresses can be held for your approval. To do this, add the following entry in the hold these nonmembers setting rather than the accept these nonmembers setting on the Privacy Options > Sender filters page and then submit your changes:

^.*ucsd\.edu

Discard messages from specific domains

Mailman uses the From address from incoming messages when determining which domain it is from. Be aware that the From address is often forged. To enter domains in the discard these nonmembers setting on the Privacy Options > Sender filters page and then submit your changes:

^.*domain
e.g. ^.*msn\.com

Discard messages with high spam scores

Enter the following in the header filter rules setting on the Privacy Options > Sender filters page and then submit your changes:

X-Spam-Level:**

After you add the above line to the setting, select Discard as your action and submit your changes. (If you want to be notified of deleted messages matching the spam filter, select Reject rather than Discard as your action.)

Discard messages with specific words in the subject line

Use the header filter rules setting with the following entry:

Subject: .*word

where you replace “word” with the word or phrase you want to match. Choose Discard as your action and submit your changes.