How to Enable Spam Protection in Plesk?

Plesk is a popular web hosting control panel, provides robust tools for: 

- Managed server hosting

- Website configurations

- Email systems

Of these elements, spam protection is one of the most important elements to ensure the reliability and security of the emails. It prevents the users from receiving unwanted and potentially dangerous messages.

Step 1: Accessing Plesk

- Before you can enable spam protection, you have to first go to your Plesk control panel.

- Access Plesk web interface using a browser by entering your administrator login information.

- Once logged in, you can navigate to the specific areas where spam protection settings are configured.

Step 2: Navigating to Mail Settings

To enable spam protection, you must first access the Mail Settings section:

- In the Plesk dashboard, locate the "Mail" tab in the left-hand menu.

- Click on it.

- Select "Mail Server Settings" from the drop-down menu.

Step 3: Enabling SpamAssassin

SpamAssassin is a filtering tool used in Plesk that filters out spam messages. Some of the heuristic and statistical methods that it employs  include:

- In the “Mail Server Settings” page, find the “Spam Filter” option.

- Tick on the check box that is labeled “Switch on spam filtering for all mailboxes. ”

- To save the changes, right-click, and select “OK” or “Apply.”

- It runs SpamAssassin for all mail users on your server.

Step 4: Configuring SpamAssassin

Once SpamAssassin is enabled, you can customize its settings to suit your needs better:

- Go to the "Mail" tab.

- Select "Spam Filter".

- Here you can modify the spam filter options to change the level of sensitivity. When the score is low, the filter is more aggressive. When the score is high, it becomes less aggressive. The default score is usually set at 5 since it is the optimal point that enables a spam filter to catch spam without generating false positives.

- You can also enable other options such as:

- "Move spam to the Spam folder": This option automatically moves identified spam emails to a designated spam folder. Thus, keeping your inbox clean.

- "Add spam mail header": This adds a specific header to suspected spam emails, making them easier to identify and filter.

Step 5: Advanced SpamAssassin Configuration

For advanced users, SpamAssassin offers additional configuration options:

- Go to the Spam Filter and click on the “Show Advanced Settings” link.

- Here, you can add or remove the email addresses or domains of your choice to either allow or block them. Whitelisting makes sure that emails from specific addresses are never to be considered as spam. Conversely, blacklisting makes certain email addresses always be regarded as spam emails.

- You can also configure custom rules and scores for SpamAssassin to fine-tune its filtering capabilities further.

Step 6: Enabling DKIM and SPF

DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) and Sender Policy Framework (SPF) are email authentication protocols. They help prevent email spoofing and improve spam filtering accuracy:

- To enable DKIM, go to the "Mail" tab.

- Select "Mail Settings.”

- Click on "Switch on DKIM spam protection."

- For SPF, navigate to the DNS Settings of your domain and add a TXT record using the appropriate SPF policy. Plesk provides a default policy, but you can customize it based on your needs.

Step 7: Testing and Monitoring

After configuring spam protection, it's essential to monitor its effectiveness:

- Send test emails to check if legitimate emails are being marked as spam and vice versa.

- Regularly review the spam folder and the mail logs in Plesk to ensure the filter works as expected.

- Adjust the sensitivity and rules of SpamAssassin as necessary based on your testing results.

To Sum it Up!

Spam protection in Plesk is one of the most effective ways to protect your email system. It prevents the receipt of unwanted messages. By following the steps given above you can quite a lot alleviate the spam problem for your users. Thus ensuring a cleaner and more secure email environment. Regular monitoring and setting adjustments will help maintain an optimal balance between catching spam and allowing legitimate emails.