Mail junk filtering does not work with mail rule

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Robet Rackl Author

Level 1

13 points

Mail junk filtering does not work with mail rule

I have the following configuration in my Mac Mail application on Mac OS Monetäre (12.1):

Mail -> Preferences -> Jung Mail filtering:

Enabled
When junk mail arrives -> Move it to inbox
Filter jung mail before applying my rules. <========== !!!

So far Junk filtering works perfectly fine.

Now I would like to have the following mail rule.

If ALL of the following conditions are met:
- Sender is not in my contacts
- Sender is not in my previous recipients
- Message is not addressed to my full name
Perform the following actions
- Move message to mailbox "Unknown"

My problem:

Once I activate this rule, then messages from unknown senders are correctly moved to the "Unknown" folder But Junk mail is also moved to that Unknown folder, instead of the Junk folder

Mind the setting that I marked above. Junk Mail filtering should happen before my personal mail rules.

What can I do?

MacBook Pro 14″, macOS 12.1

Posted on Dec 22, 2021 9:24 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Robet Rackl Author

Level 1

13 points

Dec 23, 2021 3:10 AM in response to Robet Rackl

Thank you very much for your detailed response. This helped me to find a solution:

I configured the spam filter to "Perform custom actions"
And then under "Advanced ..." I configured a spam filtering rule
but now WITH the last action: "Stop evaluating rules", when a Jung mail is found and moved to the Junk-Mailbox.

That works fine so far.

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Answer 2

TrafGib

Level 2

409 points

Dec 22, 2021 11:39 AM in response to Robet Rackl

Hi Robet Rackl,

"When junk mail arrives -> Move it to inbox"

The option I see, for this, is "Mark as junk mail, but leave it in my Inbox". Is this what you are using? Or, did you use customer actions?

If I am interpreting correctly, the problem is that even after the junk mail has been processed, it is possible (in fact likely) that the junk mail fulfills all the requirements of your rules. Thus, with the post-processing of the rules, it is valid and correct for the junk item to be pulled out of your Inbox and moved to "unknown".

There is a rule stating "Message is junk mail", however what you need is the missing "Message is NOT junk mail".

My only thought would be to try NOT leaving the junk mail in the Inbox. I think the post-processing rules only act upon the Inbox. Thus, the junk mail, when moved to the junk folder (or any other outside the Inbox), are imune.

Bottom line, for the flow you have, I think it is working as it should. You process the junk, and that step completes. However, the result of that process is that the junk mail is left in the Inbox where the rules are subsequently free to act upon them, and move them.

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Mail junk filtering does not work with mail rule

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