Configure DirectAdmin Spam Filtering with Clear Handling Rules

DirectAdmin’s spam settings control how supported incoming-mail filtering classifies and handles messages for your account. The installed backend may be SpamAssassin or Rspamd; a page labelled SpamAssassin does not by itself prove which service the administrator uses.

Check availability and current behavior

Open your account’s verified HTTPS panel, choose the correct domain/account context and find SpamAssassin Setup or the corresponding spam controls under email management. Read the displayed enabled state rather than assuming every server is already enabled. If the feature is absent or messages are not scanned, use a support ticket; do not install a second scanner or edit global Exim configuration from a shared-hosting tutorial.

Choose a reversible handling policy

• Destination: select the intended spam folder or other available handling action. Check where it appears for the mailbox and client you use.
• Score threshold: lowering it generally marks more messages, including potentially legitimate mail. Raising it reduces sensitivity. The displayed default is installation-dependent, not a universal recommendation.
• High-score deletion: permanent deletion can lose legitimate mail. Initially prefer reviewable handling where available, and monitor before considering a separate deletion threshold.
• Subject marking: choose a recognizable label if needed, but understand that changing a message can affect signatures or downstream processing.
• Delivery format: supported report/attachment modes change presentation. They do not guarantee that scripts, links or malware are harmless.
• Allow/block entries: use the narrowest justified address or pattern. An allowed sender name is not authentication and can be spoofed; avoid broad domain wildcards as a routine false-positive fix.

Save and inspect real headers

Record the previous settings, save one deliberate change and reopen the page to confirm it persisted. Inspect the source headers of legitimate and unwanted messages for the actual scanner’s score/action. A missing header is a diagnostic lead, not proof that every message bypasses scanning; size limits, routes and other integration settings can differ.

Check both inbox and spam folder, including important transactional messages. If a valid message is misclassified, preserve a redacted sample and its headers for investigation. Do not disable account-wide filtering or signature checks merely to make one message arrive. Keep authentication, malware detection and content scoring conceptually separate: no single score provides guaranteed protection or inbox placement.

References: DirectAdmin incoming-spam integration and SpamAssassin configuration semantics.

Reviewed October 15, 2026. Documentation review only; no account filter, scanner backend or production message was changed or tested.