Don Trauger – Kennett
In the August 2025 G&D, the Tech Tips article mentioned using the Comcast email filters as a
way to control spam from that provider. If Comcast is your email provider, meaning your email
address ends in comcast.net, the following will help reduce spam in your inbox.
Using your web browser such as Google Chrome, Firefox or another, log on to your email
account and open the spam email. It’s safe to open spam but DO NOT CLICK ANYTHING
INSIDE OF THE OPEN EMAIL! Look in the upper right corner for a question mark. Just to the
right of the question mark there’s a gear icon. Click it. In the drop-down menu click Email
Settings. On the left side, under Mail, click Filter Rules. Then click Add New Rule at the top.
Give the new rule a name that identifies the spam. The spam email will show bold text at the top
of the email. This is the subject line and it will become instrumental in configuring this particular
spam email. Pick out 2-3 key words from the subject line. Skip insignificant words like is, the,
and it. Once you have made your selection move down to Add Condition then click it. In the
pop-up menu click Subject. To the right of the Subject field, you will see a blank field. Enter
your key words. Use only spaces to separate the words. Once you have added the Subject key
words move down to Add action and click it. Choose Discard. Now click Save. You now have
a simple but working spam filter.
To improve the filtering capability of the filter, add Content like you did when you added
Subject. Now with both of these working for you have doubled the filtering capability. For
Content, again pick significant words in the message section. It helps if the spam email repeats
the word. However, you only need to use it once. If you run out of room in either the Subject or
Content fields just add another blank one. Usually, 2 to 3 words per field is best.
With at least one Content field added along with at least one Subject field, one powerful
environment variable becomes available. Near the top look for Apply rule if all conditions are
met. However, you don’t want this selection. You want the even more powerful Apply rule if any
condition is met. Click the little down arrow at the extreme right to change.
The filter can be used in any spam situation but start with those that are frequently seen or just
annoy you.
