How does Mail filter spam on newly added accounts?

[uscpsycho]

I'm a longtime Outlook user and have finally had it with its instability. My email organizational skills suck which leads to huge amounts of email in any given mailbox. Mac Mail may choke on this too but I won't know until I try.

Problem is I'm afraid that Mail is going to suck all my mail off the IMAP server, start applying its own spam filter and classify lots of old legitimate emails as spam. If that happens it'll be a mess and I'll never be able to undo that.

So the question is this. When you add a new account will it apply the spam filter to all the email that's already on the server or will it leave all the existing email as it and only apply the spam filter to newly received emails?

TIA

 

[ChrisA]

Problem is I'm afraid that Mail is going to suck all my mail off the IMAP server, start applying its own spam filter
TIA

In mail's preferences you can turn off the spam filter or set it to do what you like

 

[uscpsycho]

In mail's preferences you can turn off the spam filter or set it to do what you like

I know I can turn the spam filter off but I don't want it off forever. I just want it to only apply to new email.

I'm thinking if I turn it off before I add the email accounts and then turn it on after everything has synced up, then it will only apply its filter to new incoming mail and leave all the old email as is. Anyone see a problem with that?

 

[Weaselboy]

So the question is this. When you add a new account will it apply the spam filter to all the email that's already on the server or will it leave all the existing email as it and only apply the spam filter to newly received emails?

TIA

If it is IMAP, Mail will see those all as new messages and pull them down from the server and filter for junk as they come in. I see no issue with just disabling the junk filter until after you get the initial messages in then turn it back on later. Then it will only filter new, incoming messages.