By Heinz Tschabitscher
Email Expert

If you can hardly see your regular mail because your Yahoo! Mail Inbox is flooded with unsolicited bulk mail, it's time to do something about that.

Yahoo! Mail has a great filtering system in place called SpamGuard that is aimed at sorting out the majority of unsolicited bulk emails you may receive at your Yahoo Mail account. Filter Spam to the "Spam" Folder in Yahoo! Mail

To have Yahoo! Mail filter junk reaching your email account right into the Spam folder:

  • Select Options | Mail Options in Yahoo! Mail.
  • Go to the General category.
  • Make sure Automatically move spam to Spam folder is checked under Spam Protection.
  • Click the x that appears in the OPTIONS tab header as you move the mouse cursor over it.
  • Click OK under Do you want to save your changes?


Filter Spam to the "Bulk" Folder in Yahoo! Mail Classic

To make sure spam detected by SpamGuard is delivered to the Bulk Mail folder instead of your Yahoo! Mail Inbox:

  • Follow the Mail Options link in the Yahoo! Mail toolbar.
  • Select Spam Protection under Spam.
  • Make sure SpamGuard is ON under Spam Filter.
  • If you see SpamGuard is OFF, click Turn SpamGuard ON.
  • Now make sure Save these messages in the Bulk Folder for 2 weeks is selected under For messages SpamGuard identifies as Spam:.
  • Click Save Changes.


Report Spam to Yahoo! Mail

If spam does make it to your Inbox nevertheless, you can improve the Yahoo! Mail spam filters by reporting it. And if you use POP access to Yahoo! Mail, you can avoid downloading the Spam or Bulk folder.
(Updated March 2012)