The SPAM_FEEDBACK_PROBE variable defines the domains for which to enable automatic processing of Spam Feedback Loops.

There are two steps in configuring automatic feedback loop processing.

    1. Define this configuration variable with the space-separated domain names for which to enable Spam Feedback Loops, for example AOL.COM or YAHOO.COM.
    2. Create a LISTSERV list dedicated to feedback loop processing. It can be configured as you wish as long as the special addresses from which the spam reports are sent are authorized to post to the list. Test the list carefully to make sure that archiving is working properly and that the list will not send any replies back. Then, add

Misc-Options= PROCESS_SPAM_FEEDBACK

to the list configuration to activate automatic report processing.

If the message is recognized as a spam report and refers to a message that originated after you set the SPAM_FEEDBACK_PROBE configuration option, LISTSERV will:

    1. Immediately delete the user from all local LISTSERV lists, on the first spam report. This does not include Dynamic Query Lists, which are managed outside LISTSERV.
    2. Not send any notification to the user.
    3. Add the user to the spam feedback list with the NOMAIL option to keep a record of who has lodged spam complaints. The subscription date is set to the date of the first complaint and the last activity date is set to the date of the last complaint.
    4. Log a SPAM_COMPLAINT record to the list's change log, if one has been defined. You can use this information to remove the user from Dynamic Query Lists, if you have any such lists.

This ensures that no further mail will be sent to the user and minimizes the risk for further complaints (although experience has shown that people sometimes find old messages in their mailbox days or weeks later, which can lead to a handful of additional spam reports).

To define in the Web Interface, expand Server Administration, then select Site Configuration.  Click the Anti-Spam button, and then define SPAM_FEEDBACK_PROBE. For example:

SPAM_FEEDBACK_PROBE=AOL.COM


By default, SPAM_FEEDBACK_PROBE is not set (that is, no domains are enabled for Feedback Loop processing).