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HEX: Everything About Spam and Quarantine

Note: This help article applies only to Hosted Exchange. If you are not sure which email service you use, you can find more information in the following article.

https://www.green.ch/en/which-email-service-do-i-use

 

Why Are Emails Missing Despite Hosted Exchange Being Active?

If expected emails do not arrive, this does not automatically mean that the message has been lost.

Messages may:

  • be rejected by spam and threat protection
  • be moved to quarantine
  • be marked as spam
  • be moved or deleted by mailbox rules
  • be delivered to other recipients through forwarding
  • be moved to other folders

Therefore, always check the quarantine, the spam or junk folder, and any existing rules and forwarding settings.

 

Difference Between Quarantine and the Spam Folder

The quarantine and the spam or junk folder are not the same.

  • Quarantine: The message was held back by server-side spam or threat protection and has not yet been delivered to the mailbox.
  • Spam or junk folder: The message has already been delivered but was classified as spam by the spam filter or email application.

A message may therefore be absent from the quarantine but still be located in the spam or junk folder, or vice versa.

 

Manage Quarantine

In Hosted Exchange, quarantine is managed so that suspicious or potentially harmful messages can be checked before delivery.

Administrators can:

  • search for held messages
  • release messages
  • allow senders
  • manage spam filter settings

After being released, the message is delivered to the mailbox.

Further information:

https://www.green.ch/en/manage-hosted-exchange-quarantine

https://www.green.ch/en/how-do-i-manage-my-spam-filter-in-edgepilot

 

Allowlist and Blocklist

Administrators can specifically allow or block senders.

  • Allowlist: Messages from specific senders, domains or IP addresses are preferentially allowed.
  • Blocklist: Messages from specific senders, domains or IP addresses are blocked.

An allowlist does not guarantee that a message will be delivered. Messages may still be blocked by other security checks.

Further information:

https://www.green.ch/en/how-do-i-manage-my-spam-filter-in-edgepilot

 

Possible Causes of Missing Emails

  • The message was rejected by the spam filter.
  • The message was moved to quarantine.
  • The message was placed in the spam or junk folder.
  • A mailbox rule moved or deleted the message.
  • Forwarding delivered the message to another address.
  • The mailbox is full.
  • The message was moved to another folder.
  • The sender was blocked.
  • The message was rejected due to SPF, DKIM or DMARC issues.
  • The message was blocked due to poor domain or IP reputation.

 

How Does the Spam Filter Work?

The spam filter evaluates each message based on technical and content-related characteristics.

These include:

  • sender reputation
  • IP reputation
  • SPF check
  • DKIM check
  • DMARC check
  • links and destination addresses
  • file attachments
  • sending behaviour
  • known spam and threat patterns

Spam filters evaluate messages based on these characteristics and not on how well known a company or sender is.

Further information:

https://www.green.ch/en/what-to-do-about-so-much-spam

https://www.green.ch/en/what-is-spam

https://www.green.ch/en/hex-spam-filter-reason-and-responsibility

 

SpamLab Link Is Invalid

A link from a SpamLab report may become invalid after some time or following changes.

Even if an earlier link no longer works, the message concerned may still be in quarantine.

In this case, check the quarantine directly.

Further information:

https://www.green.ch/en/hex-spamlab-links-invalid

 

If the Cause Cannot Be Found

Check the following:

  • quarantine
  • spam or junk folder
  • mailbox rules
  • forwarding settings
  • mailbox size

If an investigation is required, have the following information ready where possible:

  • sender
  • recipient
  • date
  • time as accurately as possible
  • description of the missing message

Note: If the message cannot be found in either the quarantine or the spam or junk folder, or if it is still unclear why it was not delivered, contact Support. In certain cases, a more detailed technical investigation may be required.