FAQs: Spam Detection | Zoho Desk

FAQs: Spam Detection

Accessing Spam Detection Settings

Where can automatic spam detection be managed?
  1. Navigate to Setup > Customization > General Settings.
  2. Select Contacts from the left panel.
  3. Locate Automatic Spam Detection.
  4. Turn the setting on or off.
  5. If enabled, choose the required spam-handling option.
Is automatic spam detection enabled by default?
Yes. Incoming emails are automatically evaluated by the built-in spam detection capability unless the setting is disabled.
Can automatic spam detection be turned off?
Yes. Turn off the Automatic Spam Detection toggle under the Contacts settings in General Settings. When disabled, suspicious incoming emails are no longer automatically classified through this setting.

Choosing a Spam-Handling Approach

What spam-handling options are available?
Automatic spam detection provides three options:
  1. Mark only suspicious tickets as spam.
  2. Mark suspicious tickets and their associated contacts as spam.
  3. Mark suspicious tickets as spam, but do not automatically mark associated contacts as spam if they also have valid tickets.
Each option determines whether classification affects only the individual ticket or also changes the status of the related contact.


What happens when only a suspicious ticket is marked as spam?
The individual ticket is classified as spam, while the related contact remains unchanged. Future tickets from that contact are not automatically treated as spam solely because of this one suspicious ticket.

This option is appropriate when the organization wants to filter potentially unwanted messages without broadly restricting a contact.
What happens when a suspicious ticket and its associated contact are both marked as spam?
The suspicious ticket is classified as spam, and the associated contact is also marked as spam. Any future support tickets received from that contact are automatically marked as spam and moved to the Spam Tickets view.

For example, if repeated unsolicited messages are received from the same source, this option prevents each later message from entering the normal support queue.
Can auto-marking a contact as spam affect valid future requests?
Yes. Once a contact is auto-marked as spam, future tickets from that contact are automatically classified as spam. This can affect a legitimate customer if the original suspicious classification was incorrect.

Organizations should use this option when they are comfortable applying a contact-level restriction, not just filtering one ticket.
What does the option for contacts with other valid tickets do?
This option marks the suspicious ticket as spam but does not automatically mark the associated contact as spam if that contact has other valid tickets. It provides additional protection against treating an established customer as a spam source because of one questionable message.

For example, a customer with multiple valid support requests may send one email that is detected as suspicious. The questionable ticket can be filtered while the customer’s valid ticket history remains unaffected.
Which option is suitable when repeated spam from the same sender is a concern?
Automatically marking both suspicious tickets and associated contacts as spam is the stricter option. It ensures future tickets from that contact are automatically routed to Spam Tickets.

Operational Effects

Where are future tickets placed when a contact is marked as spam?
Future support tickets from an auto-marked spam contact are moved automatically to the Spam Tickets view.
Does spam detection affect tickets, contacts, or both?
It always evaluates suspicious incoming tickets. Depending on the selected option, it may also mark the associated contact as spam.
Can a suspicious ticket be marked as spam without changing the contact record?
Yes. Select the option that marks only suspicious tickets as spam and does not mark their associated contacts.
Why is it important to distinguish ticket-level and contact-level spam handling?
Ticket-level handling isolates the classification to one incoming request. Contact-level handling affects how later tickets from the same person are processed. The second approach is more effective against repeated unwanted messages but has a greater impact if a legitimate sender is classified incorrectly.
What should be reviewed before enabling strict contact-level spam marking?
Review whether support contacts may have both suspicious and legitimate communications. If the same contact can submit valid requests, a ticket-only approach or the option that preserves contacts with other valid tickets may be more appropriate.
Can spam settings protect agents from repetitive unsolicited email?
Yes. When suspicious tickets and associated contacts are marked as spam, future tickets from those contacts are automatically directed to the Spam Tickets view instead of being handled as standard incoming requests.