Feedback Loops

Keeping your list clean is combination of few best practices among which Feedback Loops hold a key position. It offers you a way to deal with the abuse/spam complaints before they actually started destroying your sender reputation. The service of reporting back the spam complaint is offered by majority ISPs that you can implement and configure with CampaignsPlus FBL processing function. A FBL processor account would help you automatically process the complaints within the list to keep your list clean and free from abuse/spam emails. If you have implemented the ISPs offered FBLs and connected the FBL Mailbox responsible to collect the spam notifications/reports with CampaignsPlus account, you would have the ability to automatically process these complaints to avoid further sending to them. Here is how you configure/connect FBL processor accounts within CampaignsPlus.

Navigate to Add a Feedback Loop

Main Navigation -> Feedback Loops -> Add a Feedback Loop

The process actually requires connecting the server hosting the mailbox responsible for collecting the spam reports, like we have learnt to connect bounce mailbox for processing the spam.

Mandatory Fields/Selections

These are the fields mandatory to fill in with appropriate information for the FBL processor to function properly.

FBL Email

The email you have used to configure the ISPs provided FBLs with. It may appear like bounce@domain.com or abuse@domain.com etc.

FBL Host

This needs to be filled with the path to the server where mailbox to collect spam reports is hosted. This would help establishing the connection between the software utility and the server to read spam reports and to set off the processing. The hostname mostly appears like mail.yourdomain.com or the main IP address of the server holding the spam mailbox. Providing the correct path is necessary to establish the connection.

Bounce Port

CampaignsPlus uses IMAP or POP3 as access protocols, and later in this process you will select one appropriate. For this field, you would need to provide the opening port according to your choice between IMAP and POP3. The default port for IMAP is 143 and for POP3 it is 110 (Without SSL or Non-Encrypted. However the value can also be other than the default ones, as per your configuration.

FBL Username & Password

Both username and password fields are required to access the spam mailbox, in order to read the spam reports/notification and process them within the lists.

FBL Folder 

If the folder to receive the spam complaint notifications is other than the inbox in the intended mailbox, then provide the folder name here. And if it is inbox then keep the default value selected.

Bounce Processing

The radio button selection is towards the end of the form and it is mandatory to select the right option between the two available. Both post office protocol (POP3) and internet access messaging protocol (IMAP) are the protocols used to access remote server emails.

Both IMAP and POP are different in working mechanism and scope, like the POP3 is somewhat secure as it allows downloading of the emails from the server or checking of the emails using one computer/ device. While the IMAP allows using multiple devices, computers for the same process, therefore select accordingly.

Optional Fields

Selections that are optional while the process of adding FBL.

Validate Certificates

Security certificates are the part of verifying the identity of device or person, if connecting to the server is using self-signed certificate, select “Yes”, in the other case select “No” to proceed. Keeping this at “No” will not validate the security certificate.

Encryption

Keep the default value “No” selected if you aren’t using encryption, select one of the following methods if you are using encryption.

1. TLS- Transport layer security or TLS is security protocol like the SLL that encrypts the file to deliver the mail securely. If the connection to your mail server/spam server is using TLS to provide communication security, select this option.
2. SSL- If SSL is required to connect then select this option.

Delete Emails

With two options to select the one you prefer, 1) Yes- if you want to delete the emails from spam to mailbox after getting them processed within CampaignsPlus or 2) No- If you don’t want to delete emails from spam mailbox anyway. But if you are selecting this option as Yes, make sure that the Spam Mailbox or Folder does only contain spam reports/notification, because if there is mix of other emails, delete function will not differentiate and will delete all.

Options to Save Preferences

You have the following options to complete the process, cancel, save and test the provided details.

Save & Add Another

Get the current details/preferences saved to complete this process, and automatically reopen the same process with empty field values/options to make a new entry.

Save & Exit

Complete the process, get your preferences/ details saved and exit from the process.

Return

Don’t save the details and return by to View Bounce Mailbox page

Verify Connection

Another option is there that would help you to test the settings and details you have provided to configure FBL processor account. Once you click “Verify Connection” CampaignsPlus establishes a connection to the server, and tries to login the spam mailbox using the details you have just provided to integrate it with CampaignsPlus. If it finds the account information valid, it returns with a success message, an error message will appear otherwise.

View Feedback Loops 

A list of all available Feedback Loops are provided with an ability to quickly add a new FBL using the button Configure a FBL from the top of the table, can search specific FBL account from the list using the search box and can also choose to populate desired number of records on the first page of the table. By default it populates 50 records on the first page.

Navigate to View Feedback Loops

Information that the view table provides is as follows.

Selection

Rows of the first column have checkboxes that would help selecting records of multiple rows. You can select one or multiple records by ticking the checkboxes.

Name

Every row under this column represents a FBL processor account with its name. The name was provided as FBL Email while adding a feedback loop.

Host

Host field value that you provided while configuring the Feedback Loop, the host provides the path to the server where spam mailbox is hosted.

Username

The actual username of the spam mailbox, mailbox that is maintained to receive spam reports from the ISPs.

Method

Which method of the two available protocols specific Feedback Loop Account is using between IMAP and POP3?

Port

Mostly you will see default ports of IMAP (143) and POP (110) appearing under this column, except for some specific FBL accounts that may have a port other than the default ones.

Actions

Perform following action to manage the currently available bounce mailboxes

Edit	Clicking on the edit button will directly lead you to the page where you will be able to modify the information you have setup earlier.
Delete	Clicking delete will result in deletion of the specific FBL account, once you confirm the prompt message asking if you really want to delete the record.
Delete Bulk	Apart from deleting Feedback Loops one by one, you can select multiple mailboxes and can opt to delete them by selecting delete under Tools.