# Storing Search Text in an External File

If you need to frequently update and disseminate the search text for processing rules, you can use external text files to store the search text. Then, all you have to do is distribute the text file. The external text file must have a file extension of .RUL.

An administrator can use this method to catch mail from known spammers. The administrator might create a text file named spam.rul. Each time a new spammer address is discovered, the administrator can add it to the spam.rul file. The rules.ima or orules.ima file can reference the text file named spam.rul. The setup for storing search text in an external file is the same for Inbound and outbound rules.

Example: To send spam messages to a mailbox named "spambox", the rules.ima file would contain the line: h~:spam:spambox

Note that a colon must precede the .rul file name. IMail Server reads the rules.ima file and looks for the referenced spam.rul file at the same location as the rules.ima file.

To create a processing rule that references an external text file:

In order to create a processing rule that references an external text file, you must be on one of the following pages Edit Inbound Rule (administrators only), Edit Outbound Rule (administrators only), Edit List Rule (administrators only) and Edit Rule (Users).

1. From one of the above mentioned pages, select the Search string from file option.

2. Select the file from the list box.

3. From the Field text box, select the area that you want to search.

4. Select Contains to have the processing rule look for messages that contain the search string; select doesn’t contain to look for messages that do not contain the search string.

5. Select Case sensitive match to search for text that matches the case of the search string.

6. Click Add Condition then click Apply to save the rule.