Personalized Email Interactions Applied To Global Filtering

A computer implemented method for filtering unwanted bulk email in an email system and providing a positive user experience is provided. The method enables protection of email users from unsolicited bulk email using user-provided data on user interactions at both a user storage level and a global level with an email system. Metadata on user interactions with messages is collected. Messages are received by the system and evaluated using a global filter which assigns a score resulting in a message action. The action may be message delivery, message non-delivery or message routing, based on a score assigned by the global filter. When the message is delivered to user storage, the message may be examined relative to the metadata, and may alter the message action to an action different than the message action resulting from the score. Metadata for a plurality of users is returned to the global filter for use in making filtering future messages and modifies the global filter.