---
name: "Mail::SpamAssassin::Client"
section: "3pm"
platform: "linux"
package: "spamassassin"
version: "4.0.2-3"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/Mail::SpamAssassin::Client"
---

# Mail::SpamAssassin::Client(3pm)

Client for spamd Protocol

## NAME

Mail::SpamAssassin::Client - Client for spamd Protocol

## SYNOPSIS

```
  my $client = Mail::SpamAssassin::Client->new({
                                port => 783,
                                host => 'localhost',
                                username => 'someuser'});
  or
  my $client = Mail::SpamAssassin::Client->new({
                                socketpath => '/path/to/socket',
                                username => 'someuser'});
  Optionally takes timeout, which is applied to IO::Socket for the
  initial connection.  If not supplied, it defaults to 30 seconds.
  if ($client->ping()) {
    print "Ping is ok\n";
  }
  my $result = $client->process($testmsg);
  if ($result->{isspam} eq 'True') {
    do something with spam message here
  }
```

## DESCRIPTION

Mail::SpamAssassin::Client is a module which provides a perl implementation of the spamd protocol.

## PUBLIC METHODS

### new

public class (Mail::SpamAssassin::Client) new (\\% `$args`)

Description: This method creates a new Mail::SpamAssassin::Client object.

### process

public instance (\\%) process (String `$msg`)

Description: This method calls the spamd server with the PROCESS command.

The return value is a hash reference containing several pieces of information, if available:

content\_length

isspam

score

threshold

message

report

### spam\_report

public instance (\\%) spam\_report (String `$msg`)

Description: The method implements the report call.

See the process method for the return value.

### spam\_report\_ifspam

public instance (\\%) spam\_report\_ifspam (String `$msg`)

Description: The method implements the report\_ifspam call. A report will be returned only if the message is spam.

See the process method for the return value.

### check

public instance (\\%) check (String `$msg`)

Description: The method implements the check call.

See the process method for the return value.

### headers

public instance (\\%) headers (String `$msg`)

Description: This method implements the headers call.

See the process method for the return value.

### learn

public instance (Boolean) learn (String `$msg`, Integer `$learntype`)

Description: This method implements the learn call.  `$learntype` should be an integer, 0 for spam, 1 for ham and 2 for forget.  The return value is a boolean indicating if the message was learned or not.

An undef return value indicates that there was an error and you should check the resp\_code/resp\_msg values to determine what the error was.

### report

public instance (Boolean) report (String `$msg`)

Description: This method provides the report interface to spamd.

### revoke

public instance (Boolean) revoke (String `$msg`)

Description: This method provides the revoke interface to spamd.

### ping

public instance (Boolean) ping ()

Description: This method performs a server ping and returns 0 or 1 depending on if the server responded correctly.

## PRIVATE METHODS

### \_create\_connection

private instance (IO::Socket) \_create\_connection ()

Description: This method sets up a proper IO::Socket connection based on the arguments used when creating the client object.

On failure, it sets an internal error code and returns undef.

### \_parse\_response\_line

private instance (@) \_parse\_response\_line (String `$line`)

Description: This method parses the initial response line/header from the server and returns its parts.

We have this as a separate method in case we ever decide to get fancy with the response line.

### \_clear\_errors

private instance () \_clear\_errors ()

Description: This method clears out any current errors.

### \_filter

private instance (\\%) \_filter (String `$msg`, String `$command`)

Description: Makes the actual call to the spamd server for the various filter method (ie PROCESS, CHECK, HEADERS, etc).  The command that is passed in is sent to the spamd server.

The return value is a hash reference containing several pieces of information, if available:

content\_length

isspam

score

threshold

message (if available)

report (if available)