What best practices should be followed when implementing a spam filter in PHP?

Spam filters are essential for preventing unwanted and potentially harmful emails from reaching users' inboxes. When implementing a spam filter in PHP, it is important to use a combination of techniques such as keyword filtering, sender reputation checks, and machine learning algorithms to accurately detect and block spam emails.

// Example PHP code snippet for implementing a basic spam filter using keyword filtering

function spamFilter($emailContent) {
    $keywords = array("viagra", "lottery", "free", "cash prize"); // Define a list of spam keywords
    foreach($keywords as $keyword) {
        if (stripos($emailContent, $keyword) !== false) {
            return true; // Return true if any spam keyword is found in the email content
        }
    }
    return false; // Return false if no spam keywords are found
}

// Example usage:
$emailContent = "Get free viagra now!";
if(spamFilter($emailContent)) {
    echo "This email is likely spam.";
} else {
    echo "This email is not spam.";
}