Managing Junk Email: Outlook Client on Windows

Introduction

Microsoft Outlook provides several options to help manage junk emails. End-users are able to mark/report specific emails as junk and automatically move future messages from the same sender to the Junk Email folder. End-users can also mark/report legitimate emails as not junk, if they are inadvertently blocked and sent to the Junk Email folder. This ensures that future messages from the same sender are received in the Inbox folder. In addition, end-users can create lists of safe senders and blocked senders, and even create inbox rules to further refine their email filtering.

To review general best practices, see the Preventing/Reducing Junk Email: Tips and Best Practices article. Follow the steps below to manage your inbox and reduce the amount of junk email you receive.

This article is divided into different sections. Please click on the desired link to jump to that section:

Instructions

Marking/Reporting Email as Junk

Marking an email as junk in the Inbox will move it to the Junk Email folder. The email will also be added to your Blocked Senders list to block future occurrences. Reporting an email as junk will do the same but will also send a copy of the email to Microsoft, which helps them to strengthen their filtering algorithm. Junk email is retained for 30 days before it is automatically deleted.

Please click on the desired link to jump to that subsection of the topic:

Marking Junk Email

  1. From Inbox folder, right-click email and select Junk > Block Sender
    Block Sender
    - or -
    Open the email, then click the Junk icon dropdown in the top Ribbon and select Block Sender
    Block Sender

Note: The blocked junk email message is then moved to the Junk Email folder.
 

Reporting Junk Email

Selecting the Report Junk options will send a copy of the email to Microsoft and helps to improve the filtering algorithm.

  1. From the Home tab, select the email and click Report Message > Junk
    Report Junk

Note: The reported junk email message is then moved to the Junk Email folder.
 

Marking/Reporting Email as Not Junk

Email marked as junk is retained for 30 days before it is automatically deleted. Therefore, it is recommended that you check the Junk Email folder periodically for any emails that may have inadvertently been marked as junk to ensure you’re not missing important messages. For any legitimate email you see in the Junk Email folder, follow the steps below to mark it as not junk.

  1. From Junk Email folder, right-click email and select Junk > Not Junk
    Not Junk
    - or -
    Open the email, then click the Junk icon dropdown in the top Ribbon and select Not Junk
    Not Junk
  2. If prompted, confirm the email is not junk and to always trust the email.

Note: The email is moved to the Inbox or original folder it had resided.
 

Adding Blocked Senders and Safe Senders

Outlook lets you maintain a list of blocked senders and safe senders. You can add up to a combined 1,024 email addresses (e.g. john.doe@something.com) or domains (e.g. something.com). It is common for senders or companies to use different email addresses, so blocking one email address will not block other emails from the same domain. For this reason, it is a good practice to add the domain instead of each individual email address. This would also allow you add more blocked and safe sender entries and help you stay within your limit. All pace.edu accounts are automatically considered safe and cannot be added to the Blocked Senders list.

What is the difference between the Safe Sender and Safe Recipients tab?
Safe senders are domains and people you always want to receive email messages from.  Safe recipients are recipients that you don't want to block, usually email listserv groups that you’re a member of.  Messages received from any email address or domain in your Safe Senders and Recipients list are never sent to your Junk Email folder.

  1. Right-click any email and select Junk > Junk E-mail Options…
    Junk Email Options
    - or -
    From Home tab, click Junk in the Ribbon, then select Junk E-mail Options…
    Junk Email Options
  2. Verify that No Automatic Filtering... is selected since it is the recommended setting
    Junk Email Options
  • Note: Selecting No Automatic Filtering allows for the filtering to be handled by the global Exchange Online settings. Selecting “Low”, “High”, or “Safe Lists Only” would only apply to that specific Outlook client only, not for all other devices.

Select from the list of topics for adding safe or blocked senders:

Blocked Senders

The Blocked Senders list contains blocked email addresses and domains which are automatically sent to the Junk Email folder.

  1. Click the Blocked Senders tab at the top
    block sender
     
  2. Click the Add button and type email address or domain
    block
     
  3. Click OK
  4. Confirm the address is listed and click OK at the bottom
    block


Safe Senders

The Safe Senders list contains trusted email addresses and domains that are never sent to the Junk Email folder.

  1. Click the Safe Senders tab at the top
    safe senders
  2. Click Add and type email address or domain
    safe senders
     
  3. Click OK
  4. Confirm the address is listed and click OK at the bottom
    safe sender
     

Adding Inbox Rules to Filter Out Unwanted Emails

Inbox rules allow you to automate routing of incoming emails based on criteria you set and provide additional functionality for managing unwanted emails. For example, you can create a rule that checks incoming emails for certain keywords in the subject or body and, if there's a match, it will automatically move that email to a specified folder (e.g., Junk Email).

Note: There are two types of rules in Outlook, Exchange server-based and client-only. The instructions below provide client-only rules that only run on a specific computer when Outlook client is open.

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Rule to Block Emails from a Specified Domain

  1. Select File tab at the top
    file rule
  2. Select Manage Rules & Alerts
    rules and alerts
  3. Click New Rule button
    new rule
  4. Select the Move messages from someone to a folder template and click Next
    step 1 domain
  5. Click th people or public group link at the bottom
    specified group
  6.  Add the address in the From section and click OK.
    rule example
  7. Click Next at the bottom
    Click Next
  8. Select specified folder link
    specified folder
  9. Select Junk Email, Click OK
    rule junk email
  10. Click Next at the bottom
    Click Next
  11. If needed, add the desired exceptions and click Next at the bottom
  12. Type a rule name in Step 1 and and customize when the rule will run in Step 2
    rule finish
  13. Click the Finish button when done
     

Rule to Block Emails with Specified Text

  1. Select File tab at the top
    file rule
  2. Select Manage Rules & Alerts
    rules and alerts
  3. Click New Rule button
    new rule
  4. Select the Move messages with specific words in the subject to a folder template and click Next
    Template to move
  5. Click th specific words link at the bottom
    specific word                                                                                                                                 
  6.  Input specific words in the field and click Add. Once all words have been added, click OK.
    Click Add
  7. Click Next at the bottom
    Click Next
  8. Select specified folder link
    specified folder
  9. Select Junk Email and click OK
    rule junk email
  10. Click Next at the bottom
    Click Next
  11. If needed, add the desired exceptions and click Next at the bottom
  12. Type a rule name in Step 1 and and customize when the rule will run in Step 2
    finish
  13. Click the Finish button when done
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