Managing Junk Email: Exchange Online (email365.pace.edu)

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.

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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.

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Marking Junk Email:

  1. From Inbox folder, right-click the email and select Block > Block sender
    Block Sender
  2. - or -
    Open the email, then click the ellipsis (3 dots) on the right of the screen and select Block, Block [Sender’s Name].
    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. Go to http://email365.pace.edu and enter Pace credentials     
  2. From Home tab, select the email and click Report shield icon > Report junk
    Report Junk
  3. - or -
    Open the email, then click the ellipsis (3 dots) on the right of the screen and select Report > Report 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. Go to http://email365.pace.edu and enter Pace credentials     
  2. From Junk Email folder, right-click email and select Block > Never Block Sender
    Never Block Sender
    - or -
    Open the email, then click the ellipsis (3 dots) on the right of the screen and select Block > Never Block [Sender’s Name].
    Never Block

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.

Select from the list of topics for Exchange Online:

Blocked Senders

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

  1. Go to http://email365.pace.edu and enter Pace credentials     
  2. Click the gear gear icon at the top right of the screen
    - or - 
    Click View tab > View settings
  3. Click Junk email
    block or allow
  4. Click + Add in the Blocked senders and domains section
    Block Sender
  5. Type email address or domain in the field
    type email
  6. Press Enter on your keyboard and confirm that your entry is now listed
  7. Click Save
    save

Safe Senders

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

  1. Go to http://email365.pace.edu and enter Pace credentials     
  2. Click the gear gear icon at the top right of the screen
    - or - 
    Click View tab > View settings
  3. Click Junk email
    block or allow
  4. Click + Add in the Safe senders and domains section
    Safe Senders
  5. Type email address or domain in the field
    type email
  6. Press Enter on your keyboard and confirm that your entry is now listed

  7.  To include all your Outlook contacts in the safe senders list, check the box for Trust email from my contacts
    trust email from contacts
    Note: Trusted contacts will also count towards your total limit of 1,024 email addresses or domains.

  8. Click Save
    save
     

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 Exchange server-based rules that first run on mailbox of the mail server even when an Outlook application are not being used.

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Rule to Block Emails Based on Specified Text in Subject/Body

  1. Go to http://email365.pace.edu and enter Pace credentials     
  2. Click the Settings icon at the top of the page
    Settings
  3. Click Mail > Rules > Add new rule
    Create Rule
    • Note: To create a rule, it needs at least three things: A name, a condition, and an action.  You have the flexibility to include multiple conditions, actions, and exceptions at each step
       
  4. To create the rule, type the name of the rule, add a condition by selecting subject or body includes from the drop-down menu and typing the specified text, then add an action by choosing Move to and selecting Junk Email.
    Keyword Rule
  5. Ensure the box is checked for Stop processing more rules
  6. Click Save
    Save
     

Rule to Block All Emails from a Specified Domain

  1. Go to http://email365.pace.edu and enter Pace credentials
  2. Click the Settings icon at the top of the page
    Settings
  3. Click Mail > Rules > Add new rule
    Create Rule
    • Note: To create a rule, it needs at least three things: A name, a condition, and an action.  You have the flexibility to include multiple conditions, actions, and exceptions at each step
       
  4. To create the rule, type the name of the rule, add a condition by selecting Sender address includes from the drop-down menu and typing the email domain name, then add an action by choosing Move to and selecting Junk Email.
    Domain Rule
     
  5. Ensure the box is checked for Stop processing more rules
  6. Click Save
    Save
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