Summary
This article provides instructions on how to change the options for the junk email filter to let you control what you consider to be spam or junk emails. It covers the following sections:
How-To
Task: To view the quarantine list.
Instructions
Step 1 - Open a web browser and navigate to https://security.microsoft.com/quarantine.
Note:
- If this link does not work from the Outlook client, try a private browser or a new browser window.
- For detailed instructions follow this article.
Outcome
A list of quarantined email messages displays.
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Task: To mark an email message as Not Junk.
No one likes spam or junk email. The Outlook Junk Email Filter doesn’t stop delivery of junk email messages, but it does moves suspected spam to the Junk Email folder.
Tip: It's a good idea to regularly review messages in the Junk Email folder to check for legitimate messages that were incorrectly classified as junk. If a message was wrongly assigned as junk, follow the given instructions to place it back in the Inbox or any folder.
Instructions
Step 1 - Click Home > Junk > Not Junk.
Outcome
The selected email message is returned to your Inbox.
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Task: To change options for the Junk Email Filter.
By default, the Junk Email Filter is turned on and the protection level is set to No Automatic Filtering. The filter can be made more aggressive by changing the level of protection that it provides. The Junk Email Filter evaluates each incoming message based on several factors. These can include the time when the message was sent and the content of the message.
Instructions
Step 1 - Click Home > Drop-down arrow > Junk > Junk Email Options.
Step 2 - Choose an option from the menu.
Outcome
The Junk Email Filter to set to the protection level of the users preference.
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Task: To create a junk email filter lists - including Safe Senders, Safe Recipients, Blocked Senders, Blocked Domains, Blocked Encodings
While the Junk Email Filter checks incoming messages automatically, Junk Email Filter Lists allows users to control what is considered spam. Users can add names, email addresses and domains to these lists so the filter wont check messages from trusted sources, or so it knows to block messages that arrive from specific email addresses and domains that are not trusted.
Safe Senders list: Email addresses and domain names in the Safe Senders List are never treated as junk email, regardless of the content of the message. Users can add their contacts and other correspondents to this list. However, by design, safe domains are not recognized by default in Exchange Online or in Exchange Online Protection. Only blocked domains, blocked sender addresses, and safe sender addresses are recognized. If you use a Microsoft Exchange Server account, all names and addresses in the global address list (GAL) are automatically considered safe. The Safe Sender limit is 1024.
Safe Recipients list: If users belong to a mailing list or a distribution list, they can add the list sender to the Safe Recipients List. Messages sent to these email addresses or domain names are never treated as junk, regardless of the content of the message.
Blocked Senders list: Users can easily block messages from particular senders by adding their email addresses or domain names to the Blocked Senders List. When a user adds a name or email address to this list, Outlook moves any incoming message from that source to the Junk Email folder. Messages from people or domain names that appear in this list are always classified as junk, regardless of the content of the message. The blocked sender limit is 500.
Blocked Top-Level Domains list: To block unwanted email messages from another country/region, users can add country/region codes to the Blocked Top-Level Domains List. For example, checking the CA [Canada], US [United States], and MX [Mexico] boxes in the list blocks messages from email addresses that end in .ca, .us, and .mx.
Blocked Encodings list: To block unwanted email messages that appear in another character set or alphabet, users can add encodings to the Blocked Encodings List.
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Task: To use cached exchange mode.
Exchange accounts have access to another layer of tools to combat junk email.
Using Cached Exchange Mode or downloading to an Outlook data file (.pst): The Junk Email Filter Lists are saved on the server and are available from any computer. The filter lists are also used by the server to evaluate messages. This means that if a sender appears in a users Blocked Senders List, then messages from that sender are moved to the Junk Email folder on the server, and they aren’t evaluated by Outlook.
Working online: The Junk Email Filter Lists are saved on the server. They are available from any computer, but only if users have the Junk Email feature enabled in Outlook Web Access or Outlook Web App. The filter lists are also used by the server to evaluate messages. This means that if a sender appears in a users Blocked Senders List, then messages from that sender are moved to the Junk Email folder on the server, and they aren’t evaluated by Outlook.
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Further Readings
Advanced Threat Protection: Viewing Quarantined Email
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