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Quick Answer

Right-click the unwanted email in your inbox, hover over Junk, and select Block Sender. Future emails from that address will go straight to the Junk Email folder.

How to Manage Junk Mail and Spam Filters in Outlook ​

Applies to: Microsoft Outlook (Microsoft 365, Outlook 2021, New Outlook, Outlook on the web)
Article Type: How-To
Last Updated: 2026-06-17

Summary ​

Outlook's junk mail filter automatically moves suspected spam to the Junk Email folder. Sometimes it catches legitimate messages by mistake, and sometimes unwanted emails slip through. This article explains how to rescue misclassified emails, add senders to your Safe or Block lists, adjust your filter level, and report junk or phishing correctly.

Prerequisites ​

  • Microsoft Outlook desktop app, New Outlook, or Outlook on the web.
  • A Microsoft 365 or Exchange Online mailbox.
  • No admin rights required.

Instructions ​

1. Check the Junk Email Folder and Rescue Legitimate Messages ​

Move incorrectly filtered emails back to your Inbox.

  1. Open Outlook and click the Junk Email folder in the left-hand folder pane.
  2. Review the messages. If you find a legitimate email that was incorrectly filtered:
    • Desktop/New Outlook: Right-click the message and select Junk > Not Junk.
    • Outlook on the web: Right-click the message and select Mark as not junk.
  3. The message moves back to your Inbox. Outlook learns from this action and is less likely to filter that sender again.

2. Add a Sender to Your Safe Senders List ​

Ensure emails from a trusted sender always reach your Inbox.

Desktop Outlook (Classic):

  1. Click the Home tab on the ribbon.
  2. Click Junk > Junk E-mail Options.
  3. Select the Safe Senders tab.
  4. Click Add, then type the email address or domain (e.g., @company.com).
  5. Click OK twice to save.

New Outlook / Outlook on the web:

  1. Click the Settings gear icon in the top-right corner.
  2. Select Mail > Junk email.
  3. Under Safe senders and domains, click Add.
  4. Type the email address or domain and press Enter.
  5. Click Save.

3. Block a Sender ​

Permanently send all emails from a specific sender to Junk.

Desktop Outlook (Classic):

  1. Right-click a message from the sender you want to block.
  2. Select Junk > Block Sender.
  3. All future messages from that sender go directly to Junk Email.

New Outlook / Outlook on the web:

  1. Right-click a message from the sender you want to block.
  2. Select Block > Block [Sender Name].
  3. Confirm by clicking OK.

To manage your blocked senders list:

  • Classic: Go to Home > Junk > Junk E-mail Options > Blocked Senders tab.
  • New/Web: Go to Settings > Mail > Junk email > Blocked senders and domains.

4. Adjust the Junk Mail Filter Level (Classic Outlook) ​

Control how aggressively Outlook filters suspected spam.

  1. Click the Home tab on the ribbon.
  2. Click Junk > Junk E-mail Options.
  3. On the Options tab, choose a protection level:
LevelBehaviour
No Automatic FilteringOnly messages from your Blocked Senders list go to Junk.
Low (default)Catches the most obvious junk mail. Good for most users.
HighCatches more junk but may also filter some legitimate messages. Check Junk Email regularly.
Safe Lists OnlyOnly messages from your Safe Senders and Safe Recipients lists reach your Inbox. Everything else goes to Junk.
  1. Click OK to save.

Most users should keep the filter set to Low. Only increase to High if you receive a large volume of spam that the Low setting misses.

5. Report Junk vs. Report Phishing — Use the Right Button ​

Help Microsoft improve filtering and protect your organisation.

Outlook offers two different reporting options. Use the correct one:

  • Report as Junk — Use for unwanted marketing emails, newsletters you did not subscribe to, or general spam. This trains Outlook's spam filter.
  • Report as Phishing — Use for emails that impersonate a person or company, contain fake login links, demand urgent action, or try to steal your credentials. This alerts your organisation's security team.

How to report (all versions):

  1. Select the suspicious email (do not click any links inside it).
  2. Click the Report button on the ribbon or toolbar.
  3. Choose Report as Junk or Report as Phishing.
  4. The message is moved to Junk Email (or deleted, depending on your organisation's policy) and reported to Microsoft.

6. Empty the Junk Email Folder ​

Free up mailbox space by clearing old junk.

  1. Right-click the Junk Email folder.
  2. Select Empty folder (New Outlook / Web) or Empty Folder (Classic).
  3. Confirm the deletion. Messages are moved to Deleted Items (or permanently deleted if your organisation's retention policy skips Deleted Items).

Troubleshooting ​

DANGER

If important emails consistently land in Junk despite adding the sender to Safe Senders, your organisation may have an Exchange transport rule or a third-party spam filter (like Mimecast or Proofpoint) overriding your settings. In that case, ask your IT department to add the sender to the organisation-wide allow list — give them the sender's address plus the date and subject of one filtered message, so they can trace it through the gateway.

Symptom / ErrorPotential CauseSolution
Legitimate emails keep going to JunkSender not in Safe Senders listAdd the sender's email address or domain to your Safe Senders list (Step 2).
Blocked sender's emails still appearingSender uses a different email address each timeBlock the sender's domain (e.g., @spamdomain.com) instead of the individual address.
Junk E-mail Options is greyed outOrganisation policy restricts junk settingsThe filter is managed centrally. Ask IT to apply your safe-sender and blocked-sender entries at the server instead.
No "Report" button on the ribbonReport Message add-in not installedIn Classic Outlook, go to Home > Get Add-ins and search for Report Message. In New Outlook and Web, the button is built in.
Emails disappear entirely (not in Inbox or Junk)Email quarantined by server-side filterAsk IT to release the message from quarantine — give them the sender's address and roughly when it was sent so they can find it.