Review email messages identified as junk

Depending on the protection level that you set for the Junk Email Filter in Outlook 2013 or Outlook 2016, some legitimate email messages might get moved to the Junk Email folder. You should periodically review the messages in the Junk Email folder so you aren't missing any messages that you want to see.

1. In the Mail folder pane, click the Junk Email folder.

   Tip:  To prevent the unintended viewing of possibly objectionable messages, you might want to turn off the Reading Pane for the Junk Email folder. On the View tab, click Reading Pane, and then click Off. This doesn't turn off the Reading Pane for other mail folders.

2. Click any message that you don't want to be marked as junk

3. On the Home tab, click Junk, and then click Not Junk.

   Tip: A message that you mark as not junk is moved to the folder that it was previously in, usually the Inbox. You might be prompted to choose whether you want to add the sender or mailing list name to your Safe Senders or Safe Recipients list.

4. To quickly delete all of the messages in the Junk Email folder and move them to the Deleted Items folder, in the Folder List, right-click the Junk Email folder, and then click Empty Folder.

   Notes: 

   • Any message you send to the Junk Email folder is converted to plain text format, and any links that it contains are disabled. When you move the message out of the Junk Email folder, how it is handled depends on whether the Junk Email Filter also categorized it as suspicious:

     • If the message is categorized as spam but not as suspicious   :  When you move the message out of the Junk Email folder, its original message format is restored, and any links are activated.

     • If the message is categorized as suspicious   :  When you move the message out of the Junk Email folder, its original message format is restored, but any links remain deactivated.

   • You can only mark one message as not junk at a time. This is to prevent unwanted messages from accidentally being restored.