Options junk email

Junk email can strain networks, clog email servers, and fill mailboxes with unwanted messages and images. The server that hosts your mailbox will filter out most junk email, but not always all of it. The light version of Outlook Web App helps you control unwanted and unsolicited messages by letting you manage and create lists of trusted and untrusted email addresses and domains.

This article is for Outlook Web App, which is used by organizations that manage email servers running Exchange Server 2013 or 2010. If you're using Microsoft 365 or Exchange Server 2016, your email program is Outlook on the web. For help with Outlook on the web, see Get help with Outlook on the web.

To get to the Junk Email page from the main Outlook Web App page, go to the upper corner and choose Options, then choose Junk Email from the list in the navigation pane.

Turn junk email filtering on or off

Don't filter junk email Select this option to disable junk email filtering. By selecting this option, you won't be able to control unwanted and unsolicited messages. It isn't a good security practice to disable junk email filtering.

Automatically filter junk email Select this option to enable junk email filtering. Selecting this option enables your mailbox to filter email messages using the Safe Senders List, Blocked Senders List, and Safe Recipients List. After a message is identified as suspected junk email, it's moved to the Junk Email folder. It's a recommended best practice to turn on junk email filtering. By default, junk email filtering is turned on.

Note: When you empty the Junk Email folder or delete an item from the Junk Email folder, the item is moved to the Deleted Items folder.

Safe senders list

Safe senders are domains and people you want to receive email messages from.

• To add a sender to the list, under Safe Senders List, click in the text box, type an email address or domain, and then click Add.

• To modify a sender in the list, select the sender and then click Edit. Change the entry in the text box and then click Add.

• To include your contacts as safe senders, select the Also trust email from my Contacts check box. By default, this is selected.

• To remove a sender from the list, select the sender and then click Remove.

Note: When you enter domains in your Safe Senders List, you don't have to include the "at" (@) symbol. It will be added automatically.

Blocked senders list

Blocked senders are domains and people you don't want to receive email messages from. Messages received from any email address or domain in your Blocked Senders List are sent directly to your Junk Email folder.

• To add a sender to the list, under Blocked Senders List, click in the text box, type an email address or domain, and then click Add.

• To modify a sender in the list, select the sender, and then click Edit. Change the entry in the text box and then click Add.

• To remove a sender from the list, select the sender, and then click Remove.

Note: When you enter domains in your Blocked Senders List, you don't have to include the "at" (@) symbol. It will be added automatically.

Safe recipients list

Safe recipients can include groups you're a member of and want to receive email messages from. You can also add individual email addresses to your Safe Recipients List. A recipient is the intended destination of a message. A recipient can be an individual mailbox or it can be a group. For example, you might want to allow messages that are sent not only to you but also to a particular person.

• To add a recipient to the list, under Safe Recipients List, click the text box, type an email address or domain, and then click Add.

• To modify a recipient in the list, select the recipient and then click Edit. Change the entry in the text box and then click Add.

• To remove a recipient from the list, select the recipient and then click Remove.

• Treat all email as junk unless it comes from someone in my Safe Senders or Safe Recipients lists, or from senders in my organization Select this option if you want email messages from senders that aren't defined in your Safe Senders List or Safe Recipients List or email messages from outside your organization to be treated as junk email. Email messages identified as junk email are moved to the Junk Email folder.

What else should I know?

• Sometimes email that you send ends up in a recipient's junk email folder. They will need to make changes in their email program to allow messages from you to be received.

• The junk email filter gives precedence to email addresses over domains when it checks incoming messages. For example, suppose the contoso.com domain is on your Blocked Senders List and the address someone@contoso.com is on your Safe Senders List. The address someone@contoso.com will be allowed into your Inbox, but all other email addresses that have the domain contoso.com will be sent to your Junk Email folder.

• Changes you make to the Safe Senders List, Blocked Senders List, and Safe Recipients List are automatically saved when they're entered. If you change any other Junk Email settings, you need to click Save to save your new settings. If you don't click Save before you leave the Junk Email page in Options, you'll be prompted to either click Cancel to remain on the page or click OK to leave the page without saving your changes.

What if I want to know more?

To learn more about the light version of Outlook Web App, such as how to get back to the regular version or what the features and limitations are, see Outlook Web App Light.