The How and Why of Whitelisting Your Emails in Outlook

No one likes spam or junk mail. No one likes missing important emails and discovering they went to their junk folder, either.

The Outlook junk email filter is good, but just like any program it can use some help learning from you how to function better. It moves suspected spam to the Junk Email folder, but sometimes legitimate emails get through, too. You can tame the frustration by letting Outlook know which email addresses to let through (whitelisting), and which to send to the virtual junk pile.

What exactly is whitelisting?

It’s making sure that emails from certain email addresses, like your coworkers or business partners, always come through to your main email inbox. Whitelisting helps your spam filter determine whether it should allow delivery of certain messages. If you’re on a recipient’s whitelist, you can rest assured your emails will be received. If you’re on the receiving end, you can make sure you’re getting emails from a certain person or company by adding them as a contact. 

Note: You may want to send new clients or contacts a reminder to whitelist your email address from the get-go, so that your messages are never missed. A simple request might be:

"To be sure our emails always make it to your inbox, please add us to your email whitelist."

How to whitelist an email in Outlook

First, click the gear icon in Outlook and select "View all Outlook settings" at the bottom of the dropdown. Then select "Mail" from the settings menu, and then choose "Junk email" from the submenu. Click "Add" under "Safe senders and domains." 

Then, enter the email address or domain that you want whitelisted (like help@tekmanagement.com or tekmanagement.com/). Click "Save" and you’re all set.

How to move an email in or out of Junk in Outlook

Start by selecting a message in your inbox, and then selecting “Report” from the toolbar at the top, and clicking “Report Junk.” When you’re in your Junk Email folder, you can restore a message to your inbox by selecting it, clicking “Report” and choosing “Not Junk.” The email will reappear in your main inbox.

How often should I review my Junk Inbox? 

It’s good practice to review the messages in your Junk email folder periodically to make sure there aren’t legitimate messages that you really do want to see. If you find any that are legitimate, you can move them back to the Inbox by marking them as “Not Junk” as noted above. You can also whitelist the sender to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Want more help?

If you’re already a Tekmanagement client, give us a call at (541) 779-4777. Helping our customers with technology challenges is what we do best. And if you’re interested in managed services with Tekmanagement — from ongoing Email and Spam Protection to Microsoft 365 Management — reach out via our contact page to schedule a free tech assessment for your business.