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Question

Outlook is at it again! My sent messages are now appearing in my Junk folder and not my sent. Why is this happening and how do I correct/stop it?

Answer 1

Hello!

I'm Yasllame. I'm here to help and clarify.

This behavior is not an Outlook error — it occurs when the email server identifies its own messages as spam, usually due to authentication or domain reputation issues.

When this happens, Outlook.com automatically moves your messages from Sent to Junk Email because they failed security validations such as SPF, DKIM, or DMARC.

Why are your own messages going to Junk Email?

This happens when you:

Use a custom domain (e.g., @yourcompany.com) in Outlook

Send via SMTP, app, printer, website, or external software

Or use an incorrectly configured alias

And the sending server is not authorized to send emails on behalf of your domain.

Exchange Online receives the message, checks:

SPF

DKIM

DMARC

If it fails, it classifies it as spoofing — even if you own the address.

How to permanently fix it

You need to fix your domain authentication.

1. Check if you are using a custom domain

Go to:

https://admin.microsoft.com

Settings → Domains

If you use something like:

@company.com

@mybusiness.com

Then this problem is almost always SPF/DKIM/DMARC.

2. Fix SPF (required)

In your domain provider (GoDaddy, Hostinger, Cloudflare, etc.), the SPF record must contain:

v=spf1 include:spf.protection.outlook.com -all

If you also send emails through other services (website, printer, marketing), they need to be added to the same SPF.

3. Enable DKIM

In the Admin Center:

https://security.microsoft.com/dkimv2

Enable DKIM for the domain.

4. Configure DMARC

In the domain's DNS:

_dmarc.yourdomain.com

v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:******@yourdomain.com

Microsoft Guide:

https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/security/office-365-security/use-dmarc-to-validate-email

Important

Moving messages from the Trash folder to Sent folders does not fix the problem. Creating rules also does not fix it.

The server will continue to mark as spam until:

SPF + DKIM + DMARC are correct.

If you DO NOT use a custom domain

Then the problem is:

Outlook alias incorrectly configured, or

sending via SMTP/external app

In this case, please specify:

Do you send only through Outlook web/app?

Or through a website, app, scanner, printer, system?

This defines the correct setting. I hope this information was helpful! If you need anything else, please let me know.

Sincerely,

Answer 2

It seems that your sent messages are being incorrectly categorized as junk in Outlook. This can happen for a few reasons, such as settings that automatically filter messages or issues with your email account configuration. Here are some steps you can take to resolve this issue:

1. Check Junk Email Options: Ensure that your Junk Email settings are not set to delete or move messages that you want to keep. You can access these settings by going to the Home tab, selecting Junk, and then choosing Junk E-mail Options. Make sure the option to permanently delete suspected junk email is not enabled.
2. Review Spam Filters: If you are using a mobile device or a third-party email application, check if there are any spam filters that might be affecting your emails. Sometimes, settings on these devices can interfere with how emails are categorized in Outlook.
3. Create a New Folder: If the Junk folder is misconfigured, you can create a new folder for Junk emails and reset the folder names using the MFCMAPI tool. This can help restore the correct structure of your mailbox.
4. Check for Rules: Look for any rules that may have been set up in Outlook that could be moving your sent messages to the Junk folder. You can find this under File > Manage Rules & Alerts.
5. Repair Outlook: If the problem persists, consider running a repair on your Outlook installation to fix any potential issues with the application itself.

By following these steps, you should be able to stop your sent messages from appearing in the Junk folder.