disabling junk filtering does not work

Question

Hi,
I do not want any email to be automatically filtered into the junk folder. All the guides say to select no automatic filtering under junk email options. i have selected that option but still get new emails in my junk folder. How do i avoid emails going into the junk folder?

Thanks in advance.
Kind regards,

[Moderator note: Removed PII]

Answer 1

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Hi Joost

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A Forum. I understand how frustrating it is when emails still land in Junk even after choosing No automatic filtering in Classic Outlook.

Please kindly try the following steps in Outlook on the web (recommended):

1. First, go to Outlook on the web via browser

• Please sign in at Outlook on the web
• Find an email from a trusted sender that went to Junk, then right-click to select Block > Never block sender

2. Additionally, you could add safe sender via Outlook on the web as well:

Still in Outlook web, go to Settings > Mail > Junk email:

• Under Safe senders and domains > Add safe sender: add the senders/domains you never want in Junk, then Save
• Also check Blocked senders and domains and remove any addresses/domains you don’t want blocked.

This option will affect both cloud version and Outlook classic desktop version as well.

3. When a good message lands in Junk, mark it "Not Junk"

• Open Junk Email folder > select the message > Junk > Not Junk
• This helps correct classification and moves it back to Inbox.

I truly hope this helps! Please let me know if it works for you. Thank you for your understanding and patience.

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Answer 2

1 -- Try the registry settings as described in:

This Slipstick article:

[External Site] https://www.slipstick.com/outlook/how-to-disable-outlooks-junk-email-filter/

And this Microsoft Support update:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/outlook-junk-filtering-is-running-but-the-junk-email-options-settings-are-removed-05c06ed0-37b8-439d-be23-7d710f1fb881

(You will have to create the options\mail keys if they do not exist).

2 -- If you have any third party anti-virus programs (e.g. McAfee) make sure they are not the problem.

3 -- If you are using a Microsoft hosted email account, it could be server-side filtering.

The instructions from @Winnie-B are very good on how to minimize this.

But, if the Microsoft server-side filters think an email has too high of a Spam Confidence Level, it will ignore any settings and Rules and Junk it no matter what you do.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/defender-office-365/anti-spam-spam-confidence-level-scl-about

Answer 3

To prevent emails from being automatically filtered into the junk folder in Outlook, you should ensure that the Junk Email Filter is set to No automatic filtering. However, it's important to note that even with this setting, Outlook may still use its safelist collection (including Safe Senders, Safe Recipients, and Blocked Senders lists) to determine if messages should be moved to the Junk Email folder after delivery.

If you are still experiencing issues with emails going to the Junk folder despite setting it to No automatic filtering, consider the following steps:

1. Check the Safelist: Ensure that the email addresses or domains you want to receive emails from are added to your Safe Senders list.
2. Review Exchange Settings: If you are using an Exchange account, the server-side settings may also influence junk email filtering. The junk email rule on the server might still be active, which can override your Outlook settings.
3. Disable the Junk Email Rule: You may need to disable the junk email rule on the mailbox using PowerShell commands if you have administrative access. This can prevent the server from moving emails to the Junk folder based on its own filtering criteria.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, you may want to consult your IT department or further documentation specific to your organization's email setup.

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References:

• About Outlook junk email settings
• Configure Exchange antispam settings on mailboxes