verification emails from other than Microsoft websites

Question

I am not receiving verification emails to access websites other than Microsoft sites.

Answer 1

Hello Adam Peck! 

The steps previously suggested by the Q&A Assistant are correct, and I recommend following those first. However, if you find that the issue persists, please try these additional troubleshooting steps: 

1. Disable Strict Filtering 

• Go to Settings (the gear icon) > Mail > Junk email. 
• Scroll down to Filters and uncheck the box that says: "Only trust email from addresses in my Safe senders and domains list..." 
• Solution: If this is checked, uncheck it to restore standard delivery. If you prefer to keep it enabled, you must manually add the specific sender's domain (e.g., ******@targetwebsite.com) to your Safe senders and domains list above and press Enter to save. 

2. Check for Unrecognized Rules or Forwarding 

• Go to Settings > Mail > Rules. Delete any suspicious rules you didn't create (they might be named vaguely, like "..." or "Rule 1"). 
• Next, go to Settings > Mail > Forwarding and turn off any unauthorized forwarding. 
• Security Tip: If you find unrecognized rules or forwarding addresses, please change your password and enable Two-Step Verification immediately. 

3. Whitelist the Specific Sender 

If this is only happening with one specific website rather than all external sites, Microsoft’s spam filters may be blocking that sender due to their domain reputation. 

• If you receive emails from major services (like Google) but not a specific smaller site, the sender might be caught in a server-level spam filter. 
• Attempt to add the specific sender’s email address to your Safe senders and domains list as mentioned in step one. This can sometimes help override server-side reputation filters for your individual inbox. 

I hope these steps help you regain access to your accounts quickly. Please let me know if you need further assistance! 

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Answer 2

Most commonly, missing verification emails from non‑Microsoft sites are caused by mailbox rules, junk filtering, or the address no longer being a valid alias.

Use these checks in Outlook.com / Outlook on the web:

1. Check Junk Email and other folders

• Look in Junk Email, Deleted Items, and any custom folders.
• Verification messages often come from automated senders and can be misclassified as junk.
• If any are found, mark them as “Not junk” so future messages are delivered to Inbox.

2. Check for hidden or unexpected rules

• In Outlook, review any rules that might move or delete new mail.
• The behavior described in a similar case was caused by a rule diverting all new mail to an unexpected location (for example, RSS Feeds). Removing or fixing that rule restored normal delivery.

3. Confirm the address is still a valid alias

• If the Outlook.com/MSN/Hotmail address was removed as an alias from the Microsoft account, it can become permanently invalid for receiving mail.
• In that case, the mailbox will no longer accept any messages, including verification emails from other sites.

4. If only one sender is affected

• If the problem is with a single website or service, and no rule or junk filter is catching it, the sender may be blocking or failing to send to the address. In that case, contact that site’s support and/or try a different email address.

If the account itself is locked or having verification‑code issues with Microsoft, resolve those first using the guidance in the references, then retest receiving from external sites.

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References:

• Troubleshoot Microsoft verification code issues
• Stopped receiving emails on my account. - Microsoft Q&A
• MSN email issues - Microsoft Q&A