How to Stop Getting Spam Emails in Outlook

Tired of your Outlook inbox being flooded with unwanted spam? You’re not alone! Spam emails are a persistent problem, but with the right strategies, you can significantly reduce the amount of junk you receive and reclaim your inbox. This article will guide you through effective techniques to filter spam, block senders, and configure Outlook settings to minimize unwanted emails, ensuring a cleaner and more productive email experience.

Here’s a table of contents to help you navigate this guide:

1. Leveraging Outlook’s Built-in Junk Email Filter
2. Blocking Specific Senders and Domains in Outlook
3. Creating Rules to Automatically Manage Suspected Spam
4. Reporting Phishing Scams and Suspicious Emails
5. Managing Email Subscriptions and Protecting Your Address

Leveraging Outlook’s Built-in Junk Email Filter

Outlook’s built-in Junk Email Filter is your first line of defense against spam. It automatically evaluates incoming messages and moves those it deems suspicious to the Junk Email folder. However, its effectiveness depends on how well it’s configured. The key is to understand the different protection levels and customize the filter to suit your specific needs. A wrongly configured filter can either let too much spam in or incorrectly mark legitimate emails as junk, so finding the right balance is crucial. This section will cover how to optimize the Junk Email Filter in Outlook, including adjusting protection levels and managing safe/blocked sender lists.

Adjusting the Junk Email Filter Protection Level

Outlook offers several levels of junk email protection: No Automatic Filtering, Low, High, and Safe Lists Only. Each level offers different levels of aggressiveness in identifying and filtering suspected spam. Let’s look at each one:

• No Automatic Filtering: As the name suggests, this turns off the Junk Email Filter completely. Not recommended unless you have a very specific reason.
• Low: This setting filters the most obvious spam, and is generally considered the least aggressive. It’s a good starting point if you’re concerned about legitimate emails being incorrectly marked as junk.
• High: This setting is more aggressive and catches more spam, but also has a higher risk of incorrectly classifying legitimate emails as junk. Use this if you’re receiving a lot of spam even with the “Low” setting.
• Safe Lists Only: Only emails from senders or domains in your Safe Senders list will be delivered to your inbox. All other emails will be treated as junk. This is the most restrictive setting and is suitable only if you have a small, well-defined list of trusted senders.

Example 1: Changing the Protection Level in Outlook Desktop

To change the protection level in the Outlook desktop application, follow these steps:

1. Open Outlook.
2. Click on the Home tab.
3. In the Delete group, click the dropdown arrow next to Junk.
4. Select Junk E-mail Options…
5. In the Options tab, choose the desired protection level (Low, High, or Safe Lists Only).
6. Click Apply and then OK.

Example 2: Configuring the Junk Email Filter in Outlook on the Web (OWA)

The steps are similar in Outlook Web Access:

1. Log in to your Outlook account through a web browser.
2. Click the Settings icon (gear icon) in the top right corner.
3. Search for “junk email”.
4. Click on Junk email under “Mail”.
5. Choose the desired protection level using the provided radio buttons.
6. Click Save.

Expected Result: After changing the protection level, monitor your Junk Email folder and your inbox for a few days. If you’re still receiving too much spam, try increasing the protection level. If legitimate emails are being incorrectly marked as junk, decrease the protection level.

Managing Safe Senders and Blocked Senders Lists

The Safe Senders and Blocked Senders lists are crucial for fine-tuning the Junk Email Filter. Adding email addresses or domains to the Safe Senders list ensures that emails from those sources are always delivered to your inbox, regardless of the protection level. Conversely, adding addresses or domains to the Blocked Senders list ensures that emails from those sources are always sent to the Junk Email folder.

Example 3: Adding an Email Address to the Safe Senders List (Outlook Desktop)

1. Open Outlook.
2. Click on the Home tab.
3. In the Delete group, click the dropdown arrow next to Junk.
4. Select Junk E-mail Options…
5. Go to the Safe Senders tab.
6. Click Add…
7. Enter the email address you want to add to the Safe Senders list and click OK.
8. Click Apply and then OK.

Example 4: Adding a Domain to the Blocked Senders List (Outlook on the Web)

1. Log in to your Outlook account through a web browser.
2. Click the Settings icon (gear icon) in the top right corner.
3. Search for “junk email”.
4. Click on Junk email under “Mail”.
5. Under “Blocked senders and domains”, click Add.
6. Enter the domain name (e.g., spamdomain.com) and press Enter.
7. Click Save.

Expert Tip: Regularly review your Safe Senders and Blocked Senders lists. Email addresses and domains can become outdated, and you may need to add or remove entries to keep the filter accurate. Also, be cautious about adding entire domains to the Safe Senders list unless you are absolutely certain that all emails from that domain are legitimate.

Expected Result: Emails from senders on the Safe Senders list will always arrive in your inbox. Emails from senders on the Blocked Senders list will always be moved to the Junk Email folder.

Blocking Specific Senders and Domains in Outlook

While the Junk Email Filter is a good starting point, sometimes you need a more direct approach. Blocking specific senders or entire domains is a powerful way to prevent unwanted emails from reaching your inbox. This is particularly useful for persistent spammers or unwanted newsletters that bypass the filter. When you block a sender, any future emails from that address will automatically be moved to the Junk Email folder. Blocking a domain prevents all emails from addresses within that domain from reaching your inbox. This section details how to block senders and domains effectively within Outlook.

Blocking a Sender Directly from an Email

The quickest way to block a sender is directly from an email they’ve sent you. This method is available in both the desktop and web versions of Outlook.

Example 1: Blocking a Sender in Outlook Desktop

1. Open the email from the sender you want to block.
2. Right-click on the sender’s email address in the email header.
3. Select Junk from the context menu.
4. Click Block Sender.

Example 2: Blocking a Sender in Outlook on the Web

1. Open the email from the sender you want to block.
2. Click the three dots (…) in the top right corner of the email.
3. Select Junk.
4. Click Block sender.

Expected Result: Any future emails from that specific sender will be automatically moved to the Junk Email folder. You won’t receive any notification that the email has been blocked; it will simply appear in the Junk Email folder.

Blocking an Entire Domain

Sometimes, blocking a single sender isn’t enough, especially if the spammer uses multiple email addresses within the same domain. In these cases, blocking the entire domain is a more effective solution. Note that blocking a domain is a more aggressive measure, so be certain that you don’t need to receive legitimate emails from that domain.

Example 3: Blocking a Domain Using Junk Email Options (Outlook Desktop)

1. Open Outlook.
2. Click on the Home tab.
3. In the Delete group, click the dropdown arrow next to Junk.
4. Select Junk E-mail Options…
5. Go to the Blocked Senders tab.
6. Click Add…
7. Enter the domain name you want to block (e.g., spammersdomain.com) and click OK.
8. Click Apply and then OK.

Example 4: Blocking a Domain in Outlook on the Web (Detailed)

1. Log in to your Outlook account through a web browser.
2. Click the Settings icon (gear icon) in the top right corner of the page. This opens the quick settings menu.
3. In the search bar at the top of the quick settings menu, type “Junk email”. This will filter the settings options.
4. Click on the “Junk email” option that appears under the “Mail” category. This will take you directly to the Junk email settings page.
5. On the Junk email settings page, locate the section labeled “Blocked senders and domains.” This is where you manage the list of email addresses and domains that you have blocked.
6. In the text box provided below the “Blocked senders and domains” heading, enter the domain name that you wish to block (e.g., “very-spammy-domain.net”). Be sure to enter the complete domain name accurately.
7. After typing the domain name, press the “Enter” key or click on the “Add” button (if available) next to the text box. This will add the domain to your blocked senders list.
8. Once the domain has been added, it will appear in the list of blocked senders and domains. Review the list to ensure that the domain has been added correctly.
9. Click the “Save” button located at the bottom of the Junk email settings page. This will save your changes and activate the domain blocking rule.

Expected Result: Any future emails from any address within the specified domain will be automatically moved to the Junk Email folder. Review the Blocked Senders list regularly to ensure it remains up-to-date and doesn’t contain any legitimate domains that you need to receive emails from.

Creating Rules to Automatically Manage Suspected Spam

Beyond the built-in Junk Email Filter and blocking features, Outlook allows you to create custom rules to automatically manage suspected spam. Rules can be based on various criteria, such as specific keywords in the subject or body of the email, the sender’s address, or even the recipient’s address. This offers a highly flexible way to target and filter spam that might otherwise slip through the cracks. You can then specify actions to be taken on these emails, such as moving them to the Junk Email folder, deleting them, or even forwarding them to a spam reporting service. This section focuses on how to create and configure rules to effectively manage and minimize spam in your Outlook inbox.

Creating a Rule to Filter Emails with Specific Keywords

Spam emails often contain common keywords or phrases designed to entice you to open the message. Creating a rule to filter emails containing these keywords is a simple yet effective way to reduce spam. Common keywords might include “urgent,” “free,” “discount,” “guaranteed,” or phrases like “click here” or “limited time offer.”

Example 1: Creating a Rule to Move Emails with “Urgent” in the Subject to the Junk Email Folder (Outlook Desktop)

1. Open Outlook.
2. Click on the Home tab.
3. In the Move group, click Rules.
4. Select Manage Rules & Alerts…
5. In the Rules and Alerts dialog box, click New Rule…
6. Under Start from a blank rule, select Apply rule on messages I receive and click Next.
7. Under Which condition(s) do you want to check?, select with specific words in the subject.
8. In the Step 2: Edit the rule description (click an underlined value) box, click specific words.
9. In the Search text box, type urgent and click Add. Click OK.
10. Click Next.
11. Under What do you want to do with the message?, select move it to the Junk E-mail folder.
12. Click Next.
13. (Optional) Specify any exceptions to the rule (e.g., if the email is from a specific sender).
14. Click Next.
15. Give the rule a name (e.g., “Spam – Urgent Subject”) and click Finish.
16. Click Apply and then OK in the Rules and Alerts dialog box.

Example 2: Creating a Rule to Delete Emails Containing “Free Gift” in the Body (Outlook on the Web)

1. Log in to your Outlook account through a web browser.
2. Click the Settings icon (gear icon) in the top right corner.
3. Search for “rules”.
4. Click on Rules under “Mail”.
5. Click Add new rule.
6. Give the rule a name (e.g., “Spam – Free Gift Body”).
7. Under Add a condition, select A message body includes.
8. Enter free gift in the text box.
9. Under Add an action, select Delete.
10. Click Save.

Expected Result: Emails containing the specified keywords in the subject or body will be automatically moved to the Junk Email folder (or deleted, depending on the action you specified). Regularly review your rules and update the keywords as needed to keep the filter effective.

Creating Rules Based on Sender or Recipient Address

You can also create rules based on the sender’s or recipient’s email address. This is useful for filtering emails sent to a specific email address (e.g., an address you only use for online registrations and thus attracts more spam) or for blocking emails from senders who frequently change their email address but use a consistent domain.

Example 3: Creating a Rule to Move Emails Sent to a Specific Email Address to the Junk Email Folder (Outlook Desktop)

1. Open Outlook.
2. Click on the Home tab.
3. In the Move group, click Rules.
4. Select Manage Rules & Alerts…
5. In the Rules and Alerts dialog box, click New Rule…
6. Under Start from a blank rule, select Apply rule on messages I receive and click Next.
7. Under Which condition(s) do you want to check?, select where my name is in the To box (or where my name is in the Cc box, or where my name is in the To or Cc box).
8. Click Next.
9. Under What do you want to do with the message?, select move it to the Junk E-mail folder.
10. Click Next.
11. (Optional) Specify any exceptions to the rule.
12. Click Next.
13. Give the rule a name (e.g., “Spam – Specific Recipient”) and click Finish.
14. Click Apply and then OK in the Rules and Alerts dialog box.

Example 4: Creating a Rule to Move Emails From a Specific Domain to the Deleted Items Folder (Outlook on the Web)

1. Log in to your Outlook account through a web browser.
2. Click the Settings icon (gear icon) in the top right corner.
3. Search for “rules”.
4. Click on Rules under “Mail”.
5. Click Add new rule.
6. Give the rule a name (e.g., “Spam – Specific Domain Sender”).
7. Under Add a condition, select Sender’s address includes.
8. Enter the domain name (e.g., spammersdomain.net) in the text box.
9. Under Add an action, select Delete.
10. Click Save.

Expert Tip: When creating rules, be as specific as possible to avoid accidentally filtering legitimate emails. For example, instead of just using the keyword “free,” use a more specific phrase like “free vacation” or “free gift card” to target specific types of spam. Also, regularly review and update your rules to adapt to new spam tactics.

Expected Result: Emails matching the specified sender or recipient criteria will be automatically moved to the Junk Email folder (or deleted, depending on the action you specified). Regularly review and adjust your rules to ensure they remain effective and don’t inadvertently filter legitimate emails.

Reporting Phishing Scams and Suspicious Emails

While filtering and blocking are essential, reporting phishing scams and suspicious emails plays a crucial role in protecting yourself and others. Phishing emails are designed to steal your personal information, such as passwords, credit card numbers, or bank account details. Reporting these emails helps email providers and security organizations identify and block malicious senders, preventing them from reaching other users. Outlook provides built-in tools to report phishing and junk emails, making it easy to contribute to the fight against online scams. This section will cover how to identify phishing attempts and effectively report them using Outlook’s reporting features.

Identifying Phishing Attempts

Before reporting a suspicious email, it’s important to accurately identify it as a potential phishing attempt. Here are some common signs of phishing emails:

• Suspicious Sender Address: The sender’s email address may be unfamiliar or contain misspellings. Check if the domain name matches the organization it claims to be from.
• Generic Greetings: Phishing emails often use generic greetings like “Dear Customer” instead of your name.
• Urgent or Threatening Language: The email may create a sense of urgency or threaten negative consequences if you don’t take immediate action.
• Requests for Personal Information: Legitimate organizations rarely ask for sensitive information like passwords or credit card numbers via email.
• Poor Grammar and Spelling: Phishing emails often contain grammatical errors and typos.
• Suspicious Links: Hover over links to see where they lead. If the URL looks suspicious or doesn’t match the organization’s website, don’t click it.
• Unexpected Attachments: Be cautious about opening attachments from unknown senders, as they may contain malware.

Expert Tip: When in doubt, contact the organization directly through a trusted channel (e.g., their official website or phone number) to verify the legitimacy of the email.

Reporting Phishing Emails in Outlook

Outlook provides several ways to report phishing emails, depending on the version you’re using. The most common method involves using the “Report Message” feature, which allows you to report the email as phishing or junk.

Example 1: Reporting a Phishing Email Using the “Report Message” Feature (Outlook Desktop)

1. Open the suspicious email in Outlook.
2. Click on the Report Message button in the ribbon (usually located in the Protect or Security group). If you don’t see the button, look for three dots (…) to expand the ribbon.
3. Select Phishing from the options.
4. Outlook will send a copy of the email to Microsoft for analysis. You may also have the option to delete the email after reporting it.

Example 2: Reporting a Phishing Email Using the “Report Message” Feature (Outlook on the Web)

1. Open the suspicious email in Outlook on the Web.
2. Click the three dots (…) in the top right corner of the email.
3. Select Report message.
4. Choose either Phishing or Junk (depending on your assessment of the email).
5. Confirm your selection. Outlook will send a copy of the email to Microsoft for analysis.

Example 3: Using the Phish Alert Button (PAB) with a Security Awareness Training Program

Many organizations use third-party security awareness training programs, such as KnowBe4, that integrate with Outlook via a “Phish Alert Button” (PAB). If your organization uses such a program, reporting is even simpler:

1. Open the suspicious email in Outlook.
2. Click the Phish Alert button in the ribbon (usually clearly labeled with the program’s logo).
3. The program will analyze the email and provide feedback, confirming whether it was a simulated phishing attack or a real threat.
4. The email will be automatically reported to the organization’s security team for further investigation.

Expected Result: The suspicious email will be reported to Microsoft (or your organization’s security team if you’re using a PAB) for analysis. This helps improve spam filters and protect other users from similar threats. Reporting phishing emails is a simple but effective way to contribute to a safer online environment.

Managing Email Subscriptions and Protecting Your Address

A significant portion of unwanted emails comes from subscriptions you may have signed up for, either intentionally or unintentionally. Managing your email subscriptions is a proactive way to reduce spam and keep your inbox clean. Furthermore, protecting your email address from being harvested by spammers is crucial for preventing future unwanted emails. This section focuses on how to effectively manage your email subscriptions, unsubscribe from unwanted lists, and protect your email address from being exposed to spammers.

Unsubscribing from Unwanted Email Lists

The easiest way to stop receiving emails from a specific sender is to unsubscribe from their mailing list. Most legitimate email newsletters include an unsubscribe link at the bottom of the email.

Example 1: Unsubscribing from an Email List Using the Unsubscribe Link

1. Open the email from the sender you want to unsubscribe from.
2. Scroll to the bottom of the email and look for an “Unsubscribe” link. The link may be labeled differently, such as “Unsubscribe from this list,” “Manage subscriptions,” or “Email preferences.”
3. Click the unsubscribe link.
4. You may be redirected to a webpage where you need to confirm your unsubscription. Follow the instructions on the webpage to complete the process.

Example 2: Using Outlook’s Built-in Unsubscribe Feature (If Available)

Some versions of Outlook offer a built-in unsubscribe feature that simplifies the process. This feature automatically detects unsubscribe links and provides a button to unsubscribe directly from Outlook.

1. Open the email from the sender you want to unsubscribe from.
2. Look for an “Unsubscribe” button near the top of the email, usually in the header or toolbar.
3. Click the “Unsubscribe” button.
4. Outlook may ask you to confirm your unsubscription. Follow the prompts to complete the process.

Caution: Be wary of unsubscribe links in suspicious emails. If the email looks like a phishing attempt, don’t click the unsubscribe link, as it may lead to a malicious website or confirm your email address to spammers. Instead, report the email as phishing as described in the previous section.

Protecting Your Email Address from Spammers

Preventing your email address from being harvested by spammers is essential for reducing unwanted emails. Here are some tips for protecting your email address:

• Use a Strong Password: A strong password makes it more difficult for hackers to access your email account and harvest your contacts.
• Be Careful When Sharing Your Email Address Online: Avoid posting your email address publicly on websites, forums, or social media. If you need to share your email address, consider using a disposable or temporary email address.
• Use a Separate Email Address for Online Registrations: Create a separate email address specifically for online registrations, newsletters, and other non-essential communications. This helps keep your primary email address clean.
• Review Privacy Policies: Before providing your email address to a website or service, review their privacy policy to understand how they will use your information.
• Use a CAPTCHA When Submitting Forms: CAPTCHAs help prevent automated bots from harvesting email addresses from online forms.
• Be Wary of Email Forwarding Scams: Avoid participating in email forwarding scams or chain letters that require you to share your email address with multiple recipients.

Example 3: Using a Disposable Email Address for Online Registrations

There are many services that provide disposable or temporary email addresses, such as Mailinator, Guerrilla Mail, and Temp Mail. These services allow you to create a temporary email address that you can use for online registrations and other activities where you don’t want to reveal your primary email address. After a certain period of time, the temporary email address expires and becomes inactive.

1. Visit a disposable email address service website (e.g., Mailinator.com).
2. The service will automatically generate a temporary email address for you.
3. Use the temporary email address for online registrations, newsletters, or other activities.
4. Check the inbox of the temporary email address for confirmation emails or other communications.
5. After you’re done, simply close the browser window or tab. The temporary email address will eventually expire.

Example 4: Using a Password Manager to Protect Your Email Account

A password manager can help you create and store strong, unique passwords for all your online accounts, including your email account. This makes it more difficult for hackers to access your account and harvest your contacts or personal information. Popular password managers include LastPass, 1Password, and Bitwarden.

1. Choose a password manager and create an account.
2. Generate a strong, unique password for your email account using the password manager.
3. Store the password in the password manager’s vault.
4. Whenever you need to log in to your email account, use the password manager to automatically fill in the username and password.

Expected Result: By managing your email subscriptions and protecting your email address, you can significantly reduce the amount of spam you receive and keep your inbox cleaner and more secure. Regularly review your subscriptions and take steps to protect your email address from spammers to maintain a more positive email experience.