Release Quarantined Email

Questions

  • I got an email from quarantine@messaging.microsoft.com — what do I do?
  • How do I release a quarantined email?
  • How do I view a message that was blocked by the spam filter?
  • Can I release a phishing email from quarantine?
  • Where can I see all my quarantined messages?
  • How do I block a sender that keeps appearing in my quarantine notifications?

Environment

This article applies to all current Bowdoin students, faculty, and staff whose email is filtered by Microsoft 365.

  • Applies to: All Bowdoin Microsoft 365 email accounts
  • Quarantine vs. Junk folder: Quarantined messages are held by Microsoft before reaching your mailbox — they never appear in your inbox or Junk folder. Messages moved to your Junk folder are different and are covered in Junk Mail Folder in the Related Articles section.

Resolution

When Microsoft 365 quarantines a message, you will receive a notification email from quarantine@messaging.microsoft.com letting you know a message was blocked. You can act on the message directly from that notification or through the quarantine portal.

Option 1: Manage from the quarantine notification email

Open the quarantine notification you received and choose one of the following actions:

  • Review message: Opens the message in a browser so you can read it safely without releasing it to your inbox.
  • Release: Delivers the message to your inbox. Use this if you are confident the message is legitimate.
  • Block sender: Prevents future notifications about messages from that specific sender. The messages will continue to be quarantined silently.
Phishing messages cannot be released. If the quarantine reason shows as Phish, you will not be able to release the message to your inbox. You can read or download it from the browser view, but you cannot deliver it. If you believe the message is legitimate and should be allowed, contact the Service Desk.

Option 2: Manage from the Microsoft quarantine portal

You can also view and manage all of your quarantined messages directly at the Microsoft quarantine portal:

  1. Go to security.microsoft.com/quarantine.
  2. Sign in with your Bowdoin email address and password if prompted.
  3. You will see a list of all currently quarantined messages, with columns showing the sender, subject, quarantine reason, and expiry date.

The Microsoft quarantine webpage showing a list of quarantined messages with columns for sender, subject, quarantine reason, and expiry date.

  1. Click a message to see details and choose from the available actions: Release, Preview, Delete, or Block sender.
  2. To release a message, click Release message. The message will be delivered to your inbox within a few minutes.
Quarantined messages expire. Messages in quarantine are automatically deleted after 30 days. If you want to review a quarantined message, do so before it expires.

Additional Help

If you need further assistance, you have several options:

  • Bowdoin Bot: Chat with Bowdoin Bot directly from any KB page for instant answers.
  • Phone: Call the Bowdoin College Service Desk at (207) 725-3030.
  • In person: Visit the Tech Hub in Smith Union during business hours.
  • Submit a ticket: Request assistance through the Service Catalog.
100% helpful - 1 review
Print Article

Related Articles (3)

Manage Junk Email Settings
How to configure safe senders and blocked senders in Outlook Online to control which email goes to your junk folder, including how to allow entire domains or block specific senders.
Microsoft 365 (M365) Email Protection
Explains the two layers of Microsoft 365 email protection at Bowdoin — Exchange Online Protection (EOP) and Microsoft Defender for Office 365. Covers how spam, phishing, malware, and suspicious links are filtered, what users will see when protection is active, and what to do if a legitimate message is blocked.
Understanding Spam, Phishing, and Junk Email
Explains the types of unwanted email Bowdoin users may receive - phishing, bulk, and spam - how to identify them, and what to do if you receive or fall victim to one.

Related Services / Offerings (1)

Request a global allowance (allow-list) for an email address or email domain
Staff and faculty can request that an email address be allowed through to avoid being caught in a quarantine folder. All requests must be approved by the Chief Information Security Officer and a request does not ensure an allowance.