Junk Mail Folder

Questions

  • What is the Junk Mail folder in Outlook?
  • Why is email going to my Junk folder?
  • How do I check my junk mail folder?
  • How do I move an email out of junk mail?
  • How do I stop certain emails from going to junk?
  • Are emails in the Junk folder deleted automatically?
  • Why is a legitimate email going to my junk folder?

Environment

This article applies to all current Bowdoin students, faculty, and staff who use Microsoft Outlook for Bowdoin email.

  • Applies to: Outlook Online (browser), Outlook for Windows, and Outlook for Mac
  • Not covered: The Microsoft 365 quarantine, which holds messages blocked before they reach your mailbox at all — see How to deliver or release email blocked by the Microsoft 365 spam filter in the Related Articles section for that

Resolution

What is the Junk Mail folder?

The Junk Mail folder is a folder that Microsoft 365 automatically creates in your Outlook mailbox. Messages are delivered there — rather than your inbox — when Microsoft's spam filters determine they are bulk marketing email, low-level spam, or sent from a sender you have previously marked as junk. You may also move messages there yourself, or create rules that do so automatically.

Junk vs. Quarantine: The Junk folder is in your mailbox and you can access it at any time. Quarantine is a separate, more restrictive Microsoft 365 holding area for messages suspected of being phishing or high-confidence spam — those messages never reach your mailbox and require a different process to release. See How to deliver or release email blocked by the Microsoft 365 spam filter in the Related Articles section.

Check your Junk Mail folder

In Outlook Online and Outlook for Windows or Mac, the Junk Email folder appears in the left sidebar under your inbox. Click it to view its contents. If you find a legitimate message there, right-click it and select Mark as not junk or Move to Inbox to restore it and help train the filter.

Automatic deletion

Microsoft 365 automatically deletes messages from the Junk folder after 30 days. Check your junk folder periodically to make sure nothing important has been misfiled.

Managing what goes to junk

You can add specific senders or domains to your safe senders list to prevent their messages from being moved to junk, or add senders to your blocked list to always route them there. See How to Manage What Email is Sent to the Junk Folder in the Related Articles section for step-by-step instructions.

Outlook for Mac and Apple Mail: The junk senders list can only be managed from Outlook Online at outlook.office.com or from Outlook for Windows. Changes made there will apply across all your Outlook clients, including Outlook for Mac.

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.
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Related Articles (4)

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.