--- title: "Managing Spam, Junk Mail and Suspicious Emails in the Outlook Desktop and Web Apps" canonical: "https://kb.uconn.edu/space/IKB/10770450258/Managing%20Spam%2C%20Junk%20Mail%20and%20Suspicious%20Emails%20in%20the%20Outlook%20Desktop%20and%20Web%20Apps" format: markdown --- This article is for faculty, students, and staff seeking information regarding how to manage spam, junk email, and suspicious email received via the Outlook desktop and web apps.  ## Article Overview > Macro (toc) ## Spam Students, staff, and faculty can set rules to filter out spam emails. This can be done with any email account. > ℹ️ Spam filters are a filtering system set up to protect email accounts from unwanted and potentially dangerous messages.
Setting Up Spam Rules for Outlook Desktop Client 1. Open **Outlook**. 2. Under the **Home** tab, select **Rules.** 3. Click on **Manage Rules and Alerts.** 4. On the **Rules and Alerts** dialogue box, click **New Rule…** 5. In the **Start from a blank rule** section, click **Apply rule on messages I receive.         ** 6. Under **Step 1: Select condition(s),** select **with specific words in the message header.  ** 7. Click the blue underlined phrase, “**specific words**” in the box under **Step 2.    ** > Macro (inline-media-image) 8. Type **{SPAM?}**. Doing so will filter any email that has already been marked as spam and has been received in the inbox. 9. Click **Add**. 10. Click **OK**. 11. Click **Next.** 12. Under **Step 1: Select action(s)**, select **move it to the specified folder.** 13. Click the blue underlined word, **specified**, in the box under **Step 2.** 14. Select the **Junk E-mail** folder. 15. Click **OK.** 16. Click **Next.** 17. To run the filter you just created, click **Run this rule now on messages already in “Inbox.”** 18. Press **Finish.** 19. Click **Apply**. 20. Click **OK** to get back to the shared mailbox inbox.
Setting Up Spam Rules in Outlook Web Access 1. Click “**…**” located on the upper right-hand corner of the window. 2. Select **Create rule.** 3. On the **New Inbox Rule** window, under ***When the message arrives, and…*, **select the **It includes these words in the subject or body…** option. 4. In the **Specify Words or Phrases** box, type {SPAM?}, click** **the** "+"** sign, and click **OK.** 5. In **Do the following:** select the action you want to be performed. For safety and later review of the emails moved (to avoid deletion of incorrectly-marked emails), you can select the **Junk E-mail** folder. 6. Click **OK** when the folder has been selected. 7. Review your selected actions and click **OK **when confirmed**.** 8. You will be returned to your **Inbox.**
### Preventing Legitimate Emails From Going into the Spam Folder Sometimes a spam filtering system misidentifies legitimate email messages as spam and sends them to the junk folder in your mailbox. If you discover that an email was mistakenly sent to your junk folder, you can follow the steps provided below to identify it as “not junk.” With a few steps and occasional monitoring of your junk folder, you can customize the server and correct this misidentification. Over time and as more users engage in these corrective actions, the server will filter with even greater accuracy. 
Windows 1. Go to the **junk folder** in your mailbox. 2. Right-click on the email and select **Junk > Not junk**. 3. A pop-up will appear. Check the box by “**Always trust e-mail…**” to ensure that the sender’s address will not be blocked again in the future. Click **OK** to move the message back to your inbox.
Mac 1. Go to the **Junk E-mail **folder in your mailbox. 2. Right-click on the email and select **Junk Mail > Mark as Not Junk.**
## Junk Mail Students, faculty, and staff can move unwanted or spam emails automatically from the Inbox to the Junk email folder. 
Managing Junk Mail on the Outlook Desktop App 1. Click the **Home** tab at the top left of the screen. 2. Click the** Junk** drop-down. 3. Choose **Junk E-mail Options**. 4. Select the button next to the level of protection you want. 5. Click **OK**. > Macro (inline-media-image)
Managing Junk Mail on the Outlook Web App 1. Click on the **gear icon** in the top right corner of the screen. 2. Click **Mail **towards the bottom under **Your app settings.** 3. Under the **Accounts** drop-down, select **Block or Allow**. 4. In the **Block or Allow **main screen, select the **Automatically filter junk email** radio button. > Macro (inline-media-image) 5. Click **Save**.
Archiving Junk Email on the Outlook Desktop App 1. Click the **Home **tab at the top left of the screen 2. Click the **Junk **drop-down menu. 3. Choose **Junk E-mail Options**. 4. Check off the option next to the level of security you would like to use. 5. Click **OK. **
Archiving Junk Email on the Outlook Web App 1. Click on the **gear icon** in the top right corner of the screen. 2. Click **Mail**. 3. Under the **Accounts** drop-down menu, select **Block or Allow.** 4. In the **Block or Allow** main screen, check off **Automatically filter junk email.** 5. Click **Save. **
## Suspicious Emails This section explains how to report suspicious emails in Outlook (spam, phishing) for analysis. These types of emails can be directly handled through the Outlook desktop app, Office 365 online, or by using the Report Message add-in. 
Reporting Suspicious Emails on the Outlook Desktop App  1. Click on the **Report Message **button in the top right corner of the Outlook app. 2. In the menu that appears, classify the email as **Junk**, **Phishing**, or **Not Junk**.
Reporting Suspicious Emails on the Outlook Web App 1. Click on the three dots to the left of the **Reply all button** within the email. 2. In the menu that appears, select **Report Message. ** 3. Classify the email as **Junk**, **Phishing**, or **Not Junk**.
Reporting Procedures (Categorized by Email Type) - Reporting a message as "Junk" will add the sender to your “Blocked Senders List” and move the email to your Junk Folder. You will receive the option to report the message to Microsoft. - Reporting a message as "Phishing" will move the item to your "Junk" folder and report the item to Microsoft for analysis. - Reporting a message as "Not junk" will add the sender to your “Allowed Senders List” and the email will be moved to your inbox. You will receive the option to report the message to Microsoft.
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