Send & Receive Issues

How to Move a Sender from Spam to Inbox in Outlook

John Wilson Oct 22, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to ensure that future emails from a trusted sender are delivered to the regular Inbox instead of the Junk Email folder.

How to Move a Sender from Spam to the Inbox in Outlook

Product: Microsoft Outlook
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Managing email deliverability and preventing important messages from being marked as spam.
Observed behavior: Messages from a trusted sender are being incorrectly routed to the spam or Junk Email folder instead of the main Inbox.

Before you start

Before adjusting your junk email settings, check your Spam or Junk folder to locate the exact email address or domain of the sender you want to whitelist.

Solution 1Recommended

Add the Sender to the Safe Senders List in Outlook Desktop

This is the most reliable method to ensure future emails from a specific address or domain bypass the spam filter and go directly to your Inbox.

By manually adding an email address or an entire domain to your Safe Senders list, you instruct Outlook to never treat messages from that source as junk.

Navigate to Junk Options

Open Microsoft Outlook and navigate to the 'Home' tab on the top ribbon. Click on the 'Junk' dropdown icon located in the Delete group.

Open Junk E-mail Options

Select 'Junk E-mail Options' from the dropdown menu to open the settings dialog.

Add to Safe Senders

Go to the 'Safe Senders' tab, click the 'Add' button, and type in the specific email address or domain you wish to whitelist.

Save Changes

Click 'OK' to add the address to the list, and then click 'OK' again to close the window and apply the new rule.

Add the Sender to the Safe Senders List in Outlook Desktop

Domain Whitelisting: You can add an entire domain (e.g., @example.com) to the Safe Senders list to automatically approve all emails coming from that organization.

Solution 2

Check and Remove the Sender from the Blocked Senders List

If emails from a known contact are consistently going to spam, their address might have been accidentally added to your Blocked Senders list.

Solution 3

Mark an Email as 'Not Junk' Directly from the Spam Folder

This is a quick way to move an existing incorrectly flagged email back to the Inbox and trust the sender simultaneously.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do emails from my contacts keep going to the Junk folder in Outlook?

Outlook's junk email filter evaluates incoming messages automatically. If a trusted email triggers certain spam characteristics, or if the sender's domain lacks proper authentication, Outlook may route it to the Junk Email folder. Adding them to the Safe Senders list overrides this automatic filter.

Can I whitelist an entire company domain in Outlook?

Yes, you can whitelist an entire domain instead of individual email addresses. Go to Home > Junk > Junk E-mail Options > Safe Senders, click Add, and simply type the domain (e.g., @company.com).

Does marking an email as 'Not Junk' automatically add the sender to the Safe Senders list?

Yes, when you right-click an email in the Junk folder and select 'Not Junk', a prompt will appear asking if you want to always trust e-mails from that address. Checking this box adds the sender to your Safe Senders list while moving the current email to your Inbox.

Where do I find my Safe Senders list in Outlook on the web?

In Outlook on the web, click the Settings (gear) icon at the top right, go to Mail > Junk email. Here, you will find the 'Safe senders and domains' section where you can manually add trusted email addresses.

Outlook & Email Problems