Security Policy Errors

Fix Microsoft Defender Notifications Sent to the Wrong Mailbox

Huma Ashraf Ch Sep 28, 2026 869 views

Question details

User-reported message notifications in Microsoft Defender are being delivered to the administrator instead of the user who originally reported the message.

How to Fix Microsoft Defender Notifications Sent to the Wrong Mailbox

Product: Microsoft Defender
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Administrators need to configure user-reported settings so feedback and results are correctly emailed to the reporting users rather than the admin mailbox.
Observed behavior: Notifications go to the administrator's mailbox, and enabling the 'Automatically email users the results' feature has no effect.

Before you start

Verify that your account has the Security Administrator or Hygiene Management role before attempting to modify email and collaboration settings in the Microsoft Defender portal.

Solution 1Recommended

Review User Reported Settings in Defender Portal

Ensure the reporting mailbox and customized feedback settings are accurately targeting the reporting user.

Incorrectly configured user submission settings are the most common reason notifications route to an administrator. Verifying these configurations in the Microsoft Defender portal ensures proper email routing.

Open User Reported Settings

Navigate to the Microsoft Defender portal and go to Settings > Email & collaboration > User reported settings, or directly visit https://security.microsoft.com/securitysettings/userSubmission.

Enable Monitoring

Make sure the option to 'Monitor reported messages in Outlook' is enabled.

Configure Feedback Email Settings

Review the reporting mailbox and customized feedback email settings to verify they are configured to email the reporting user, not the administrator.

Review User Reported Settings in Defender Portal

Propagation Time: Changes to security settings in Microsoft 365 can sometimes take a few hours to fully propagate across the environment.

Solution 2

Open a Service Request with Microsoft Backend Support

If settings are correct but the issue persists, a backend log inspection by Microsoft engineers is required.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why are Microsoft Defender feedback notifications going to the global admin?

This usually occurs if the customized feedback settings default to the admin mailbox or if a backend routing error in Microsoft 365 is overriding the 'Automatically email users the results' setting.

What admin roles are required to change user-reported settings?

You must be assigned the Security Administrator or Hygiene Management role in Microsoft 365 to view and edit user submission settings in the Defender portal.

Can public forum moderators fix this email routing issue?

No, public forum moderators do not have access to Microsoft 365 backend logs. A Global Administrator must open a formal service request with Microsoft support to investigate backend routing failures.

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