Security Policy Errors

How to Configure Alerts for Junk Email and Safe Sender Changes

Maira Mehtab Sep 27, 2026 868 views

Question details

The administrator needs to monitor and be alerted when emails are moved from Junk to the Inbox, or when new trusted senders and domains are added.

Product: Microsoft 365
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Configuring administrative monitoring and security policy alerts for email filtering changes.
Observed behavior: Administrators require visibility into safe sender list modifications and junk email handling to maintain tenant security.

Before you start

Ensure you have the necessary administrative privileges (such as Exchange Administrator or Security Administrator) in your Microsoft 365 tenant to access Defender settings and organization-wide mail rules.

Solution 1Recommended

Configure Tenant-Wide Monitoring via Microsoft 365 Defender

Set up tenant-level monitoring to track domain and safe sender policies across the entire organization.

This method is ideal for administrators who need a macro-level view of security configurations rather than tracking individual user inboxes.

Access Defender portal

Navigate to Threat policies

Go to the Policies & rules section on the left-hand menu and select Threat policies.

Review Allow/Block lists

Open the Tenant Allow/Block List to manage and monitor domain or sender policies.

Set up alerts

Navigate to the Alert policies section to configure custom notifications that trigger when safe sender lists are modified or suspicious junk mail behavior is detected.

Administrative Access: You must have Global Admin or Security Admin roles assigned to make changes in the Defender portal.

Solution 2

Monitor Using Individual Outlook Rules

Use Outlook's built-in rules to track specific senders or emails bypassing the junk filter for individual mailboxes.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I receive an immediate email alert whenever a user marks a junk email as safe?

In a Microsoft 365 environment, standard configurations typically do not send real-time email alerts for every individual user action. Administrators usually rely on audit logs or advanced threat hunting queries in Microsoft Defender to track these events.

Do safe sender lists sync across all devices?

Yes, if you are using an Exchange account, safe sender and blocked sender lists are synchronized at the server level, ensuring they apply whether you use Outlook on the web, desktop, or mobile.

Where is the Tenant Allow/Block List located?

You can find the Tenant Allow/Block List in the Microsoft 365 Defender portal by navigating to Policies & rules, clicking on Threat policies, and looking under the Rules section.

Microsoft Office Security Issues