Security Policy Errors

How to Fix Questionable URL Alerts in Microsoft 365 Messages

Rana Garcia Oct 7, 2026 868 views

Question details

Users are receiving questionable URL alerts or automated submission messages when reporting emails as junk or moving them out of the junk folder in Microsoft 365.

How to Handle Questionable URL Alerts in Microsoft 365 Messages

Product: Microsoft 365
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Managing junk emails and reporting questionable messages within the Microsoft 365 environment.
Observed behavior: When marking messages as junk or not junk, an alert about a questionable URL is triggered. Occasionally, emails repeatedly return to the junk folder or generate automated submission emails containing the original message as an attachment.

Before you start

Ensure you have administrative access to the Microsoft 365 admin center, as modifying user-reported message settings requires global or security administrator privileges.

Solution 1Recommended

Configure User-Reported Message Settings in Microsoft Defender

Adjust the destination mailbox for user-reported messages to manage how junk reports and questionable URL alerts are handled within your organization.

The questionable URL notification is typically a submission message generated when an email is reported as junk. By configuring a custom mailbox in Microsoft Defender, administrators can control where these reports are sent and prevent them from returning to the user's inbox as unwanted attachments.

Sign in to Microsoft Defender

Open your web browser and sign in to the Microsoft Defender portal (security.microsoft.com) using your administrator credentials.

Navigate to User Reported Settings

Go to Settings on the bottom left of the navigation menu, select 'Email & collaboration', and then click on 'User reported settings'.

Configure the Destination Mailbox

Under the 'Reported message destinations' section, specify where reported messages should be sent. You can choose to send reports only to a custom organizational mailbox, only to Microsoft, or to both.

Save Changes

Once you have entered the correct custom mailbox address, click 'Save' to apply the new submission routing rules.

Configure User-Reported Message Settings in Microsoft Defender

Routing Configuration Applied: Changes may take a short time to propagate across your organization. Once applied, users should no longer see unexpected submission alerts in their inboxes.

Solution 2

Open a Support Request in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center

If emails continue to loop back to the junk folder despite marking them as safe, a global administrator should escalate the issue to Microsoft Support.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do emails I mark as 'not junk' keep returning to the junk folder?

This usually happens because a strict organizational anti-spam policy in Microsoft Defender is overriding your personal user preferences, or the system is automatically re-evaluating the message as a threat shortly after you move it.

What exactly is a submission email in Microsoft 365?

A submission email is an automated message generated by the system when a user reports an email as junk or phishing. It packages the original suspicious email and sends it to your organization's IT administrators or directly to Microsoft for security analysis.

Do I need administrator rights to stop questionable URL alerts?

Yes. If the alerts are caused by organization-wide user-reported message settings, only an IT administrator with security or global admin privileges can change the destination mailbox for these submissions.

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