Security Policy Errors

How to Remove a High-Severity Restricted User Email Alert in Microsoft 365

Nimra Malik Oct 22, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to know how to respond to and remove a Microsoft 365 alert indicating that an email account has been restricted from sending outbound messages.

How to Remove a High-Severity Restricted User Email Alert in Microsoft 365

Product: Microsoft 365
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: An email account has triggered outbound spam policies or exceeded sending limits, resulting in a high-severity restriction alert.
Observed behavior: The user is blocked from sending outbound emails but can still receive incoming messages, and a high-severity restricted user alert is displayed.

Before you start

Determine whether the affected account is managed by an organization (such as a school or workplace) or if it is a personal Outlook.com account, as the recovery steps depend entirely on your account type and administrative permissions.

Solution 1Recommended

Unblock the Account via the Microsoft 365 Defender Portal

If you are an IT administrator, you can manually investigate and remove the user from the Restricted users portal after securing the compromised account.

This solution requires administrator privileges. Before lifting the restriction, ensure that the user's account has not been compromised. If it was compromised, reset their credentials and enable multi-factor authentication.

Log in to the Defender Portal

Navigate to the Microsoft 365 Defender portal and sign in with your global administrator or security administrator credentials.

Access Restricted Users

Go to 'Email & collaboration' in the left-hand menu, select 'Review', and then click on 'Restricted users'.

Unblock the Account

Locate and select the restricted user's account from the list, click 'Unblock' on the action pane, review the security recommendations, and confirm the action to restore outbound email access.

Propagation Time: After an administrator unblocks an account, it can take anywhere from a few hours up to 24 hours for the changes to fully propagate through the Microsoft Exchange servers.

Solution 2

Contact Support or Your IT Administrator

If you are an end user without administrator access, you must contact the entity that manages your email service to lift the restriction.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why did my Microsoft 365 account receive a restricted user email alert?

This alert is triggered when Microsoft's security systems detect that your account has exceeded outbound sending limits or violated outbound spam policies. This is often caused by sending bulk emails, or it may indicate that your account was compromised by a third party.

Can I still receive emails while my account is restricted?

Yes. A high-severity restricted user alert typically only blocks outbound communications to prevent spam. You will continue to receive incoming messages in your inbox as usual.

How long does it take for my account to be unblocked?

Once an administrator initiates the unblock process in the Restricted users portal, or Microsoft Support clears a personal account, it can take up to 24 hours for the restriction to be completely lifted across the system.

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