The junk mail folder in Microsoft Outlook prevents spam from coming your way by filtering the emails which are unsolicited or threatening in nature. But sometimes even valid emails get moved to this folder, which can be irritating and lead to important communications getting lost. In this article, I would like to learn why the emails get moved to the junk mail folder in Outlook and what users can do to prevent this from happening.
Content Analysis
Content analysis is the act of automatically crawling and reviewing the contents of an email, including the subject, body, embedded links and images, to detect if it is spam or not. E-mail providers employ sophisticated algorithms and machine learning to flag patterns and anomalies that constitute spam. For example, if your email subject line or email body include any words or phrases that you commonly hear in spam emails like “free offer”, “win big” or “click here,” your email is most likely to be discarded as junk. Likewise, if the email includes links to well-known spam sites or contains suspicious images, then it is more likely to be junked.
Sender Reputation
Sender reputation is a measurement of the credibility of a sender’s domain or email address. Email providers keep lists of known spammers and if an email address or domain is associated with spam, emails from that address or domain are likely to be junk. Various aspects influence the reputation of a sender, such as the number and frequency of emails, spam complaints, spam trap hits, and spam-like content found in the previous emails.
User-defined Rules
Email software such as Outlook allows users to define their own rules for filtering and processing emails. It allows you to specify rules based on the sender’s email address, subject line words, or message size, and sends emails that satisfy the rules directly to the junk mail folder. Custom rules may be handy for cleaning out inboxes, but if they’re not carefully implemented or regularly updated, they could also automatically mark legitimate emails as junk.
Volume of Emails
Mailing a large number of emails too fast can also make your emails look like junk mail. Email services such as Outlook leverage algorithms to keep the number of emails under control and stop the users from going overloaded. If you get too many emails above a certain limit, the email provider might simply delete some of the emails in your inbox as junk. This can be a big issue for companies and organizations that offer mass email campaigns or newsletters, as their emails could be viewed as junk even if they’re legitimate and sought after.
Email Format and Structure
Finally, the type and layout of the email can also affect its junk status. Emails with poor formatting, capitalization, and special characters, for example, are more likely to be flagged as junk mail. E-mails with misleading subject lines or sender addresses may be flagged as junk, too, even if the message itself isn’t spammy. When it comes to format and structure, best practices when it comes to email design and formatting, including simple subject lines, limited capitalization, and using generic email templates and formats will ensure you don’t end up discarded as junk.
How To Keep Emails From Being Filled as Junk:
Whitelisting
Whitelisting trusted senders is one of the most common methods used by users to avoid identifying their emails as junk. Whitelisting is the act of adding trusted senders to a safe list. Emails sent from these list members pass the junk mail filter and arrive at the recipient’s inbox. Whitelist senders by Adding their email address to the safe senders list or contact list of their email client. This list should be constantly rolled up to keep it up-to-date with all trusted senders.
Adjusting Spam Filter Settings
Outlook users can tweak the spam filter to help reduce the likelihood of a genuine email being flagged as junk. Making the spam filter more passive can increase the probability of having genuine messages come into your inbox. It’s possible to modify the spam filter, reduce the spam filter, build custom filters, or create safe sender lists. The spam filter settings should always be reviewed and updated on a regular basis so that it’s a healthy compromise between deleting spam and sending out legitimate emails.
Avoiding Spammy Content
This also avoids snagging users’ emails by being spam-free. Spam language, containing too much capitalization, too many exclamation points or any words typically used for spam, may be the source of spam filters. In emails, users should not be using spammy words and instead keep it concise and professional. Similarly, don’t try to email large lists of people at once, as this triggers spam filters.
Regularly Checking the Junk Folder
Users are encouraged to frequently scan their junk mail folder for emails that have been deleted. New messages or emails that contain strange information are junked even when they are legitimate. Users should constantly monitor their junk mail folder and mark any legitimate emails as “not junk” in order to gain a better reputation and deliverability in the future.
Encouraging Sender Authentication
You can enable Senders to enhance their reputation and help avoid sending junk emails through Sender authentication like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. Such protocols verify the content of emails and mitigate spoofing and phishing. By utilizing these policies, the sender can show that they’re on the forefront of email security and enhance their email reputation.
Conclusion:
In Outlook, the junk mail folder is one of the most useful features to keep out spammers, but it sometimes flags inactive emails as junk. Once you know the reasons behind this and take the right preventative steps, users can make sure their legitimate emails are not junk. Making sure to regularly scan the junk mail folder and add safe senders to your safe senders list is also a way to make sure important messages get missed.
