Outlook's junk mail filter often gets blamed for putting mail in the Junk E-mail folder when some other program did it. So beginning with Outlook 2007 SP2, the Infobar tells you if Outlook junk filter moved the message or not.
If Outlook didn't do it, it won't tell you what put the message in the junk folder; it only reports if Outlook's junk mail filter or something else was responsible. You'll need to figure out what that "something else" is. It could be a rule or a anti-spam filter installed by your antivirus.
Outlook marked the message as Junk e-mail
You can add the sender to the safe list to prevent future messages from being moved into the Junk E-mail folder:
Outlook didn't do it
Adding the address to the safe list may not prevent future messages from being moved to the junk mail folder, depending on what program moved the message. It could be a 3rd party anti-spam add-in or a rule in Rules Wizard. (The message in this example was moved to the junk folder by a rule.)
This information is only added when the message is moved into the Junk E-mail folder as its downloaded into Outlook.
Outlook doesn't know
If the message is moved prior to downloading, such as by a server-side filter, the Infobar won't say how it got in the Junk mail folder. If you move a message to the junk mail folder after it's downloaded, either by using Run Rules Now or dragging it, it also will not contain this line.
In this example, I drag and dropped the message in the junk folder. The Infobar doesn't say Outlook didn't do it, because it was moved after the message arrived.
More Information
- Add EU to the International Blocked TLD List
- Automatically Cleanup Outlook's Deleted Item and Junk Email Folders
- Blocking Mail From New Top-Level Domains
- Bulk Add Addresses to Safe and Blocked Senders Lists
- Don't Get Caught In a Phishing Hack
- Empty Multiple Deleted Items Folders using a Macro
- How to Block Foreign Spam
- Icon is not correct on the Junk Mail Folder
- Junk Email Filtering isn't Working in Outlook
- Junk Mail Filtering in Outlook
- Office 365 Fraud Detection Checks
- Outlook's "Not Junk" option isn't available
- Rules and Tools to Filter Junk Mail
- Samsung smartphones move email to the Junk folder
- Sending Autoreplies to Spammers
- Should You Respond to Junk Mail?
- Understanding the Safe and Blocked Senders lists
- Using Outlook's Junk Filter with Multiple Accounts
- Using Outlook's Junk Mail filter
I just switched from a pop account to imap (Outlook 365) and I'm starting to regret it. I'm not sure I understand where the Bulk Mail folder is coming from (i.e., Outlook, AOL Mail, or where). If I access my emails in the native AOL site via the web, the Bulk Mail folder is not there. I'd rather deal with those emails in my Inbox and handle them via junk mail rules. Is that possible? Also, it seems that there is a constant sync issue between Outlook 365 and my Iphone XR. Sometimes (but rarely) I can see all my subfolders on my iPhone but usually there is an extra Inbox that is greyed out and shows a number of unread emails next to it. I've tried all the suggested fixes but they are never consistent resolutions. The most common suggestion seems to be adding INBOX in the root path in the iPhone imap settings but that doesn't seem to help at all. All of the Inbox sub-folders that I'd like to see on my iPhone are properly subscribed to via Outlook. I'm using the native mail app on the iPhone with the imap settings provided by AOL. Any recommendations?… Read more »
If the folder is called Bulk mail and you did not have it in POP, it is coming from AOL - it is the junk folder they use. If you had it before, it would be from 3rd party security software such as Norton or McAfee. Outlook doesnt create a folder called Bulk or Bulk mail - it uses Junk Email.
When you log in to AOL.com, does the folder list look ok - no duplicates? Are you using the iOS mail app or Outlook app? It's possible its the app - I've seen more than a few people complain of disappearing folders.
The Inbox on AOL.com looks like it's okay and there's no Bulk Mail folder in that view. This is a new brand new HP laptop and McAfee is pre-installed. I don't intend to keep McAfee but I went through all the help files and current settings and there's no reference to a Bulk Mail folder. If AOL (via the Verizon.net set-up) is responsible, it's odd that it only shows up in the IMAP account in Outlook. If I use the POP settings, there is no Bulk Mail folder. Also, I'm using the native IOS mail app on my iPhone. I'll reach out to AOL and see if they have an explanation.
Again, many thanks. You're the best!
Jim
Thanks for this. I am using Office365 exchange. So I have various emails in my JUNK FOLDER where the Outlook Junk Email folder has NOT moved the items. How to I find what program is moving the emails to the Junk Email folder.
Tks Michael
If you use an exchange mailbox, its either Exchange server filtering or a client side spam filter (most likely if you are using a non-microsoft antivirus filter).
Links and other functionality have been disabled in this message. To turn on that functionality, move this message to the Inbox.
We converted this message into plain text format.
Outlook blocked access to the following potentially unsafe attachments: image001.png
It's very possible that the image is corrupt or is not really an image. You can move the message back to the inbox to enable everything, but first review the links and see if they are to the expected websites. If the image is attached, you can save it to the hard drive and add txt extension, then open it in notepad to see if its a script.
I am trying to REMOVE the "links and other functionality have been disabled" function in my Bulk Mail folder. In other words, I don't want the mail that goes to my Bulk Mail folder from my server considered as Junk. Help??
Unfortunately, the only way to enable them is to move them to another folder. Sorry.