Microsoft Defender

Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is an advanced email filtering service that helps protect against email threats such as phishing, business email compromise and malware. The software works in the background and has minimal impact on end users.

Because users, however, might occasionally receive junk or spam mail – or have legitimate messages automatically marked as junk Microsoft Defender also gives you the ability in Microsoft Outlook to classify emails as:

  • Junk
  • Phishing
  • Not Junk

As you classify messages, Microsoft's machine-learning filtering capabilities uses your interaction to improve the accuracy of inbound email.

Using the Report Function in Outlook Desktop

Reporting Spam or Phishing Emails

  1. In Outlook on your desktop, navigate to your Inbox and select the email that you would like to mark as junk or phishing as shown below.
     

    Outlook Desktop Spam screenshot

     

  2. Select the Report button toward the top left side of your toolbar.
     

    Screen shot of Outlook desktop - select Report Junk

     

  3. Select the option to mark the email as junk or phishing. 
  • Marking the email as junk or phishing will direct the Report button to automatically move the email from your inbox to the Junk Email folder. It will also send an email to Microsoft Defender for email administrators to investigate. 

Reporting Emails That are Not Junk

  1. In Outlook on your desktop, Navigate to the Junk Email folder and select the email that you would like to mark as Not Junk as shown below.
     
Screen shot of Outlook desktop - not Junk

 

  1. Select the Report button toward the top left side of your toolbar.
  2. Select the option to mark the email as Not Junk.
     
Screen shot of Outlook desktop - select not Junk

 

  • Selecting the email as Not Junk will direct the Report button to automatically move the email from your Junk Email folder to your Inbox. This will also submit the email to Microsoft Defender for email administrators to investigate. 

 

Using the Report Button in Outlook on the Web

Reporting Spam or Phishing Emails

  1. In Outlook on the web, navigate to your Inbox and select the email that you would like to mark as junk or phishing.
     

    Select Outlook on the Web email

     

  2. At the top of the toolbar, select Report.

  3. Select Report phishing or Report junk.
     

    Select Report phishing and junk

     

  • Identifying the email as junk or phishing will allow Report to automatically move the email from your Inbox to the Junk Email folder. The email will also be submitted to Defender for email administrators to investigate.

Reporting Emails that are Not Junk

  1. In Outlook on the web, navigate to the Junk Email folder and select the email that you would like to mark as Not Junk or Phishing.
     
Screen shot of Outlook on the Web Junk email

 

  1.  At the top of the toolbar, select Report. 
  2. Select Not Junk or Report phishing.
     
Outlook Web Report - Not Junk screenshot.

 

  • Identifying the email as not junk will allow Report to automatically move the email from your Junk Email folder to the Inbox folder. The email will also be submitted to Defender for email administrators to investigate.
  • See how to verify your inbox rules for flagged senders. 

Related Resources

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