How to Stop Junk Emails in Outlook?
Written By: Sarthak Poswal 
Updated On October 09, 2026 Written By: Sarthak Poswal Updated On October 09, 2026 Quick Answer: To stop junk emails in Outlook, block unwanted senders, report spam, unsubscribe from trusted mailing lists, and use the Outlook spam filter. You can also block entire domains and add trusted senders to the Safe Senders list. The exact steps vary by Outlook version.
Email is the standard mode for professional communication. People in the corporate world use email to communicate both internally and externally. For most users, going through all received emails is a daily chore, but things get worse when the count of junk or spam emails starts increasing.
Unsolicited email messages not only bother the person but also consume storage space, and it’s also possible that they may contain malicious links or viruses, ready to spread or steal data when opened.
To fix these junk emails, every user needs to go through this quick process:
Junk email arrives > Report as Junk > Block sender/domain > Unsubscribe from trusted lists > Add trusted senders > Review Junk folder
The Outlook spam filter is a built-in system that identifies suspected junk email and moves it to the Junk Email folder instead of your Inbox.
Microsoft Outlook uses several controls to manage unwanted email, including:
| Junk Email filtering | Blocked senders |
| Blocked domains | Safe Senders |
| Spam and phishing reports | Inbox rules |
The exact options depend on whether you use New Outlook, classic Outlook, Outlook.com, or Outlook on the web.
Note: The Outlook spam filter cannot guarantee that every spam message will stay out of your Inbox. Some unwanted messages may still reach your Inbox, while a legitimate email may enter the Junk Email folder.
Now, let's discuss reliable methods to save you from the tons of unwanted and misleading emails that interfere with your productivity. We will mention a few manual methods to stop junk emails in Outlook.
You can block emails from individual senders using a built-in Outlook feature and add as many email sender names as you like to the blocklist. Though adding sender names to the block list is manual in this approach, it’ll save you time in the long run to stop junk emails in Outlook.
Step 1: Open Outlook.
Step 2: Select the unwanted email.
Step 3: Right-click the message.
Step 4: Select Block > Block Sender.
Outlook then sends future messages from that sender to the Junk Email folder.
Note: Blocking a sender does not prevent that person or organization from sending another email. Basically, it commands Outlook to handle future messages from that address.
Blocking individual addresses may not help if spam comes from several addresses under the same domain.
For example, you may receive messages from:
[abc1@example-spam.com](mailto:abc1@example-spam.com)
[xyz@example-spam.com](mailto:xyz@example-spam.com)
[a123@example-spam.com](mailto:a123@example-spam.com)
Instead of blocking every address, you can block the domain:
example-spam.com
Step 1: Open Outlook and go to Settings > Mail > Junk email > Blocked domains.
Step 2: Add the unwanted domain and select Save.
Note: Use this option after discussing this with your IT admin. Because a domain-wide block can affect legitimate messages from that organization.
If a spam message reaches your Inbox, then report it as Junk instead of only deleting it.
Select the message and choose Junk or Report Junk, based on your Outlook version.
Fact: Some Outlook Versions show Block Sender in Junk options.
Do You Know: Not every email in the Junk folder is a junk email. Sometimes emails look like junk, but they are phishing emails.
What are Phishing Emails?
Phishing emails in Outlook are fraudulent messages that try to steal passwords, financial details, or personal information through fake links, attachments, or requests from trusted-looking sources.
What to do when you get Junk or Phishing emails?
| Email type | What to do |
|---|---|
| Unwanted advertisement | Report as Junk |
| Unwanted newsletter | Unsubscribe |
| Suspicious login alert | Report as phishing |
| Unknown attachment | Do not open it |
| Suspicious payment request | Report as phishing |
Some unwanted messages are not spam. They come from websites, newsletters, stores, software services, or other subscriptions. If you recognize the sender and no longer want the emails, use the Unsubscribe option.
In Outlook.com, you can also check your email subscriptions from the relevant settings.
The Outlook junk email filter can sometimes move legitimate messages to the Junk folder. If this happens repeatedly, make sure to add the sender or domain to your Safe Senders list.
Step 1: Open Outlook on your system.
Step 2: Go to Home > Junk > Junk Email Options.
Step 3: Select the Safe Senders tab and click Add.
Step 4: Enter the email address or domain and click OK.
You can also add trusted contacts to the Safe Senders list through the available options.
It helps Outlook distinguish trusted email sources from unwanted messages.
Classic Outlook provides Junk Email Options that allow you to control how Outlook handles suspected junk.
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To open these settings: Go to Home > Junk > Junk Email Options With these settings, you can manage:
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An Outlook rule can help when unwanted messages follow a clear pattern.
For example, you may receive several messages with:
In this scenario, you can create a rule that moves matching messages to a selected folder.
Let’s Understand this with an Example
Suppose you receive repeated emails with "Special Offer" in the subject.
You can create a rule that identifies this phrase and moves matching emails away from your Inbox.
Author's Verdict: Which Method Should You Use?
If junk emails keep reaching in your Outlook, use two manual methods: block unwanted senders and enable the Junk Email filter. These methods may reduce spam, but repeated junk emails still add data to your mailbox or PST file. Over time, a large number of unwanted messages can increase PST size and affect Outlook performance.
If your PST becomes oversized, remove unwanted emails, attachments, and old data. You can also archive important older emails. If the PST remains large, split it into smaller files for easier management. Kernel PST Split allows you to divide a large PST file into smaller PST files based on date, sender’s email address, folders, and size.
An oversized PST file with a large volume of data may face corruption, damage, and other errors, which can make important emails inaccessible. In such cases, Kernel for Outlook PST Repair can help repair PST corruption and errors and recover mailbox data into a healthy PST file.
Spam mail is a threat to users’ privacy and security. With the above-mentioned methods, you can check incoming spam and junk emails. But make sure to prevent your mailbox from being flooded with junk emails because it will increase your PST size. You can manage your oversized PST files using Kernel PST Splitter. Additionally, if you face PST file corruption, then make sure to protect your valuable data and repair PST file using the built-in Inbox Repair tool or Kernel for Outlook PST Repair tool.
Ans: You cannot guarantee a complete stop to all spam or Junk emails. However, blocking a sender, domain, spam reports, and applying rules can temporarily stop spam emails.
Ans: The Outlook junk email filter can sometimes classify legitimate messages as junk. Check the Junk folder and add trusted senders or domains to the Safe Senders list.