The fastest way depends on which email service you use
If your own email address landed in someone's spam folder, you cannot move it yourself — only the person who received it can do that. But if you are seeing your messages in your spam folder by mistake, or if you want to prevent your emails from being marked as spam in the future, the steps change based on whether you use Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo Mail, or another service.
The core action is the same everywhere: find the message, mark it as "not spam" or move it to your inbox, then add the sender to your contacts. But the exact buttons and menu names differ. This guide walks through the most common services and explains what happens after you unmark a message.
Key Takeaways
- Move a message out of spam by opening it, then clicking "Not Spam," "Report Not Spam," or "Move to Inbox" — the exact wording depends on your email service.
- Adding a sender to your contacts or address book makes future emails from that person less likely to land in spam, though it does not may provide it.
- If you are sending emails that others receive as spam, check that your email address is not on a public blocklist and that your messages do not use spam-like language or too many links.
- Spam filters learn from your choices, so marking messages as "not spam" trains your filter to recognize similar emails in the future.
- Some email services let you create rules that automatically move messages from certain senders to your inbox or a specific folder.
How to unmark a message in Gmail
Open Gmail and click the "Spam" label on the left side. Find the message you want to keep, open it, and look at the top of the email. You will see a toolbar with several icons. Click the icon that looks like a prohibition sign or circle with a slash through it — this is the "Report Not Spam" button. Gmail will move the message back to your inbox and learn that similar messages should not be filtered.
After you unmark it, add the sender to your contacts. Click the sender's name or email address at the top of the message, then select "Add to Contacts." This step is optional but helpful: Gmail's filter pays attention to your contact list, and messages from people you know are less likely to be caught as spam in the future.
If you want to automate this for future emails from the same sender, you can create a filter. Click the three-dot menu icon in the toolbar, select "Filter messages like this," then choose "Never send it to Spam." Gmail will automatically route all future emails from that address to your inbox.
How to unmark a message in Outlook or Outlook.com
Log into Outlook.com or open Outlook on your computer. Find the "Junk" folder in the left sidebar and click it. Select the message you want to move, then click "Not Junk" in the toolbar at the top. Outlook will move it to your inbox and adjust its filter.
To add the sender to your contacts in Outlook.com, right-click the sender's name and select "Add to Contacts." In the desktop version of Outlook, click the sender's name, then click "Add to Contacts" in the panel that appears. Once someone is in your contacts, Outlook treats their emails as lower risk.
You can also create a rule to handle future emails automatically. Click the three-dot menu, select "Create Rule," then choose "Move to Inbox." Outlook will explore this rule to all future messages from that sender.
How to unmark a message in Yahoo Mail
Log into Yahoo Mail, click "Spam" in the left sidebar, and find the message. Click the message to open it, then click the "Not Spam" button in the toolbar. Yahoo will move it to your inbox and update its filter.
To add the sender to your contacts, click their name or email address, then select "Add Contact." Yahoo Mail will remember this person and treat their future emails as trusted.
If you want to create a rule, click the three-dot menu icon next to the message, select "Create Filter," and choose to move messages from this sender to your inbox automatically.
Why your emails might be landing in others' spam folders
If people are telling you they receive your emails as spam, the problem is usually on your end, not theirs. The most common reasons are that your email address is on a public blocklist, your messages contain spam-like patterns, or your email domain has a poor reputation.
Check whether your address is on a blocklist by visiting MXToolbox.com or similar services and searching your email address or domain. If you are listed, the site will tell you which blocklist and usually provide a link to request removal. Most blocklists remove addresses within a few days of a removal request.
Look at the emails you are sending. Spam filters flag messages with many links, urgent language like "Act Now" or "Limited Time," attachments that are executable files, or subject lines in all capitals. If your legitimate emails use these patterns, rewrite them to sound more conversational. Use fewer links, write in normal capitalization, and avoid phrases that sound like sales pitches.
Setting up filters and rules to keep important emails out of spam
Most email services let you create rules that automatically sort incoming mail. These rules can move messages from specific senders to your inbox, a folder you create, or mark them as important so they stand out.
In Gmail, go to Settings, click "Filters and Blocked Addresses," then "Create a New Filter." Type the sender's email address, click "Create Filter," and select "Never Send It to Spam." In Outlook, click Settings, go to "Mail" then "Rules," and create a new rule that moves messages from a specific sender to your inbox. Yahoo Mail has a similar feature under Settings and Filters.
You can also create filters based on keywords. If you always want to see emails with "Invoice" in the subject line, create a filter that catches those words and moves them to a specific folder. This is useful if you receive important business emails that sometimes get filtered.
What to do if you cannot find a message you marked as spam
If you marked a message as spam but now cannot find it, check your trash or deleted items folder. Most email services move messages to trash after 30 days, then permanently delete them. If the message is still in trash, open it and mark it as "not spam" again, or move it to your inbox manually.
If the message is gone, ask the sender to resend it. When they do, add them to your contacts when ready so the new message does not get filtered. If this is a recurring problem with a specific sender, create a filter rule as described above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does marking a message as "not spam" mean I will see all future emails from that sender?
Not automatically. Marking one message as "not spam" trains your filter, but it does not may provide future emails will reach your inbox. Adding the sender to your contacts makes it more likely. Creating a filter rule is the most reliable way to may support their emails always go to your inbox.
Can I unmark multiple messages at once?
Yes, in most services. In Gmail, select multiple messages by clicking the checkbox next to each one, then click "Report Not Spam." Outlook and Yahoo Mail have similar bulk actions. Check the toolbar for a "Select All" option if you want to unmark everything in your spam folder at once.
What if my email address is on a blocklist but I did not send spam?
Blocklists sometimes include addresses by mistake, or an address may have been compromised and used to send spam before you owned it. Visit the blocklist's website and look for a "Removal Request" or "Delisting" link. Most will remove you within a few days if you can prove the address is legitimate.
Will creating a filter stop all spam from reaching me?
No. Filters only affect messages from senders you specify. They do not replace your email service's spam filter. If you want to block a sender entirely, use the "Block" or "Block Sender" option instead of creating a filter — this prevents their emails from reaching you at all.
Why do emails from my bank or credit card company keep going to spam?
Financial institutions often send emails from many different addresses, which can confuse spam filters. Add the main contact email from your bank to your contacts, and create a filter that catches keywords like your bank's name or "account alert." This ensures you see important security notifications.