The fastest way to whitelist an email in Outlook

Open the email from the sender you want to whitelist. Look for the three dots (more options) button in the top right of the message, or right-click the sender's name. Select Add to Safe Senders or Never Send to Junk. Outlook will move that sender's future emails to your inbox and stop filtering them to spam.

If you cannot find that option, look for a Junk button in the toolbar at the top of the message. Click the arrow next to it and choose Add Sender to Safe Senders List. The exact wording changes slightly between Outlook versions, but the result is the same: the sender moves to your trusted list.

Once you whitelist a sender, their emails arrive in your inbox by default. You can whitelist as many senders as you need. There is no limit.

Key Takeaways

  • Whitelisting an email sender in Outlook takes one click from the message itself — use the three-dot menu or right-click the sender's name.
  • After you whitelist a sender, all their future emails go to your inbox instead of spam, even if the content would normally trigger filters.
  • You can whitelist individual email addresses or entire domains (like all emails from company.com).
  • If you whitelist a sender by mistake, you can remove them from the Safe Senders list just as easily.

Whitelisting a whole domain instead of one address

If you receive email from multiple people at the same organization, whitelisting the entire domain saves time. Open any email from that domain, then go to Junk > Add Sender to Safe Senders List. Outlook will ask whether you want to trust just that email address or the whole domain. Choose the domain option.

From that point forward, every email from anyone at that domain lands in your inbox. This is useful for work domains, newsletter services, or any organization where multiple people send you messages.

Where to find your Safe Senders list

You can view and manage your whitelisted senders in Outlook settings. Go to File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Safe Senders. You will see a list of every address and domain you have whitelisted.

From this list, you can add senders manually by typing their address, or remove anyone you no longer want to trust. If you whitelisted someone by mistake, select their name and click Remove. Their emails will go back to being filtered normally.

The difference between Safe Senders and other Outlook lists

Outlook has three separate lists: Safe Senders, Safe Recipients, and Blocked Senders. Safe Senders is what you use to whitelist incoming email — it tells Outlook to trust messages from that address. Safe Recipients is for emails you send; it prevents Outlook from marking your own outgoing messages as spam. Blocked Senders does the opposite of whitelisting: it sends a sender's emails straight to junk no matter what.

For unblocking an email address that keeps landing in spam, Safe Senders is the right list. The other two are for different purposes.

Why an email might still go to spam after whitelisting

In rare cases, a whitelisted email can still land in spam if your organization uses a mail server with its own spam filter. If you use Outlook through a work email account, your company's email server may filter messages before they reach Outlook. Whitelisting in Outlook does not override the server-level filter.

If this happens, contact your IT department or email administrator. They can whitelist the sender on the mail server itself, which will let the message through to Outlook. Ask them to add the sender to the organization's safe list or trusted senders policy.

Whitelisting on Outlook.com or Outlook web

If you use Outlook through a web browser instead of the desktop app, the process is slightly different. Open the email, click the three dots at the top right, and select Mark as not junk. Outlook will move the message to your inbox and add the sender to your safe list.

You can also manage your safe senders list in web Outlook by going to Settings (the gear icon) > View all Outlook settings > Mail > Junk email. From there, you can add addresses manually or review who you have already whitelisted.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I whitelist an email address that does not exist yet?

Yes. Go to File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Safe Senders and type the address directly. Outlook will whitelist it before you receive any mail from that sender. This is useful if you are expecting email from someone and want to make sure it does not land in spam.

What happens if I whitelist someone and then they send me a virus?

Whitelisting affects only the spam filter, not Outlook's virus or malware protection. If a whitelisted sender's email contains a virus, Outlook's security features will still detect and quarantine it. Whitelisting a sender does not make their attachments or links any safer.

Can I undo whitelisting if I change my mind?

Yes. Go to File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Safe Senders, find the sender you want to remove, and click Remove. Their future emails will be filtered normally again.

Does whitelisting in Outlook work on my phone?

Outlook mobile apps do not have a built-in whitelist feature. To whitelist a sender on your phone, open the email and look for a flag or menu option to mark it as not junk. The sender may be added to your safe list, but the most reliable way is to whitelist them in the desktop or web version of Outlook.