Avoid Outlook’s Spam Folder
Microsoft uses proprietary SmartScreen algorithms to filter inbound email across consumer addresses (@outlook.com, @hotmail.com, @live.com) and enterprise Microsoft 365 tenants.
Best Practices for Microsoft SmartScreen
1. Maintain Consistent Sending Volume
Microsoft penalizes sudden spikes in email volume from unestablished domains. If you plan to send a large marketing campaign, gradually increase your volume over several weeks.2. Verify DMARC and DKIM
Ensure your DKIM signature is valid and aligned with yourfrom domain. SmartScreen assigns heavy penalties to emails failing cryptographic checks.
3. Register for Microsoft SNDS (Smart Network Data Services)
Microsoft provides SNDS to give senders visibility into IP health, complaint rates, and spam trap hits across Microsoft’s network.4. Remove Inactive Subscribers
SmartScreen heavily weighs recipient engagement:- Moving emails to the junk folder or leaving messages unread signals low quality.
- Users replying, adding to safe senders, or moving messages from Junk to Inbox significantly boosts your sender score.