Overview
The Promotions folder in Outlook is used to help reduce inbox clutter.
Some emails are not dangerous, but they may still be low priority. These messages are often called graymail. We move this type of email out of your main Inbox and into the Promotions folder so your Inbox stays focused on messages that are more likely to need your attention.
You should check the Promotions folder periodically to make sure you do not miss messages you want to receive.
What is Graymail?
Graymail is email that is usually legitimate and non-malicious but may not be important to your daily work.
Examples include:
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Marketing messages
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Newsletters
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Event promotions
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Vendor outreach
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Product updates
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Bulk notifications
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Surveys or promotional campaigns
Graymail is different from phishing or malicious email. Messages in the Promotions folder are generally considered safe, but lower priority.
How the Promotions Folder Works
We have systems in place to review incoming email and identify messages that appear to be safe but low priority. These messages may be moved automatically to the Promotions folder instead of staying in your Inbox.
The system can also learn from your actions over time. When you move messages between the Inbox and Promotions folder, you help train how similar messages should be handled in the future.
Managing Messages in the Promotions Folder
If a message is in the wrong place, move it to the folder where you prefer similar messages to appear.
For example:
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If a message in Promotions is something you want to see in your Inbox, move it to your Inbox.
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If a graymail message appears in your Inbox and you prefer similar messages to go to Promotions, move it to the Promotions folder.
How to Move a Message
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Open Outlook.
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Find the message you want to move.
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Drag the message to the correct folder, or right-click the message and choose Move.
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Select either Inbox or Promotions, depending on where you prefer similar messages to appear.
Moving messages between Inbox and Promotions helps the system learn your preference for similar messages.
What If an Important Email Is Missing?
If you expected an email and cannot find it:
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Check your Inbox.
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Check the Promotions folder.
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Check Junk or Spam.
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Search Outlook for the sender, subject, or keywords from the message.
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Contact the IT Service Desk if you still cannot find it.