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Configure junk email settings in Outlook 2013
Published: October 2, 2012
Summary: Learn how administrators can create and deploy junk email lists and configure the junk email filter for Outlook 2013.
Applies to: Office 365 ProPlus | Outlook 2013
Audience: IT Professionals
Administrators can create Junk E-mail Filter lists in Outlook 2013, and configure the Junk E-mail Filter and automatic picture download, by following the steps that are described in this article.
Important:
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This article is provides content for administrators who configure Outlook settings for their organizations. Are you looking for help with configuring junk email settings in Outlook on your desktop? You may be looking for Change the level of protection in the Junk E-Mail Filter, which will help you change your desktop settings. |
In this article:
Overview
Outlook 2013 provides features that can help users avoid receiving and reading junk e-mail messages that include the Junk E-mail Filter and the ability to disable automatic content download from external servers.
Junk e-mail filtering in Outlook 2013 includes Junk E-mail Filter lists and technology built into the software that helps determine whether an e-mail message should be treated as junk e-mail. You can create the following initial Junk E-mail Filter lists to deploy to users: lists for Safe Senders, Safe Recipients, and Blocked Senders.
The lists that you provide are default lists. If you deploy the lists by using Group Policy, users can change the lists during their Outlook session. When users restart Outlook, Group Policy will append the list by default or, if you have enabled Overwrite or Append Junk Mail Import List, their changes will be overwritten with the original list that you deployed. If you deploy the lists by using the OCT, users can customize and keep their customized lists as they use Outlook, to fine-tune the filters to work best for their messaging needs.
You can use Group Policy or the Office Customization Tool (OCT) to customize settings for the Junk E-mail Filter, and to disable automatic content download to meet the needs of your organization. For example, you can configure the Junk E-mail Filter to be more aggressive. However, that might also catch more legitimate messages. Rules that are not part of the junk e-mail management built into the software are not affected.
Before you begin
Review Plan for limiting junk e-mail in Outlook 2010 to determine what settings to configure for the Junk E-mail Filter and automatic content download.
For information about how to download the Outlook 2013 administrative template, and about other Office 2013 templates, see Group Policy Administrative Template files (ADMX, ADML) and Office Customization Tool (OCT) files for Office 2013. For more information about Group Policy, see Overview of Group Policy for Office 2013 and Use Group Policy to enforce Office 2010 settings.
For more information about the OCT, see Office Customization Tool (OCT) reference for Office 2013.
Create and deploy Junk E-mail Filter lists
To deploy Junk E-mail Filter lists, first create the lists on a test computer and then distribute the lists to users. You can distribute the lists by putting the lists on a network share. If you have remote users not connected to the domain, you can use the OCT to add the files by using the Add files option.
Note:
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You can complete tasks in all Office 2013 suites by using a mouse, keyboard shortcuts, or touch. For information about how to use keyboard shortcuts and touch with Office products and services, see Keyboard shortcuts and Office Touch Guide. |
To create default Junk E-mail Filter lists
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Install Outlook 2013 on a test computer.
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Start Outlook 2013.
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In Outlook 2013, on the Home tab, in the Delete group, choose Junk and Junk E-mail Options.
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On the Safe Senders tab, choose Add.
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Enter an e-mail address. For example:
someone@exchange.example.com
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Choose OK.
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To add more e-mail addresses, repeat steps 3 through 6.
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Choose Export to file.
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Enter a unique file name for the Safe Senders list, and then choose Save.
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Repeat steps 3 through 9 with the Safe Recipients tab and the Blocked Senders tab to create Safe Recipients and Blocked Senders lists. Be sure to specify a unique file name for each list.
To deploy Junk E-mail Filter lists for users by using the Office Customization Tool
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Copy the three Junk E-mail Filter files that you created in the previous procedure to a network file share.
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If you have remote users not connected to the domain, follow these steps.
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In the OCT, choose Add Files and then choose Add.
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In the Add Files to MSP File dialog box, select the three Junk E-mail Filter files that you created in the previous procedure.
Hold down the CONTROL or SHIFT key to select multiple files.
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Choose Add.
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In the File Destination Path dialog box, in the Destination path on the user's computer box, enter the folder where you want to install the file on users' computers, and then choose OK.
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In the OCT, in the tree view, choose Modify User Settings.
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In the reading pane, expand Microsoft Outlook 2013, expand Outlook Options, expand Preferences, and then choose Junk E-mail.
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Open (double-click) Trigger to apply junk email list settings, choose Enabled and OK so that the setting is applied and Junk E-mail Filter lists are imported for users.
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To overwrite existing Junk E-mail Filter lists with new lists, open (double-click) Overwrite or Append Junk Mail Import List, choose Enabled and then choose OK.
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To specify a path of each Junk E-mail Filter list, open the settings that correspond to each list (for example, Specify path to Safe Senders), choose Enabled and enter a path and file name in the box (for example, in the Specify path to Safe Senders list).
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Choose OK or choose Next setting to specify the path for another Junk E-mail Filter list.
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Complete other Outlook 2013 or Office 2013 configurations, and on the File menu, choose Save to create the customization file that you can deploy to users.
You can later change an existing Outlook 2013 installation to update the Junk E-mail Filter lists by following the procedure and including more recent Junk E-mail Filter files.
For more information about how to use the Office Customization Tool for configuring an Office installation to deploy files, see Office Customization Tool (OCT) reference for Office 2013.
Configure the Junk E-mail Filter
You can lock down the settings to customize Junk E-mail Filter options by using the Outlook 2013 Group Policy template. Or you can configure default settings by using the OCT. If this is the case, users can change the settings. The OCT settings are in corresponding locations on the Modify user settings page of the OCT.
If you decide to configure Junk E-mail Filter settings in the OCT, see the procedure To configure Outlook Junk E-mail Filter settings in the Office Customization Tool later in this article for an additional setting that must be configured.
Use the following procedure to configure Junk E-mail Filter options in Outlook. For the Junk E-mail Filter options that you can configure, see Plan for limiting junk e-mail in Outlook 2010.
To configure Outlook Junk E-mail Filter settings in Group Policy
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In Group Policy, load the Outlook 2013 template and open User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Microsoft Outlook 2013\Outlook Options\Preferences\Junk E-mail.
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Open (double-click) the option that you want to configure. For example, open Junk E-mail protection level.
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Choose Enabled.
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If appropriate, select a radio button for the option that you want to set, or select an option from a drop-down list.
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Choose OK.
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To enable the Junk E-mail settings, you must set the Junk E-Mail Import list setting. You can do this by using the OCT.
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In the OCT, on the Modify user settings page, under Microsoft Outlook 2013\Outlook Options\Preferences\Junk E-mail, open Trigger to apply junk email list settings.
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Choose Enabled.
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Choose OK.
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Complete other Outlook 2013 or Office 2013 configurations in the OCT, and on the File menu, choose Save to create the customization file that you can deploy to users.
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To configure Outlook Junk E-mail Filter settings in the Office Customization Tool
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In the OCT, on the Modify user settings page, under Microsoft Outlook 2013\Outlook Options\Preferences\Junk E-mail, open (double-click) Trigger to apply junk email list settings.
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Choose Enabled.
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Choose OK.
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Open and set any other Junk E-mail options that you want to configure.
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Complete other Outlook 2013 or Office 2013 configurations, and on the File menu, choose Save to create the customization file that you can deploy to users.
Configure automatic picture download
To help protect users' privacy and to combat web beacons—functionality embedded within items to detect when recipients have viewed an item—Outlook 2013 is configured by default not to automatically download pictures or other content from external servers on the Internet.
You can lock down the settings to customize automatic picture download by using the Outlook 2013 Group Policy template. Or you can configure default settings by using the OCT. If this is the case, users can change the settings. The OCT settings are in corresponding locations on the Modify user settings page of the OCT.
To configure options for automatic picture download behavior in Outlook by using Group Policy
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In Group Policy, load the Outlook 2013 template.
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Under User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Microsoft Outlook 2013\Security, choose Automatic Picture Download Settings.
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Open the option that you want to configure. For example, open Do not permit download of content from safe zones.
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Choose Enabled.
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If appropriate, select a radio button for the option that you want to set, or select an option from a drop-down list.
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Choose OK.
To configure options for automatic picture download behavior in Outlook by using the Office Customization Tool
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In the OCT, on the Modify user settings page, under Microsoft Outlook 2013\Security\Automatic Picture Download Settings, open the option that you want to configure. For example, open Include Intranet in Safe Zones for Automatic Picture Download.
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Select a radio button for the option that you want to set.
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Choose OK.
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Complete other Outlook 2013 or Office 2013 configurations, and on the File menu, choose Save to create the customization file that you can deploy to users.
