How to Stop Apple Mail From Spam-Filtering Known Senders

Make sure important emails don't end up in the junk folder

By
Heinz Tschabitscher
Heinz Tschabitscher
Heinz Tschabitscher
Writer
  • University of Vienna
A former freelance contributor who has reviewed hundreds of email programs and services since 1997.
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Updated on August 22, 2021
Reviewed by
Jerrick Leger
Jerrick Leger headshot
Reviewed by Jerrick Leger
Jerrick Leger is a CompTIA-certified IT Specialist with more than 10 years' experience in technical support and IT fields. He is also a systems administrator for an IT firm in Texas serving small businesses.
lifewire's editorial guidelines

What to Know

  • Go to Mail > Preferences, select the Junk Mail tab, and select the Enable junk mail filtering check box.
  • Check Sender of message is in my Contacts under The following types of messages are exempt from junk mail filtering.
  • To allow mail from a certain contact, right-click the contact's name in an email, then choose Add to Contacts from the drop-down menu.

This article discusses how to stop Apple Mail from sending important, valid emails from known senders to your junk mail folder by safelisting them. This helps ensure that good messages head straight to your Inbox.

Stop Email From Being Incorrectly Marked as Spam

To prevent Apple Mail from incorrectly marking legitimate messages as junk:

  1. Select Mail > Preferences from the menu in Apple Mail.

    Apple Mail > Preferences

  2. Select the Junk Mail tab.

    Junk Mail tab in Apple Mail

  3. Make sure Enable Junk Mail Filtering is checked.

    Enable junk mail filtering in Apple Mail

  4. In the section labeled The following types of messages are exempt from junk mail filtering, place a check mark in the box in front of Sender of message is in my Contacts.

    Junk Mail Preferences in Apple Mail

  5. Optionally, check Sender of message is in my Previous Recipients, as well.

  6. Optionally, check Message is addressed using my full name.

    Apple Mail junk mail preferences
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  7. Close the Preferences window.

    Alternatively, select the Not Junk button in the banner of the message, or select the message, then select the Not Junk button in the Mail toolbar.

    Now, Apple Mail won't mark messages as junk if they come from anyone in your Contacts list or anyone with whom you've corresponded previously, or if the message is addressed using your full name, depending on the options you chose.

    Alternatively, select Not Junk in the banner of the message, or select the message, then select Not Junk in the Mail toolbar.

    How to Add a Sender to Your Contacts

    It's easy to add senders to your Contacts so their messages won't be marked as junk mail.

  8. Open Apple Mail and then open an email from the sender.

  9. Highlight the sender's name or email address at the top of the email by moving your cursor over it.

  10. Select the arrow that appears at the end of the highlighted name or email address.

  11. Select Add to Contacts from the drop-down menu to open the information in the Contacts application.

  12. Enter any additional information for the contact and select Done.

  13. The sender is now in your Contacts list.

This method of safelisting protects individual email addresses, but it doesn't apply to entire domains. It's possible, however, to safelist domains by creating a Rule in Apple Mail's Preferences.

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