Email Recovery: How to Remove an Email From Spam List

As a legitimate email sender, you might be curious about how to remove email from spam list.
One of the biggest challenges email marketers face today is overcoming spam filters put in place to protect email users. As email became popular, spam increased, too — credit card offers, phishing emails, money scams, malware warnings, and other junk mail. This gave birth to email spam lists.
Even if your content offers great value to your email marketing subscribers, you may find that your emails go to spam more often than you’d like. This brings down your email deliverability rates.
There are different reasons why this could happen, but luckily, you can fix it using the steps we’ve added further down the article. If you’ve ever researched how to go about removing my email from spam lists, this guide has answers.
Once we explain how to remove your email from spam, we will discuss ways to avoid being marked as spam in the first place.
How to Remove Contact from Spam List
If an email recipient finds an email from you in the spam folder or accidentally marks your email as spam, these steps show you how to remove an email from junk list.
- Mark the Email as “Not Spam”: Log in to the email service, navigate to the spam folder, and find the email marked as spam. Click on it; there should be an option to move it to the primary inbox or mark the email as “Not Spam.”
- Prevent future emails from going to spam: Add the sender’s email address to your contact list or address book.
- Create a filter or rule: All email services allow the creation of filters. Create a filter using the sender’s email address and set it to always move to the Inbox (instructions for Gmail and Outlook below).
- Check the spam folder regularly: If important emails frequently go to spam, readers must check the spam folder and mark legitimate emails as “Not Spam.”
Below, you can find detailed steps for removing email from spam lists for Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo.
How to Remove Your Email from Spam Lists on Gmail
If your Gmail recipients constantly discover your messages in their spam folder, request them to follow these Gmail spam list removal steps.
- Open Gmail on a computer browser and go to the Spam folder on the left pane.
- Next, locate and open your email. They can use the search bar at the top if required.
- Finally, click on the “Report not spam” button next to your email address or the “Not spam” button at the top of the email.

You should also ask them to include you in their safe senders list by creating a filter.
Here’s how they can do that:
- In Gmail, ask them to click on the gear icon (Settings) in the top right corner.
- Next, they must click on “See all settings.”
- Then, they need to click on the “Filters and Blocked Addresses” tab.
- Next, they should scroll to the Safe Senders section and click “Create a new filter.”
- In the From field, your subscriber has to type in your email address.
- The last step is to click on Create Filter to wrap things up.
Are you asking yourself, how to remove my domain from Gmail spam list? Good news, it’s simple. In step 5 above, just add the domain (example: “@yourbiz.com”) instead of the email address, and all future emails will make it to the inbox.
How to Remove Email from Junk List in Microsoft Outlook
Ever ask yourself, how do I get my email address removed from spam on Outlook?
To help your subscribers remove email from spam list Outlook users can follow these steps:
- They must access Outlook on a browser and find the Junk Email folder.
- In this folder, they should locate and open an email sent by you.
- Then, they need to find the “Not Junk” button at the top of the email and click on it.

This will move your email to their inbox and ensure Outlook sends future emails from you to their inbox.
How to Remove Email from Spam List in Yahoo
A number of your subscribers will certainly use Yahoo and to make sure you reach them you can ask them to take your email address off their Yahoo Mail spam list.
The 3 steps below show you how to remove your mail from spam on Yahoo:
- First, they have to open the Spam folder on the left pane. If they don’t see the folder, click “More” below the “Sent” folder.
- Then, they find and select an email sent by you.
- They must click on “Not spam” to move the message into their inbox, and all future messages from your domain will be delivered to the inbox.

The process of whitelisting an email address is easy, but for you, as a sender, it’s better never to have to go through it.
In fact, if your emails keep ending up on spam lists, you should look at the primary reasons and remove them asap. Keeping up with the best sender policies, soon to be mandatory for all marketers sending to Gmail and Yahoo addresses, is the only way to keep your email marketing operation viable.
Here are additional topics on email use you may find interesting:
What are Spam Lists?
Spam lists are databases of email addresses, domains, or IP addresses known to be sources of unsolicited or malicious email messages. Such lists are maintained by various organizations, including email service providers, anti-spam companies, and government agencies. They use different factors to determine whether or not an IP address should be blacklisted.
Here are the main types of spam lists:
Spam list type | What are they? | How they reduce spam |
Real-time Blacklists (RBLs) | Real-time blacklists are databases that contain lists of spammy IP addresses. | Email servers can check incoming email IP addresses against these lists to determine whether to accept or reject the email. |
Domain blacklists | Domain blacklists track domains that are associated with spammy activity. | An email containing links or references to domains on these lists will be flagged. |
Email address blacklists | These lists contain known email addresses known to be used for spamming. | ESPs can block or filter out emails sent from these addresses. |
Whitelists | Whitelists contain trusted email addresses, domains, or IP addresses. | Emails from these sources are allowed to pass through the filtering system. |
Let’s say your email address gets added to one of these. You would immediately panic and google “how to get my email off a spam list” or “how do i remove my email from scammer list.”
The good news is, if your name ever makes it to one of these, the process is as simple as writing to them. Just ask for the process to get delisted and follow the steps diligently.
Mailbox providers don’t depend on spam lists alone; email giants like Gmail are constantly using machine-learning algorithms to build better filters and adapt to modern spammy tactics.
This is why improving your sender reputation and avoiding spam classification requires ongoing effort and adherence to best practices.
What are the Biggest Benefits of Spam Lists?
No-spam email lists serve several important purposes as they:
- Protect email users: Spam lists reduce the potential harm caused by spam emails. By blocking known spam sources, these lists help ensure users receive only legitimate emails.
- Enhance security: Spam emails may contain phishing links or malware. Spam lists help prevent these harmful messages from reaching users.
- Improve ESP service quality: By reducing the amount of spam sent to their users, ESPs can maintain the quality and performance of their services.
- Reduce load on servers: Spam emails can put a significant load on email servers, affecting performance and resource utilization.
- Encourage responsible email marketing: Senders who comply with anti-spam laws and regulations and follow best practices are less likely to end up on these lists.
While spam lists play a vital role in protecting users and email systems, they need to be maintained accurately and fairly to avoid false positives that could affect legitimate email senders.
Top 5 Reasons Your Emails are Landing in the Spam List
Emails can end up in the spam folder for various reasons — there are plenty of bad email marketing practices that can add you to the dreaded spam list.
Here are the 5 biggest reasons your emails are immediately being marked as spam:
- Your email sender reputation is poor: Your sender reputation is a score assigned to you by ESPs based on your sending history and your IP and domain reputation. If you have a really low score, your emails may set off red flags.
- You have not implemented email authentication: Email services check for protocols such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC and are suspicious of sending domains that don’t use them. Using SSL for email is also critical for legitimacy.
- Your email content isn’t high-quality: Emails with low-quality content, such as spammy language, misleading subject lines, and irrelevant or unsolicited information, are more likely to trigger spam filters.
- Your email segmentation strategy is poor: Ineffective segmentation can lead to sending irrelevant content to recipients, increasing the likelihood of them marking your emails as spam. A high spam complaint rate can lead to emails being flagged as spam in the future.
- Your ESP has a bad reputation: If your ESP has a poor reputation because of past clients engaging in spammy practices, this can negatively impact your emails.
Any or all of the above points could be why your emails always end up in the spam folder or get outright rejected. Next, we look at how to stay off email do not spam lists.
How to Avoid Spam Lists by Improving Your Email Deliverability
In this section, we show you how to get off a spam email list.
The best way is to not land in one, in the first place. You can achieve this by using email best practices and improving deliverability rates.
Here are 8 suggestions to enhance your email deliverability:
1. Maintain List Hygiene
Regularly clean your email list; consistent email list hygiene helps bring down high bounce rates and spam complaints which can negatively impact your sender reputation. And remember to segment your email list to send targeted content based on recipient preferences and behavior.
2. Adopt Email Authentication
Implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records to authenticate your emails, proving they come from a trusted sender. This is why we require all Campaign Refinery customers must add email security protocols to their domains.
3. Implement a Double Opt-In Process
Use the double opt-in method, where subscribers confirm their email addresses after signing up. This ensures your list consists of engaged and genuinely interested recipients.
4. Prioritize Email Engagement
Work toward increased open rates and clicks from your recipients. High email engagement signals to email providers that your emails are wanted. With our Gamification feature, Campaign Refinery has clocked open and click rates at 76.37% and 72.76%, respectively. Yup, we’re that good!
5. Adhere to Email Regulations
Ensure your emails comply with CAN-SPAM, GDPR, or any other email unsubscribe laws that apply to you.
6. Implement a Feedback Loop
If you are a high-volume sender, set up feedback loops with email providers to receive reports on user complaints and unsubscribe requests. Use this information to take appropriate action.
7. Don’t Send Spam
Avoid being a spam email sender. Address spam complaints promptly. Provide a clear and easy way for recipients to unsubscribe or opt out of your emails.
8. Use a Reputable ESP
ESPs often have features and best practices built into them to improve deliverability. This is why you need an email deliverability service you can depend on.
Remember that email deliverability is an ongoing effort. You can always run email deliverability tests to verify your email performance is at its best.
Escape Email Spam Lists By Using Campaign Refinery
At Campaign Refinery, our clients never have to struggle with their emails landing in the spam folder.
This is because our platform offers the best inbox placement in the market — and we aim to keep it that way. We have the vast experience and top-level expertise required to help you avoid spam filters and get your emails delivered to your inbox.
Here’s how our features help marketers achieve better email performance:
- Our segmentation tools are seamlessly built into the platform, helping users create specialized groups with ease.
- Our email infrastructure and sending engine are robust.
- We have a clever strategy for shared IP pools, ensuring the reputation stays high and the IPs hot.
- Our unique tools — Gamification and Evergreen Flash sales — use email psychology to boost your engagement numbers.
- Our automated list-cleaning tool scans your email list to weed out invalid email addresses of all types, protecting your reputation.
- All our members have to implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, before they can send emails; this protects our platform’s relationship with mail services.
Our clients love the results of partnering with Campaign Refinery offers — you too can benefit by applying to be a user today!
A Guide to Email Best Practices
We’ve been building the best email service software for a while and since we’ve been around for so long and have amassed a great deal of insight. We know what works and what practices bring results, and we want to share a piece of this knowledge with you because we believe in a clean email environment.
Meet a guide to help you stay out of spam lists forever: The Inbox Formula.
Here’s why you should get your hands on this guidebook ASAP:
- It’s packed with invaluable industry insights,
- You get access to information only veteran email professionals know,
- The book shows you how to set up your email-sending practices correctly,
- It offers actionable strategies, expert advice, and proven tactics that work
- You will eventually unlock superior email open rates,
- It’s FOR FREE.
All you have to do to access this wealth of information is click on this link to download The Inbox Formula!
Happy emailing!
FAQ
How do I remove an email address from spam list?
To remove email from spam list, go to the spam folder, find the email marked as spam, and either mark it as “not spam” or move it to the inbox. The sender can also be added as a contact.
How do I stop spam emails permanently?
To stop spam emails permanently, one would have to create a filter to only allow contacts to send emails. A whitelist would be another option. This would ensure all other emails go to spam or trash.
How do I stop my email from showing up as spam?
To be seen as a legitimate sender, you need a top-tier sender reputation and must follow email best practices.
What is the fastest way to unsubscribe from emails?
When you open an email, there is usually an Unsubscribe option at the top, thanks to a feature called list-unsubscribe header. Clicking it should disable future emails from the sender.
How to take email off spam list?
To take an email off a spam list, simply click on the email and look for an option to mark the email as safe. This could be a “Not spam” or “Mark as safe” option, depending on the email client or service.
Is my email on spam list?
To know if your email address is on spam lists, use a tool such as MXToolbox or MultiRBL.valli.org. Another option would be to check your sender score using a tool like Google Postmaster Tools.
How to remove an email from spam list?
To remove an email address from the spam list, open the last message and look for an option to mark the email as safe.
Remove my email from spam list?
If this is a recipient’s spam list, as the recipient to mark your emails as “not spam” or whitelist you. If you’re on a public spam list, contact the company for instructions on how to get off the list.
How to remove email from spam lists?
If you’re wondering how to get off of spam email lists, simply ask the recipient to find the email in the spam folder, click on it, and then look for options to mark the email as “not spam.”
How to delete email stuck in outbox?
To delete a message stuck in the email outbox, navigate to the outbox folder. Here, right-click on the stuck email and choose the “Delete” option.
How to get my email removed from spam lists?
If your email is in a recipient’s spam list, you can ask them to white list you or mark your emails as safe. If your email address is on a blacklist, reach out to them via their website and request instructions for email spam list removal. In the long run, you will need to focus on sender reputation and best practices.
How to remove my email from spam lists?
If you’ve been blacklisted, reach out to the blacklist operators and follow spam list removal instructions to get off the list. If you’re on a recipient’s spam email address list, ask them to mark your emails as safe.
Is my email in a spam list?
If your emails rarely make it to the inbox and your bounce rates and spam complaints are through the roof, then you’re probably on an email spam list. You can also use tools like MXToolbox to see if you’re on public blacklists. Email the blacklist companies and ask how to remove name from spam list.
Is my email on a spam list?
You can use online services such as MXToolbox or MultiRBL.valli.org to find out if you’re blacklisted.
How to remove emails from spam?
Navigate to the email, and in the options menu, there should be a “not spam” or “mark as safe” button. Click on this. A second option is to create a filter to mark all mails from a sender as safe.
How to get your email off of spam lists?
You can reach out to blacklist operators and ask for clear steps on how to get your email off spam lists.
How to take my email off spam lists?
If you want to know how do I get my email off spam lists, you can either ask your recipients to mark your emails as safe, add you to their contacts, or whitelist you. If you’re on a blacklist, contact the owners for steps to get delisted.
How to remove a sender from junk?
To remove a sender from the junk folder, open the last email, and look for an option to flag the email as safe or “not spam.” Another option is to whitelist the sender or add them to the contacts list.
Why are my emails going to spam?
If you find emails going to spam, it’s probably because of poor sender reputation or low engagement from your email list. This means spam filters clear out your emails when they remove spam. You can fix this by improving email deliverability.
How do I remove my email from spam lists?
A: If you’re on recipients’ spam lists, you will need to improve your sender score to inbox regularly. Also use segmentation to ensure you only contact interested subscribers. If you’re on a blacklist, contact the owners and ask for instructions to get delisted.