Not receiving emails from important senders

Kirsty 0 Reputation points
2026-09-04T15:01:49.13+00:00

I use outlook online (previously hotmail) for my email. Last year I suddenly stopped receiving group emails from my kids school and choir. I receive individuals emails but not the group ones. They don't appear in my junk folder and they are not from a blocked account in my blocked senders list. The school just sent me a report showing that all the emails were delivered and accepted by the email provider, but I did not receive any of them. What might be causing this and how do I fix it so that I actually get important communication from my kids' schools?

Outlook | Web | Outlook.com | Settings

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  1. Hendrix-V 18,510 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-09-05T03:23:41.69+00:00

    Hi Kirsty,

    Since the school has confirmed the messages were accepted for delivery, this suggests the emails may be reaching the mailbox service but not appearing where expected. Group emails are sometimes handled differently from individual messages, especially when they are sent through mailing or distribution services.

    As you've already checked Junk Email and blocked senders, you may want to try these additional checks:

    1. Search your mailbox using a unique word from one of the missing email subjects and change the scope to All folders.
    2. Check the Deleted Items and Archive folders in case the messages are being processed automatically after delivery.
    3. Sign in to Outlook.com from a different browser or use an InPrivate/Incognito window to rule out a browser-related display issue.
    4. Ask the school or choir for the exact email address used for the group messages and send a test email from that same address, if possible.

    Hopefully one of the checks above helps identify where the messages are being routed. If you can obtain details of a recent missing email, that information may help narrow down the cause further.

    Let me know if you need further assistance, feel free to ask me by clicking "Add Comment" or "Add Answer" if you cannot add comment so your response will be visible. Thanks for your effort.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-09-04T15:02:11.6+00:00

    Likely causes in this scenario are Outlook.com filtering or mailbox settings rather than a blocked sender entry.

    Try these checks in Outlook on the web, in this order:

    1. Check whether the messages are being hidden or sorted elsewhere.
      • Open the Other tab.
      • Check whether the message list is sorted oddly, then set Filter > Sort > Date.
    2. Check Junk Email settings and folder.
      • Open Settings > Mail > Junk email.
      • Confirm the school or choir sender address/domain is not in Blocked senders or Blocked domains.
      • Open the Junk Email folder and, if any of those messages are there, select It’s not junk.
      • Add the sender or domain to Safe senders and domains.
    3. Check for rules that may be moving or deleting the messages.
      • Review Inbox rules for anything matching the school name, choir name, mailing list address, or common keywords from those emails.
      • If a rule is moving messages to Deleted Items or another folder, disable or remove it.
    4. Check whether forwarding is enabled.
      • If mail is being forwarded elsewhere, some messages may not remain visible in the mailbox.
    5. If the school says the messages were accepted by the provider but they never appear in Inbox or Junk, ask the sender to confirm the exact sending address used for the group mail.
      • Group mail often comes from a different address or service than individual mail.
      • Add that exact address or domain to Safe senders and domains.
    6. If this affects only certain senders and there is still no copy in Inbox, Junk, or another folder, ask the sender whether they receive any non-delivery report or rejection details for some recipients.
      • In some cases, messages are blocked before they reach the mailbox because of sender-side authentication problems.
      • If that is happening, the sender must correct their mail configuration.

    Important notes:

    • Messages in the Junk folder are automatically deleted after a period, and blocked-sender mail is sent there first.
    • If the sender is using a mailing service for group messages, the group address/domain may differ from the individual sender address already allowed.

    If the messages were truly accepted and delivered, the most likely mailbox-side causes are:

    • an Inbox rule,
    • forwarding,
    • sorting/filtering into another view or folder,
    • or the group messages being sent from a different address/domain than the individual emails.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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