Introducing the Outlook Promotions Folder:
We will soon be introducing a new Promotions folder to Outlook that will automatically filter graymail out of your focused inbox. This allows you to stay on top of important communications, yet retain easy access to advertisements, product updates, and other promotional content. This new feature is expected to be deployed to campus by mid-August.
What is Graymail?
Graymail refers to email messages that are often low-priority or unwanted, but are not spam or malicious. Examples include:
- Marketing and promotional emails
- Social media notifications
- Product announcements
- Subscription updates
Using the Promotions folder allows you to:
- Maintain a cleaner Inbox by reducing the number of non-essential emails in your primary Inbox.
- Improve productivity by allowing you to focus on important communications and action items.
- Streamline Email Organization by keeping promotional content separated from work and school related messages.
- Tailored Classification of Emails by using machine learning to continuously improve how promotional emails are identified and managed within your inbox.
Reviewing Promotional Emails
We recommend that you periodically review the Promotions folder to ensure no important messages have been incorrectly categorized.
To view promotional emails:
- Open Outlook.
- Navigate to the Promotions folder in your mailbox.
- Review messages as needed.
Training the Model
If an email is incorrectly classified as graymail and moved to the Promotions folder:
- Open the Promotions folder.
- Locate the message.
- Drag the email to the Inbox folder, or right-click the message and select Move > Inbox.
This action provides feedback that helps improve machine learning models, making future classifications more accurate.
- Spam = unwanted and potentially harmful and should be deleted.
- Graymail = legitimate but generally low-priority.
- Inbox mail = important communications that typically require attention or action.
Best Practices
- Review the Promotions folder regularly.
- Move important emails back to your Inbox when necessary.
- Leave legitimate marketing and promotional emails in the Promotions folder until you no longer need them.
If you have any questions about the Promotions folder or need assistance, please contact us at https://utc.teamdynamix.com/TDClient/2717/Portal/Requests/Service/49860/Email-Collaboration-Applications-Microsoft-365 .