Question
What is the Graymail "Promotions" folder listed in my list of items in Outlook?
Answer
Whether you access your email from Outlook on your computer or on the Web, your list of folders contains a folder titled Promotions. This is not the same as the Junk folder. This graymail encompasses emails you receive that are product promotions, product information, vendors, newsletters, or other marketing material that you may have intentionally or unintentionally subscribed to, conducted a Google search for, or opted in when downloading or making a purchase. While these items may or may not be relevant, they can clog your Inbox or they may be inadvertently be sent to your Junk folder. This system addresses the gray area of whether or not these messages should go to your Inbox or Junk folder and essentially allows you to decide.
To access your Promotions folder, please take the following steps:
1. Access Outlook either on your computer or from the web.
From your list of folders, you will see a folder titled Promotions. Click the folder to access the contents.
In the Promotions folder, you have a number of actions you can take so the system can better handle messages you receive. For example, if an item is not actually promotional and an important message that should have went to your Inbox, you can right click the message, select Move, and then select Inbox. This will begin training the system to remember your action for future messages received of the message content or sender. Additionally, you can further configure deleting, archiving, or sending these messages to another folder. The more action you take, the more the system will learn. So it may take a few attempts to prevent important messages form being sent to Promotions.
Properly training the system will allow for a more efficient flow of email and minimize disruptions.
If you have any questions, please reach out to ITTraining@ysu.edu.