The most effective way to ensure that the emails you truly want to see do not end up in your spam folder is to compile a list of email addresses from people you know. While this is commonly referred to as a whitelist, the more modern term is a safelist.

The safelisting procedure varies slightly between email services.

• Procedure for Creating a Gmail Safelist
  • Add Email Addresses to Contacts
  • Spam Emails on the Safelist
  • Include a Non Spam Filter
•  How to Add Yahoo Emails to a Safelist
  • Add a Yahoo Contact
  • Add a Filter in Yahoo Mail

Procedure for Creating a Gmail Safelist

In Gmail, there is no quick checkbox for adding a sender email to a list of friends you want to keep out of the spam folder. However, there are several effective methods for safelisting your Gmail contacts.

• Add Email Addresses to Contacts

Open Gmail and navigate to your contacts list. The simplest method is to navigate directly to the Google Contacts link.

Select Create contact from the Google Contacts page and complete the Create new contact form. Google will automatically forward any incoming emails from your contact list to your inbox.

• Spam Emails on the Safelist

Occasionally, a friend’s email will end up in your Spam folder before you have a chance to safelist their email address. Additionally, there is a quick fix for this.

Locate your friend’s email in your Spam box by selecting Spam from the navigation bar. At the top of the email, you’ll notice a Spam label. To delete a label, click the x next to it.

• Include a Non Spam Filter

Creating a filter is one way to ensure that your friend’s incoming emails never end up in the Spam folder.

1. From the inbox screen, navigate to Settings (gear icon).
2. Select View all configurations.
3. From the top navigation links, select Filters and Blocked Addresses.
4. Select Initiate the creation of a new filter.
5. In the Search mail form, enter either an entire domain or a specific email address to safelist. Utilize domains to safelist individuals associated with a particular company. When finished, click Create filter.
6. On the subsequent form, check the box labeled Never send it to Spam. Finally, click on the Create filter button.
7. When you’re finished, the new filter will appear in the list of filters.

 How to Add Yahoo Emails to a Safelist

Safelisting an email address in Yahoo is similar to safelisting an email address in Gmail. Alternatively, you can add the email address to your Yahoo contacts or create a filter for it.

• Add a Yahoo Contact

Select the Contacts card icon in the upper right corner of your Yahoo Mail Inbox. In the left navigation pane, click New Contact.

Complete the Add Contact form with the name and email address of your friend. To save the new contact, click Save. Yahoo will no longer route emails sent to this address to your Spam folder.

• Add a Filter in Yahoo Mail

Another way to ensure that your friends’ incoming messages do not end up in Spam is to add a filter that ensures the email is delivered to your inbox.

1. In the upper right corner of your inbox, click or tap the Gear icon and then More Settings.
2. From the left navigation menu, select Filters, then Add new filters.
3. In the Add a new filter form, provide a name for the filter and enter the domain or email address to safelist. To activate the new filter, select Save twice.
4. The filter is now visible in the Filters window’s list of filters.

By default, this filter routes incoming email from that address directly to your Inbox.