How to check or moderate emails before sending in Outlook

Outlook provides its users with abundant features to expand the program’s functionality. For instance, users can now change how they verify content by allowing email moderation before sending mail in the program. However, some users want to know how to set moderating features in Outlook. So please keep reading to learn how to moderate emails before sending them in Outlook.

To check or moderate emails before sending them in Outlook, you must go into the Outlook settings and access the “General” settings. Then you can edit “Distribution groups” you own and select “Message approval” to make the required modifications.

  • Firstly, open Outlook.
  • Now click on “Settings.”
  • Click on “View all Outlook Settings.”
  • From there, click on “General.”
  • From there, click on “Distribution groups.”
  • Select a group you own and click on “Edit.”
  • Now click on “Message approval” from the list.
  • Check the “Messages sent to this group have to be approved by a moderator” box.
  • Click on “Save” to complete the process.

Upon completion, you will have implemented Outlook’s moderation feature to control how your members send emails. Moderation works well if you have multiple members who send emails to a wide network of people, ensuring the quality of accuracy of sent mail.

If you enable message approval, all messages submitted to the distribution list that need approval must pass a moderator’s inspection before they can be distributed.

An in-depth guide on how to check or moderate emails before sending them in Outlook

If you require assistance with the steps provided, you can use our in-depth guide to help. The guide includes a list of different features, such as screenshots, which you can use to help navigate the more complex stages.

The process works for both the browser and the desktop versions of Outlook. For the browser version, click the nine dots in the top left corner to access the app launcher and choose “Outlook.”

  • Now click on the gear icon to access “Settings.” 

On the right side of the display is a gear icon called “Settings,” click on it to access the settings features and make the necessary changes to accounts to moderate emails. 

  • Click on “View all Outlook Settings.” 

Inside the settings section, you will find a link called “View all Outlook settings.” you will need to click on that link to view all the features available. 

  • From there, click on “General.” 

From the list of options on the left-hand menu, there will be an option called “General.” You will need to click on that to access the general settings of Outlook. Your ability to edit email-based content is in the general section.

  • From there, click on “Distribution groups.” 

You can only apply this feature to distribution groups as multiple users are authorized to send emails. You can also exclude certain users who you think don’t need authorization. You must be the owner of the distribution group to access these features and edit the ability to moderate emails.

  • Select a group you own and click on “Edit.” 

The distribution group will not show in this section if you do not own a group. However, if you own a group, it will show here. Select the group and click on the pen icon to Edit. The panel will open in a new window where you can adjust settings such as message content delivery and mail moderation. 

  • Now click on “Message approval” from the list. 

This is the section where you will be able to moderate which users can send emails without approval or not. I generally like to select all the users within this section, so I will not exclude anyone from a message approval section. Now, if someone tries to send an email from a distribution list I own, they will not be able to send a mail until I approve it.

  • Check the box next to “Messages sent to this group have to be approved by a moderator.” 
  • Click on “Save” to complete the process.

Message approval capabilities upon the activation of a new distribution list. Now when a user tries to send an email through a distribution list, they will not be able to send it until there is a moderate authorization. You can also have the ability to exclude users who you do not want to have messages sent for approval. Instead, the Delivery management option is activated, and these features are automated without user intervention until defined ownership is formed. You may need to wait until the auto process is complete.

Why may you want the message approval feature enabled in Outlook?

You may want to enable this feature in Outlook because you need to verify who is sending an email. Enabling this feature will give you more control over who sends an email and which emails need to be verified before sending. You can also remove certain users who need no approval, such as co-owners of an organization.

Conclusion

Thank you for reading how to check or moderate emails before sending them in Outlook. I have provided the steps to achieve this and an in-depth guide that will give you more context on some of the more complex steps in the process. I have also provided reasons why you may want to enable this feature in Outlook. If you need assistance with the steps, drop a comment below, and we will address them.

Saajid Gangat

Saajid Gangat has been a researcher and content writer at Business Tech Planet since 2021. Saajid is a tech-savvy writer with expertise in web and graphic design and has extensive knowledge of Microsoft 365, Adobe, Shopify, WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, and more! You can connect with Saajid on Linkedin.

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