You may receive many low-priority emails that distract you from important messages. The Clutter feature in Outlook for Microsoft 365 helps by automatically moving less important mail to a separate folder. This article explains how to set up and manage Clutter. It also details the key differences between Clutter and the newer Focused Inbox.
Key Takeaways: Managing Clutter and Focused Inbox
- File > Options > Mail > Clutter: This is the primary control panel to turn the Clutter feature on or off in the desktop Outlook application.
- Right-click message > Move to > Clutter or Focused/Other: Manually moving emails trains the system to learn your preferences for what is important.
- Outlook on the web > Settings > View all Outlook settings > Mail > Clutter: This is where you access Clutter settings when using Outlook in a web browser.
Understanding the Outlook Clutter Feature
Clutter is an organizational tool available for Microsoft 365 business and education accounts. It uses machine learning to identify emails you are likely to ignore. These messages are moved automatically from your Inbox to a folder named Clutter. The system learns from your actions, such as which emails you read immediately and which you delete without opening.
You must have an Exchange Online mailbox to use Clutter. The feature is controlled by your organization’s IT administrator, who can enable or disable it globally. Once enabled, it typically appears as a default folder in your mailbox folder list, similar to your Inbox or Sent Items.
How Clutter Learns Your Preferences
Clutter analyzes your past email behavior. It looks at patterns like the sender, subject keywords, and whether you open the message. When you move an item in or out of the Clutter folder manually, you provide direct feedback. This action helps the algorithm improve its future sorting decisions over time.
Steps to Enable and Manage Clutter
You can control Clutter settings from the Outlook desktop application or Outlook on the web. The steps below apply to the latest version of Outlook for Microsoft 365.
Enable or Disable Clutter in Outlook Desktop
- Open Outlook Options
In Outlook, click the File tab on the ribbon. Then select Options from the left-hand menu. - Navigate to Mail Settings
In the Outlook Options window, select the Mail category from the left sidebar. - Find the Clutter Setting
Scroll down to the Send messages section. Locate the checkbox labeled ‘Separate items identified as Clutter’. Check this box to enable the feature, or uncheck it to disable Clutter. - Apply the Change
Click the OK button at the bottom of the window to save your new setting and close the dialog.
Train Clutter Using the Clutter Folder
- Review the Clutter Folder
Periodically open the Clutter folder in your folder list to see what has been filtered. - Move Messages Manually
If an important email is in Clutter, right-click it. Select Move, then choose Inbox. This tells the system the message was incorrectly classified. - Remove Low-Priority Mail from Inbox
For unimportant emails that remain in your main Inbox, right-click them. Select Move, then choose Clutter. This reinforces the system’s learning.
Common Mistakes and Feature Limitations
Users sometimes confuse Clutter with other features or encounter expected behavior that seems like an error. Knowing these points helps you use the feature effectively.
Clutter Folder Appears Empty
If the Clutter folder is visible but contains no messages, the system may still be learning. It can take several days of regular email activity for Clutter to start moving items. Also, check if the feature was recently disabled and re-enabled, as this resets its learning model.
Clutter is Not Available in My Account
Clutter is only available for business and education plans of Microsoft 365 that use Exchange Online. Personal Outlook.com accounts do not have Clutter. Furthermore, your organization’s administrator may have disabled the feature for all users, in which case you will not see the option.
Confusing Clutter with Junk Email
Clutter is not a spam filter. Legitimate, safe emails from senders like newsletters or internal updates are moved to Clutter. Malicious or spam emails should still be caught by the Junk Email filter and moved to the Junk Email folder. You should still check your Junk Email folder regularly.
Clutter vs Focused Inbox: Key Differences
| Item | Clutter | Focused Inbox |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Function | Moves low-priority mail to a separate folder | Splits the Inbox into two tabs: Focused and Other |
| User Interface | A dedicated folder in the mailbox folder list | Two tabs at the top of the mail view |
| Default Availability | Off by default, must be enabled by user or admin | On by default in newer Outlook versions |
| Learning Method | Learns from moves in/out of the Clutter folder | Learns from moves between Focused and Other tabs |
| Account Types | Microsoft 365 business/education (Exchange Online) | Outlook.com, Microsoft 365, and some third-party accounts |
| Coexistence | Cannot be used at the same time as Focused Inbox | When enabled, it automatically disables Clutter |
You can now organize your inbox by enabling Clutter or switching to Focused Inbox. Use the manual move actions to train the system for better accuracy. For a more integrated experience, try Focused Inbox which keeps all mail in one view but separated by tabs. An advanced tip is to use Outlook Rules in combination with Clutter to catch specific senders that the algorithm might miss.