The allowlist

By Katelyn Dover

This cybersecurity strategy ensures you’ll never miss important emails.

The digital dance of email is a choreography we’re all trying to get the groove of. Email regulations and sender guidelines have drastically changed over the last few years, and with the growing adoption of artificial intelligence, getting what you need, and nothing you don’t is a bit overwhelming. Amidst the clutter lies a simple solution that ensures you never miss important emails. Enter allowlisting – the ultimate inbox ally for all.

Allowlisting is a cybersecurity strategy that works the same as blocking or reporting spam, but the opposite. You’re “allowing” specific senders to reach you, and only those. Moreover, the approved senders list streamlines email management. By cataloging trusted senders, emails from these sources sidestep spam filters, empowering recipients to discern their legitimacy.

Here are the simple allowlisting steps to improve your email receivability by platform:

•  For Gmail users: Click on the settings icon and navigate to “See all settings.”
  Select “Filters and Blocked Addresses” and click “Create a new filter.”
  In the “From” field, enter the email address or subdomain you’d like to allowlist.
  Click “Create filter,” then check the option “Never send it to Spam,” and finally click “Create filter” again to save the setting.
  On your mobile device, open your junk folder, select a message from info@zweiggroup.com, and choose “Report not spam.”
•  For Outlook users: Click on the settings icon, select “Mail” from the left sidebar, then navigate to “Junk email.”
  Click “Add+” in the “Safe senders and domains” section.
  Add info@zweiggroup.com to your safe senders list.
  On mobile, open a message from info@zweiggroup.com, select the three-dot menu at the top, and choose “Move to Folder.” Select the destination folder and click “Always Move” from the pop-up window.
•  For Yahoo users: Select any message in your spam folder and mark it as “Not Spam.” This action will add the sender to your allowlist.
•  If you need to allowlist an address that hasn’t yet sent you a message, follow these steps: Click on the settings icon and select “More Settings,” then navigate to “Filters” and click on “Add new filters.”
  Add the desired email address to be allowlisted and save the filter.
  On mobile, select the inbox folder icon, open spam, choose an email from the desired address, click “Move,” and select “Inbox.”

So, whether you’re blocking the Joker’s emails or giving Alfred VIP access, rest
assured, your inbox is in good hands when you optimize your allowlists. Holy efficiency, Batman! 

Katelyn Dover is senior marketing manager at Zweig Group. Contact her at kdover@zweiggroup.com.

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About Zweig Group

Zweig Group, three times on the Inc. 500/5000 list, is the industry leader and premiere authority in AEC firm management and marketing, the go-to source for data and research, and the leading provider of customized learning and training. Zweig Group exists to help AEC firms succeed in a complicated and challenging marketplace through services that include: Mergers & Acquisitions, Strategic Planning, Valuation, Executive Search, Board of Director Services, Ownership Transition, Marketing & Branding, and Business Development Training. The firm has offices in Dallas and Fayetteville, Arkansas.