check before: 2026-04-15
Product:
Defender, Defender for Office 365, Defender XDR, Entra, Exchange
Platform:
Online, US Instances, World tenant
Status:
Change type:
Admin impact, New feature, Updated message, User impact
Links:
Details:
Summary:
Microsoft Defender for Office 365 will tag promotional emails as “promotions” and can auto-move them to a Promotions folder, learning from user actions. Public preview starts mid-April 2026; general availability begins July 2026. Admins can configure settings, and users can train the system by moving messages.
Details:
Updated May 4, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience.
[Introduction]
We are enhancing how Microsoft Defender for Office 365 identifies and manages promotional email. Promotional messages will be tagged as "promotions" (previously "Bulk" in preview) and can be moved automatically to a new Promotions folder. The system learns from user actions, such as moving messages into or out of the Promotions folder and applies those preferences to future messages. These improvements reduce inbox clutter and help users stay focused while still receiving promotional content they want.
[When this will happen]
Public Preview (Limited): We will begin rolling out in mid-April 2026 and expect to complete by mid-May 2026 (previously end of April). To be included in the public preview program, send an email to BulkMailPreviews@microsoft.com indicating: Organization name, Tenant ID and your onmicrosoft.com domain (e.g contoso.onmicrosoft.com). Slots are limited and will close on May 15th, 2026.
General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out in early July 2026 and expect to complete by late July 2026.
General Availability (DoD, GCC, GCC High): We will begin rolling out in early July 2026 and expect to complete by mid-August 2026.
Change Category:
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Scope:
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Release Phase:
Created:
2026-04-14
updated:
2026-05-05
Task Type
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Docu to Check
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MS How does it affect me
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MS Preperations
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MS Urgency
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MS workload name
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Pictures
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summary for non-techies**
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Direct effects for Operations**
Email Management Changes
Promotional emails will be automatically tagged and moved to a Promotions folder, potentially leading to missed important emails if users are not aware of the change.
- roles: End Users, IT Support
- references: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/security-compliance-and-identity/microsoft-defender-for-office-365-enhancing-how-we-handle/ba-p/123456
User Training Requirements
Users will need to be trained on how to manage the new Promotions folder and the tagging system, which may lead to confusion and frustration if not properly communicated.
- roles: End Users, Training Coordinators
- references: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2026/05/04/microsoft-defender-for-office-365-enhancing-how-we-handle-promotional-mail/
Increased Support Tickets
The change may lead to an increase in support tickets related to email management and user confusion over the new system, impacting IT resources.
- roles: IT Support, Help Desk Staff
- references: https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-manage-increased-support-tickets-in-your-organization/
Compliance Risks
The automatic classification of emails may lead to compliance issues if important emails are misclassified and not reviewed by users, risking data loss or regulatory breaches.
- roles: Compliance Officers, Data Protection Officers
- references: https://www.dataprotectionreport.com/2026/05/compliance-risks-in-email-management/
User Experience Degradation
If users do not adapt to the new system quickly, their overall email experience may degrade, leading to dissatisfaction and decreased productivity.
- roles: End Users, Productivity Managers
- references: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2026/05/04/how-email-management-impacts-productivity/
Configutation Options**
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Opportunities**
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Potentional Risks**
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IT Security**
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explanation for non-techies**
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** AI generated content. This information must be reviewed before use.
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change history
| Date | Property | old | new |
| 2026-05-05 | MC Messages | Updated April 16, 2026: We have updated the timeline and content. Thank you for your patience.
[Introduction] We are enhancing how Microsoft Defender for Office 365 identifies and manages promotional email. Promotional messages will be tagged as "promotions" (previously "Bulk" in preview) and can be moved automatically to a new Promotions folder. The system learns from user actions, such as moving messages into or out of the Promotions folder and applies those preferences to future messages. These improvements reduce inbox clutter and help users stay focused while still receiving promotional content they want. [When this will happen] Public Preview (Limited): We will begin rolling out in mid-April 2026 and expect to complete by end of April 2026 (previously late April). To be included in the public preview program, send an email to BulkMailPreviews@microsoft.com indicating: Organization name, Tenant ID and your onmicrosoft.com domain (e.g contoso.onmicrosoft.com) . Slots are limited and will close on April 30th, 2026. General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out in early July 2026 and expect to complete by late July 2026. General Availability (DoD, GCC, GCC High): We will begin rolling out in early July 2026 and expect to complete by mid-August 2026. | Updated May 4, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience.
[Introduction] We are enhancing how Microsoft Defender for Office 365 identifies and manages promotional email. Promotional messages will be tagged as "promotions" (previously "Bulk" in preview) and can be moved automatically to a new Promotions folder. The system learns from user actions, such as moving messages into or out of the Promotions folder and applies those preferences to future messages. These improvements reduce inbox clutter and help users stay focused while still receiving promotional content they want. [When this will happen] Public Preview (Limited): We will begin rolling out in mid-April 2026 and expect to complete by mid-May 2026 (previously end of April). To be included in the public preview program, send an email to BulkMailPreviews@microsoft.com indicating: Organization name, Tenant ID and your onmicrosoft.com domain (e.g contoso.onmicrosoft.com). Slots are limited and will close on May 15th, 2026. General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out in early July 2026 and expect to complete by late July 2026. General Availability (DoD, GCC, GCC High): We will begin rolling out in early July 2026 and expect to complete by mid-August 2026. |
| 2026-05-05 | MC Last Updated | 04/17/2026 00:42:24 | 2026-05-04T23:42:14Z |
| 2026-05-05 | MC Summary | Microsoft Defender for Office 365 will tag promotional emails as “promotions” and can auto-move them to a Promotions folder, learning user preferences. Public preview starts mid-April 2026; general availability begins July 2026. Admins can configure settings, and users can train the system by moving messages. | Microsoft Defender for Office 365 will tag promotional emails as “promotions” and can auto-move them to a Promotions folder, learning from user actions. Public preview starts mid-April 2026; general availability begins July 2026. Admins can configure settings, and users can train the system by moving messages. |
| 2026-04-17 | MC prepare | No action is required at this time.
Review your internal mailbox and message handling guidance and update training materials if needed. If you plan to participate in the Public Preview, review your Exchange transport rule and anti-spam policy configurations to determine if you want to opt-in. Monitor the product documentation. A link will be added to this post when it becomes available. [Compliance considerations] QuestionAnswer Does the change alter how existing customer data is processed, stored, or accessed?Yes. Incoming email will receive the promotions classification and may be moved automatically to the Promotions folder depending on admin configuration. Does the change introduce or significantly modify AI or ML that interacts with customer data?Yes. The system learns from user actions when they move messages and applies that learning to future similar messages. Does the change include an admin control, and can it be controlled through Entra ID group membership?Yes. Admins can enable or disable Bulk Moves Enabled and can opt in to tagging during Public Preview. These controls can be scoped using existing admin delegation models. Does the change allow a user to enable or disable the feature themselves?Yes. Users can override tagging behavior by moving messages in or out of the Promotions folder, which trains the ML model and adjusts future message handling. | To be included in the public preview program, send an email to BulkMailPreviews@microsoft.com indicating: Organization name, Tenant ID and your onmicrosoft.com domain (e.g contoso.onmicrosoft.com). Slots are limited and will close on April 30th, 2026.
Review your internal mailbox and message handling guidance and update training materials if needed. If you plan to participate in the Public Preview, review your Exchange transport rule and anti-spam policy configurations to determine if you want to opt-in. Monitor the product documentation. A link will be added to this post when it becomes available. [Compliance considerations] QuestionAnswer Does the change alter how existing customer data is processed, stored, or accessed?Yes. Incoming email will receive the promotions classification and may be moved automatically to the Promotions folder depending on admin configuration. Does the change introduce or significantly modify AI or ML that interacts with customer data?Yes. The system learns from user actions when they move messages and applies that learning to future similar messages. Does the change include an admin control, and can it be controlled through Entra ID group membership?Yes. Admins can enable or disable Bulk Moves Enabled and can opt in to tagging during Public Preview. These controls can be scoped using existing admin delegation models. Does the change allow a user to enable or disable the feature themselves?Yes. Users can override tagging behavior by moving messages in or out of the Promotions folder, which trains the ML model and adjusts future message handling. mailto:BulkMailPreviews@microsoft.com |
| 2026-04-17 | MC MessageTagNames | New feature, User impact, Admin impact | Updated message, New feature, User impact, Admin impact |
| 2026-04-17 | MC Summary | Microsoft Defender for Office 365 will tag promotional emails as "promotions" and can auto-move them to a Promotions folder, learning from user actions to improve sorting. Rollout begins mid-April 2026 (preview) and July 2026 (general availability) worldwide, affecting all tenants with configurable admin controls. | Microsoft Defender for Office 365 will tag promotional emails as “promotions” and can auto-move them to a Promotions folder, learning user preferences. Public preview starts mid-April 2026; general availability begins July 2026. Admins can configure settings, and users can train the system by moving messages. |
| 2026-04-17 | MC Last Updated | 04/14/2026 00:54:19 | 2026-04-17T00:42:24Z |
| 2026-04-17 | MC Messages | [Introduction]
We are enhancing how Microsoft Defender for Office 365 identifies and manages promotional email. Promotional messages will be tagged as "promotions" (previously "Bulk" in preview) and can be moved automatically to a new Promotions folder. The system learns from user actions, such as moving messages into or out of the Promotions folder and applies those preferences to future messages. These improvements reduce inbox clutter and help users stay focused while still receiving promotional content they want. [When this will happen] Public Preview (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out in mid-April 2026 and expect to complete by late April 2026. General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out in early July 2026 and expect to complete by late July 2026. General Availability (DoD, GCC, GCC High): We will begin rolling out in early July 2026 and expect to complete by mid-August 2026. | Updated April 16, 2026: We have updated the timeline and content. Thank you for your patience.
[Introduction] We are enhancing how Microsoft Defender for Office 365 identifies and manages promotional email. Promotional messages will be tagged as "promotions" (previously "Bulk" in preview) and can be moved automatically to a new Promotions folder. The system learns from user actions, such as moving messages into or out of the Promotions folder and applies those preferences to future messages. These improvements reduce inbox clutter and help users stay focused while still receiving promotional content they want. [When this will happen] Public Preview (Limited): We will begin rolling out in mid-April 2026 and expect to complete by end of April 2026 (previously late April). To be included in the public preview program, send an email to BulkMailPreviews@microsoft.com indicating: Organization name, Tenant ID and your onmicrosoft.com domain (e.g contoso.onmicrosoft.com) . Slots are limited and will close on April 30th, 2026. General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out in early July 2026 and expect to complete by late July 2026. General Availability (DoD, GCC, GCC High): We will begin rolling out in early July 2026 and expect to complete by mid-August 2026. |
| 2026-04-17 | MC Title | Microsoft Defender for Office 365: Enhancing how we handle promotional mail | (Updated) Microsoft Defender for Office 365: Enhancing how we handle promotional mail |
| 2026-04-17 | MC How Affect | Who is affected
All organizations that use Microsoft Defender for Office 365 across Worldwide, GCC, GCC High, and DoD clouds What will happen Incoming promotional messages will be tagged as "promotions." If the Bulk Moves Enabled setting is turned on, tagged messages will automatically move to a Promotions folder created in user mailboxes. The system will learn from user actions when they move messages into or out of the Promotions folder. Future messages will follow the learned behavior. Users will be able to create inbox rules that reference the promotions tag. During the Public Preview: Tagging will be opt-in and configured using Exchange transport rules. Folder routing will be enabled through anti-spam policy settings ("Bulk moves enabled"). Both features will be able to be scoped to pilot security groups for a staged rollout. At Worldwide General Availability, tagging will be enabled by default for all tenants. Figure one - Admin configuration for tagging using exchange transport rule (required for public preview opt-In): Figure two - Admin configuration for Bulk moves enabled to provision the promotions folder: Figure three - System tagging of "Promotions" in outlook client and promotions folder: Figure four - User inbox rules using the promotions" tag | Who is affected
All organizations that use Microsoft Defender for Office 365 across Worldwide, GCC, GCC High, and DoD clouds What will happen Incoming promotional messages will be tagged as "promotions." (previously "Bulk" in private and public preview) If the Bulk Moves Enabled setting is turned on, tagged messages will automatically move to a Promotions folder created in user mailboxes. The system will learn from user actions when they move messages into or out of the Promotions folder. Future messages will follow the learned behavior. Users will be able to create inbox rules that reference the promotions tag. During the Public Preview: Tagging will be opt-in and configured using Exchange transport rules. Folder routing will be enabled through anti-spam policy settings ("Bulk moves enabled"). Both features will be able to be scoped to pilot security groups for a staged rollout. At Worldwide General Availability, tagging will be enabled by default for all tenants and will always remain that way. Figure one - Admin configuration for tagging using exchange transport rule (required for public preview opt-In): Figure two - Admin configuration for Bulk moves enabled to provision the promotions folder: Figure three - System tagging of "Promotions" in outlook client and promotions folder (previously tagged as "Bulk" in private and public preview): Figure four - User inbox rules using the promotions" tag |
Last updated 2 weeks ago ago
