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Using the add-in

Opening the add-in​

In Outlook, open any message and click the Quarantined messages button on the ribbon. The taskpane slides in from the right.

On the first launch, the add-in signs you in transparently via Office SSO — you won't see a sign-in prompt unless something goes wrong with the token exchange.

What you'll see​

  • Top: envelope icon + a count badge (only shown when you have at least one quarantined message).
  • Body: a list of your quarantined messages, newest first. Each row shows the sender, subject, the type (phish / malware / spam / bulk / etc.) and when Microsoft 365 received it.
  • Bottom: a small version chip. Double-click it to expand the diagnostics panel (useful for support).

If you have no quarantined messages, you'll see a cheerful empty state — Microsoft 365 has nothing held back for you.

Releasing a message​

  1. Click the message in the list.
  2. The detail view opens with the full envelope information.
  3. Optional: type a short reason ("expected newsletter", "from my accountant", etc.).
  4. Click Request release.

What happens next depends on your tenant's edition and policy:

  • Viewer & Release + SelfRelease policy — the message moves to your inbox immediately.
  • Viewer & Release + RequestRelease policy — your request is queued for an administrator. You'll see a "Pending" badge until they approve.
  • Viewer edition — the button is labelled Upgrade to Request release and is disabled. Contact your tenant admin to upgrade the plan.

Refreshing the list​

The add-in auto-refreshes every 60 seconds while open. The small refresh indicator briefly pulses during each silent refresh. You can also click Refresh manually.

Switching language​

The language picker is a tiny dropdown at the top of the taskpane. Your choice is persisted in your Outlook mailbox via Office's roaming settings — pick French on Mac and OWA opens in French too.

When you go offline​

If your network drops while the add-in is open, the body switches to a "You're offline" card. The moment connectivity returns, the add-in detects it and auto-reloads your list.

→ Next: Troubleshooting covers the most common issues.