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Where Did That Email Go? Check Your Outlook Quarantine

16 July, 2026

This article is for Outlook and Microsoft 365

It does not apply to colleagues who use KAUST Gmail. Only faculty can choose their email platform; researchers, postdoctoral fellows, and students all use Gmail.

Illustration of an Outlook inbox and quarantined email portal

Does this apply to me?

Yes, if you read your KAUST email in Outlook, Outlook on the web, or the Outlook mobile app.

On KAUST Gmail? This one is not for you. Your inbox is protected a different way, with no Microsoft 365 quarantine portal.

Someone says they emailed you, but nothing arrived?

Before asking them to send it again, check your quarantine.

Microsoft 365 automatically checks incoming messages for spam, phishing attempts, malicious attachments, suspicious links, impersonation, and other potential threats before they reach your Outlook inbox.

Most of this happens quietly in the background. Occasionally, however, a legitimate message may also be held for review.

Instead of wondering where it went, you can check for yourself.

Open your KAUST quarantined email digest

Check My Quarantine

Sign in using your KAUST Microsoft 365 account.

When should I check it?

The quarantine portal is useful whenever an expected email appears to be missing.

  • Someone tells you they sent an email, but you cannot find it
  • You are waiting for a registration, confirmation, or verification email
  • An external organization says it has contacted you
  • A regular newsletter or automated notification suddenly stops arriving

What can I do with a quarantined email?

Depending on why a message was held, you may be able to:

  • Review the sender and subject
  • Release a legitimate message to your inbox
  • Request that a message be released
  • Block a sender you do not trust

Pause before releasing a message

Only release an email when you recognize the sender and were expecting the content. A familiar name or convincing subject line does not automatically mean a message is safe.

Three-step illustration showing email being checked, quarantined, and reviewed

You may also receive a quarantine digest email

KAUST Email Management sends a quarantine digest every four hours when one or more messages have been held.

If nothing has been quarantined, you will not receive a digest.

The direct portal gives you a way to check your quarantine whenever you need to, without waiting for the next digest notification.

No action is required

There is nothing to install and no Outlook setting to change.

Microsoft 365 continues protecting your inbox automatically. Just remember or bookmark the site emaildigest.kaust.edu.sa whenever an expected message appears to have vanished into the digital void.

Need help setting up your email?

The Set Up My Email page guides you to the right instructions based on:

  • Your role at KAUST
  • Whether your email is on Outlook or Gmail
  • Whether you are using a browser, mobile device, laptop, or desktop
  • Whether your computer is KAUST-managed or personally owned
  • Which email application you want to use

Set Up My Email

Learn more

When something feels off, trust your instincts

Quarantine is only part of staying safe. Stay cautious with the links and attachments inside your messages, even when the sender looks familiar.

  • Do not click links or open attachments in a message you were not expecting
  • Be wary of anything that pressures you to act quickly or asks for passwords, payment, or personal details
  • If an email feels unusual, off, or too good to be true, treat it as suspicious

See something suspicious? In Outlook, right-click the message and select Report Phishing or Report Junk. If you are still unsure, contact the IT Service Desk through the KAUST IT website or speak with VITA. It is always better to check than to guess.