What’s in Your Spam Folder?

When is the last time you looked in your spam folder?

If you’re not in the habit of checking it regularly, I can guarantee that there’s mail in there that shouldn’t be there. And there is somebody waiting for a response from you and wondering why you are dissing them.

Sometimes, legitimate mail ends up in my spam folder. I know this because I look at my spam folder every day. Sometimes more than once a day. Whenever I see a number next to my spam folder, indicating that it’s not empty, I look at it. If it’s spam, I empty the folder and the number goes away. If it’s not spam, I move it to my inbox.

People tell me that some of my e-mails end up in their spam folder. (Some, but not all. Go figure.) If you don’t check yours regularly, you may be missing something important. At a minimum, you are messing up somebody else’s day.

Back in 2016, I wrote a post called “Reminders that Work for You” explaining how a visual indicator on my screen will bother me until I clear it. In my e-mail, any “unread” indicator — whether it’s for my inbox or any other folder — will bug me. That’s why I’m so diligent about checking my spam folder.

It may be overkill for you to check yours multiple times a day like I do, but you should look at it at least once a day. It could be first thing in the morning, or after lunch, or before you wrap up at the end of the day. Just make it a regular habit. Your correspondents will thank you.