Best method: Create a safe-sender filter

This works with the free version of Gmail and is easiest on a computer.

  1. Go to Gmail and sign in.

  2. Click the gear icon in the upper-right corner.

  3. Click See all settings.

  4. Select the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab.

  5. Click Create a new filter.

  6. In the From box, enter the trusted email address—for example:

    person@example.com

  7. Click Create filter.

  8. Check Never send it to Spam.

  9. Optional: Check Always mark it as important if desired.

  10. Click Create filter again.

Future messages matching that address should no longer be placed in Spam. These steps follow Google’s current process for creating Gmail filters.

Whitelist an entire organization

To allow email from everyone at one company, enter its domain in the From box:

example.com

Then complete steps 7–10 above.

Be careful: this trusts every address using that domain, so only do this for organizations you recognize.

If an email is already in Spam

  1. In Gmail, click More on the left.
  2. Select Spam.
  3. Open or select the legitimate email.
  4. Click Not spam.

Google says this helps prevent future messages from that sender from entering Spam. You can also add the sender to Google Contacts. See Google’s spam guidance.

Add the sender to your contacts

  1. Open Google Contacts.
  2. Click Create contact.
  3. Enter the person’s name and email address.
  4. Click Save.

Google states that messages from saved contacts should not be sent to Spam. Google Contacts instructions.

Phone or tablet: You can mark a message Not spam and save the sender as a contact in the mobile apps, but Google’s full filter setup is designed for Gmail on a computer.