Stop, Review, Release: Email Holding in M365

Microsoft 365 Exchange (commonly called Exchange Online) is the cloud-based email and calendaring service that comes with Microsoft 365.

• Exchange Online (M365 Exchange) → Hosted in Microsoft’s cloud, subscription-based.
• Exchange Server (on-premises) → Installed and managed on your own company’s servers.

How Hold Emails in Microsoft 365 Exchange? Ways 👇👇👇

1. Transport Rules (Mail Flow Rules)
2. Quarantine Policies
3. Moderation Settings
4. Delay Delivery via Transport Rule

1. Transport Rules (Mail Flow Rules)
You can create a rule to redirect, delay, or quarantine emails based on conditions like:

• Sender domain or address
• Recipient group
• Subject or content

✅ Example:
Hold all emails from external senders for review before delivery.
Admin Center Path:
Exchange Admin Center → Mail Flow → Rules

2. Quarantine Policies
You can configure anti-spam or anti-phishing policies to send suspicious emails to quarantine instead of inboxes.

✅ Use case:
Hold emails flagged by Defender for review by security team.

Admin Center Path:
Microsoft 365 Defender → Email & Collaboration > Policies & Rules > Threat Policies

3. Moderation Settings
You can set up moderation for specific mailboxes or distribution groups.

✅ Use case:
Emails sent to a group are held until approved by a moderator.

Admin Center Path:
Exchange Admin Center → Recipients > Groups > Edit Group > Message Approval

4. Delay Delivery via Transport Rule
You can use a rule to delay delivery by a set number of minutes.

✅ Use case:
Hold emails for 30 minutes before delivery to allow for review or cancellation.

Note: This is limited and not ideal for long-term holding.

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Transport Rules help customize hold logic based on sender, recipient, or content.

Quarantine Policies add an extra security layer by isolating suspicious emails.

Moderation Settings ensure sensitive groups or executives’ mail flow stays reviewed.

Delay Delivery provides a short review window before messages reach inboxes.

Admins can balance security, compliance, and operational control, ensuring that only the right emails reach users at the right time.