What’s the difference between Junk and Clutter (Focused Inbox)?

Microsoft's Junk folder and Focused Inbox (formerly Clutter) serve different purposes. Junk contains messages identified as spam or potentially dangerous, messages that Microsoft's filters actively distrust. Focused Inbox separates important messages from less urgent ones within legitimate mail.

Focused Inbox uses machine learning to predict which messages deserve immediate attention versus those that can wait. It learns from user behavior: messages you interact with quickly get classified as Focused, while newsletters or notifications you typically ignore go to Other. This is organizational filtering, not spam filtering.

For email marketers, landing in Other instead of Focused is not a deliverability failure like landing in Junk. Recipients still see messages in Other, just with less prominence. The distinction matters for diagnosing problems: Junk placement indicates reputation or content issues, while Other placement reflects engagement patterns.