Why is Microsoft scanning links in my emails at a high rate?

Email marketer from Snov.io shares that Microsoft scans links to protect users from phishing and malware, especially when the sender is new or the content seems suspicious. They recommend warming up new IPs slowly and monitoring sender reputation.

Email marketer from Reddit explains that Microsoft sometimes aggressively scans links, particularly for new senders or when a significant volume of emails are sent to a domain quickly. This is a defense mechanism against potential threats, and it may decrease as sender reputation improves.

Email marketer from Mailjet shares that Microsoft scans links to ensure the safety of its users. This often happens more frequently if the content contains potentially harmful links, or if the sender's reputation is not yet fully established. They recommend ensuring links are secure and the sender's IP is properly authenticated.

Marketer from Email Geeks indicates Microsoft may not have good controls on scanning levels, citing instances of excessive scans of single URLs. Even with re-scanning, a URL should not have thousands of scans.

Email marketer from StackExchange suggests that high scanning rates can be due to the recipients’ organization's security policies. Some organizations configure aggressive scanning for all external links as a preventative measure. The sender's control over this is limited.

Email marketer from Neil Patel explains that Microsoft aggressively scans links for security to protect users from phishing and malware. They use automated systems that analyze links in real-time. This can also be related to sender reputation and the content of the email.

Email marketer from Litmus shares that the scanning process is influenced by sender reputation and content. If the content contains keywords or links that trigger spam filters, the scanning frequency increases.

Email marketer from Gmass responds that high scanning frequency could be due to poor domain or IP reputation or if your DKIM, SPF and DMARC records are not properly configured, which will lead to more scrutiny. They also suggest checking your domain on blocklists.

Marketer from Email Geeks shares that the volume of robot requests may decrease as emails generate good sender reputation with Microsoft, but it's not guaranteed. Corporate filter settings may also cause constant scanning. Recommends opening a postmaster ticket with Microsoft for support.

Email marketer from EmailonAcid suggests that Microsoft's high scanning rates can be triggered if links lead to suspicious or newly created domains. It also depends on the overall trustworthiness of the sender's IP address and domain. Additionally, if multiple recipients in the same organization report emails as spam, the scanning intensity may increase.

Expert from Email Geeks suggests exploring if specific customers are doing things that are causing Microsoft to increase scanning. Adds that scanning is expensive, so there tend to be bracketed rules around when it happens and offers to chat about what those might be.

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that several factors can influence Microsoft's link scanning, including sender reputation, the age of the sending IP, and the content of the email. New senders or those with inconsistent sending patterns may experience higher scanning rates. Also, content that triggers spam filters will cause more scanning.

Expert from Spam Resource explains that Microsoft's high link scanning is part of their comprehensive effort to block malicious content. This intense scanning behavior is designed to protect users from threats and could be related to the recipient's company security policy and settings as well as the sending reputation.

Documentation from Google shares that an increase in scanning may be due to enhanced security protocols. Microsoft, like Google, are tightening security protocols to protect users.

Documentation from Cisco explains that Microsoft's Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) Safe Links feature scans links in emails to protect users from malicious URLs. Higher scanning rates can indicate a heightened security posture or the detection of potentially risky content within the emails.

Documentation from Microsoft Learn explains Safe Links is a feature in Microsoft Defender for Office 365 that provides URL scanning and rewriting of inbound email messages. Scanning occurs in addition to traditional anti-spam and anti-malware protection. The scanning is designed to protect users from malicious links. High scanning rates might be related to specific organizational security configurations.

Documentation from Spamhaus points out that poor sender reputation can trigger increased scrutiny from email providers like Microsoft. A poor reputation may lead to more aggressive scanning of links and content.

Documentation from Proofpoint notes that aggressive link following/scanning is a common tactic used by security services to determine if links are malicious. The rate will depend on numerous factors, including the perceived risk of the sender, the reputation of the linked domains, and the policies implemented within an organization's email security system.