In Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365), how can the issue be checked if a recipient claims they didn’t receive an email but the sender didn’t receive an error message?

Steps to Use Message Trace in Microsoft 365:

1. Log in to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center:
   • Go to https://admin.microsoft.com.
   • Use an account with admin privileges.
2. Access the Exchange Admin Center:
   • In the Admin Center, navigate to “Admin Centers” > “Exchange” (or search for Exchange).
3. Locate Message Trace:
   • In the left-hand menu, go to “Mail flow” > “Message trace”.
4. Run a Trace:
   • Specify Time Range: Choose the time period when the email was sent.
   • Sender and Recipient: Enter the sender’s and recipient’s email addresses.
   • Advanced Options: If needed, you can refine the query with message IDs or delivery statuses.
5. Analyze the Results:
   • The trace will show the email’s status, such as:
     • Delivered
     • Pending
     • Deferred
     • Failed
     • Quarantined (e.g., flagged as spam)
   • You can click on the email trace result to see more details, including whether it was routed to a spam folder or blocked by a rule.
6. Follow-Up Actions:
   • If the email was flagged as spam, ask the recipient to check their Spam or Junk folder.
   • If the email was quarantined, it might need admin intervention to release it.
   • If the email was blocked or failed, you can review the detailed error logs to determine the cause.

Common Issues That Can Be Identified:

• Spam/Junk Filtering: Email diverted to spam or junk folders.
• Email Rules: A rule in the recipient’s mailbox moved or deleted the message.
• Blocked Messages: Email blocked due to policies or spam filtering.
• Delivery Delays: Server-side issues causing delays.