AOL Certified Mail - AOL Desktop 9.7

IMPORTANT: AOL Screen Name is now known as AOL Username. You may still see Screen Name at some places as we are in the process of changing it across AOL. Please bear with us.

Note: If your experience looks different from the screenshots below, please see our help article AOL Certified Mail.

AOL Certified Mail is the new industry standard class of trusted email. AOL Certified Mail provides a safe and reliable means for consumers to easily identify authentic messages from legitimate commercial, nonprofit and government email senders. This is an added layer of protection for AOL members to help fight against phishing scams.

The AOL Certified Mail program is an extension of the official mail program, aimed at helping members easily distinguish between legitimate email and spam or scam email.

Recognizing AOL Certified Mail in your AOL Desktop software Mailbox

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Recognizing AOL Certified Mail in your AOL WebMail inbox

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Frequently Asked Questions

• Participate in a AOL Certified Mail program
• AOL Certified Mail program availability
• The AOL service will continue to deliver email from all senders
• I receive AOL Certified Mail that I didn't sign up for
• I don't want to receive AOL Certified Mail

Participate in a AOL Certified Mail program

AOL Certified Mail allows users with access to send official AOL email. Official Mail is a type of Chrome Mail, allowing websites to open special types of links, used strictly for official business purposes. It is a collection of mail attributes assigned to a specific Username and can only be used from a specific hostname and IP address. Official Mail allows senders to distribute mail with changes to mail form color, mail icons, and logos. Official mail also allows the sender to bypass end-user mail controls.

AOL Certified Mail program availability

AOL Certified Mail is available on AOL for Windows versions 9.0 or higher, and AIM Mail. To download the latest AOL software, visit AOL Keyword: Upgrade.

The AOL service will continue to deliver email from all senders

The AOL service will continue to deliver email from all senders, whether they participate in the AOL Certified Mail program or not. However, they should abide by the rules and policies which the AOL service has set against spamming our members. Not-for-profits will not be penalized and will enjoy all the same free benefits they get today on AOL. In addition, we are establishing a separate, free program to help qualified non-profits get their mail certified and delivered as legitimate.

I receive AOL Certified Mail that I didn't sign up for

AOL Certified Mail is available only for permission email, that is, email from senders who have your permission to send to you “ whether by your having opted in to receive it or having an existing business relationship. By design, AOL Certified Mail is not available for use on unsolicited email messages.

Still, if you feel a certified message really is spam, click on the Report Spam button in the lower right of your Mailbox window, and we'll notify our partner that a certified sender put out a message that's believed to be spam.

I don't want to receive AOL Certified Mail

To stop receiving AOL Certified Mail, you can unsubscribe from the Sender's Mailing List or block the domain from which they are sending you mail. You have complete control over your Inbox. Visit AOL Keyword: Spam to learn more about reporting spam. Mailers that generate too many spam complaints will be taken off the program.

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