Abnormal AI & Graymail FAQ

What is Abnormal AI?

Abnormal AI is an AI-based security platform that works alongside Gmail to proactively block malicious emails before they reach you. Unlike traditional filters, it is designed to recognize complex patterns used by cybercriminals, ensuring your digital workspace remains safe and private.

How does Abnormal AI protect the university?

Abnormal AI protects the university by:

• Identifying attackers pretending to be university leadership or vendors.

• Catching credential-harvesting sites that often bypass standard filters.

• Automatically sorting low-priority promotional emails into “Graymail” so you can focus on what matters.

How does Abnormal work?

Abnormal AI integrates directly with Gmail, working alongside Google’s existing filters to provide a smarter, more personalized experience. 

• Spam: Standard spam detected by Google or Abnormal will continue to go to your Spam folder.

• Graymail: If an email is "borderline"—meaning it’s likely a promotion or newsletter but not a direct threat—it will be placed in your new Graymail folder for your review. This folder will appear automatically as soon as your first item is sorted.

• Personalizing Your Inbox: The system learns from you. If an email lands in Graymail that you’d prefer to see in your main Inbox, simply drag and drop it there and any future emails from that sender will arrive in your Inbox. Moving mail back and forth tells Abnormal exactly how you want your specific inbox organized.

• Privacy Notice: This tool does not read or monitor the content of your emails. Abnormal AI analyzes communication patterns (such as sender reputation, typical headers, and known malicious links) rather than "reading" for content like a person would. 

Can I opt out of Abnormal?

No, you cannot opt out of Abnormal. 

Is Abnormal Security reading my private emails?

No. The AI analyzes communication patterns (such as sender reputation, typical headers, and known malicious links) rather than "reading" for content like a human would. The processing happens programmatically to identify threats and clutter.

What is Graymail?

If an email is "borderline"—meaning it’s likely a promotion or newsletter and not a direct threat to security—it will be placed in your new Graymail folder for your review. This folder will appear automatically as soon as your first Graymail item reaches your inbox.

Where can I find Graymail?

Abnormal doesn’t delete the emails that are sent to Graymail; it simply moves them to a specific folder (label) within your Gmail account.

1. Open your University Gmail account.

2. Look at the list of labels/folders on the left-hand side and locate the label named Graymail.

3. Click the Graymail label to view all filtered messages.

Quick Tip: You can add an "@" or "_" to the name of the Graymail folder to make it show up first in your labels list. To do so, hover over the Graymail label and click on the three dots. Click "Edit" and and place the "@" or "_" before the Graymail text in the text box and click "Save".

If an email is in Graymail, is it "safe" to click the links?

Generally, yes. Abnormal has already scanned these emails for known phishing and malware threats. However, always exercise standard caution when clicking links or downloading attachments from promotional senders.

How do I move emails back to my inbox?

If you find an email in Graymail that you want to see in your main inbox, Abnormal makes it very easy to "teach" the system your preferences using a simple drag-and-drop action:

• The Action: Click and hold the email in the Graymail folder and drag it onto the Inbox label.

• The Result: When you move a message this way, Abnormal’s AI learns your preference. Future emails from that specific sender will now arrive directly in your main Inbox instead of being filtered as Graymail.

Note: Because Abnormal is AI-driven, it may take one or two instances of moving an email for the system to fully "lock in" the new behavior for that specific sender.

How do I prevent emails from going to Graymail?

If you want to ensure a specific sender never goes to Graymail again, you have two main options:

Is Graymail the same as the "Spam" folder? 

No. Spam is for malicious, unsolicited, or "junk" mail. Graymail is for legitimate mail (like newsletters or coupons) that you likely opted into but are not urgent. By separating them, Abnormal keeps your Inbox reserved for direct person-to-person communication.

What if an important email from a colleague ends up in Graymail? 

While Abnormal’s AI is highly accurate, it can occasionally misidentify a message. If this happens, simply drag and drop the email back into your Inbox. This "trains" the AI to recognize that sender as high-priority for you in the future.

If you cannot find a message you were expecting, contact ispo@newschool.edu so we can release it and mark the sender as safe.

Can I "Unsubscribe" from within the Graymail folder? 

Yes. If you no longer wish to receive the emails at all, using the "Unsubscribe" link provided by the sender is still the best way to stop the emails from being sent to you entirely.

How often should I check my Graymail/Promotions folder? 

We recommend a quick glance once a day or every few days to ensure no low-priority newsletters you actually wanted to read were missed.

I got a notification that I received an email but it is not in my university inbox. Where did it go?

If you receive a notification that you received an email but it is not in your inbox, it was likely identified by Abnormal Security as Graymail. The AI monitors your inbox in real-time and moves lower-priority promotional or newsletter style emails into your Graymail folder to keep your primary workspace clear.

An email appeared and then disappeared from my inbox. Where did it go?

If an email briefly appeared in your Inbox and then vanished, it was likely identified by Abnormal Security as Graymail. The AI monitors your inbox in real-time and moves lower-priority promotional or newsletter style emails into your Graymail folder to keep your primary workspace clear.

If the university is using Abnormal, do I still have to report phishing attempts?

Yes, while the tool is highly accurate, you are the final authority on what belongs in your inbox. If you see a phishing attempt, you should continue to use the "Report Phishing" button in Gmail or forward the email to Phish-for-Gnarls@newschool.edu. The platform will analyze the threat and send you a classification report (Phish, Spam, or Safe) so you can proceed with confidence.