Dapple uses magic links to sign you in — a single-use link sent to your email. If Outlook is blocking or hiding that link before you can use it, you won’t be able to access your account. This guide covers the most common causes and exactly how to fix each one.
Why does this happen?
The most common cause is a Microsoft security feature called Safe Links. When Safe Links is active, Outlook scans every URL in your emails — and in doing so, it visits the link itself as part of the check. Because Dapple’s sign-in links are single-use, that scan sometimes blocks the link/image from the email making it invisble.
There are a few other causes too. Use the table below to identify which applies to you.
Symptom | Most likely cause | Go to |
Link says “expired” or “invalid” immediately | Safe Links scanned and consumed the token | Fix 1, 2, or 3 |
Link is greyed out or not clickable | Block links setting is on, or email arrived in plain text | Fix 2 or Fix 4 |
Sign-in email is landing in junk | Dapple not marked as a safe sender | Fix 1 |
Clicking the link does nothing | Default browser not set correctly | Fix 5 |
Warning page appears and you can't get past it | Organisation-managed Safe Links policy | Fix 6 |
Before trying any fix: request a brand new sign-in link from Dapple first. Any link that has already been used already — will have expired. You cannot reuse it. |
Fix 1 — Mark Dapple as a safe sender
This is the quickest fix and the right place to start if your email is landing in junk or links are being blocked.
Option A — right-click the email
Find the noreply@dapplehq.com in your inbox or junk folder.
Right-click the email and hover over Junk.
Select Never Block Sender’s Domain.
This adds Dapple’s sending domain to your safe list — more reliable than marking the individual sender address, as it covers all emails from Dapple going forward.
Option B — add via Settings
Go to Settings (gear icon) → Mail → Junk email.
Under Safe senders and domains, select Add.
Enter noreply@dapplehq.com and save.
Once done, request a new sign-in link and try again.
Fix 2 — Turn off the “Block links” setting
Newer versions of Outlook include a setting that blocks all links from anyone not on your safe list. If your link appears greyed out or is not clickable, this is likely why.
Go to Settings (gear icon) → Mail → Junk email.
Scroll to Security options.
Uncheck Block attachments, pictures, and links from anyone not in my Safe senders and domains list.
Select Save.
Alternatively, keep this setting on and simply add Dapple to your safe senders list using Fix 1 — that way you keep protection for other senders while allowing Dapple emails through.
Fix 3 — Disable Safe Links (Microsoft 365 Personal or Family)
If you’re on a Microsoft 365 Personal or Family plan, you can turn Safe Links off entirely from Outlook on the web.
Sign in to outlook.live.com.
Go to Settings → Premium → Security.
Under Advanced Security, toggle Safe Links to Off.
If you’d prefer not to turn it off completely, Fix 1 (marking Dapple as a safe sender) should prevent Safe Links from scanning Dapple emails without affecting other senders.
Fix 4 — Enable links in a plain text email
If a yellow or grey bar at the top of the email says links are disabled, the message arrived in plain text format. Outlook disables clickable links in plain text emails by default.
For a single email:
Select the InfoBar at the top of the message and choose Enable external content. This unblocks the links for that message only.
To change the setting permanently (Classic Outlook for Windows):
Go to File → Options → Trust Center.
Select Trust Center Settings → Automatic Download.
Uncheck Don’t download pictures automatically in HTML email messages or RSS items.
Select OK.
Fix 5 — Reset your default browser
If the link looks clickable but nothing happens when you select it, Outlook may have lost its connection to your browser. This is a Windows issue, not an Outlook or Dapple one.
Open Windows Settings (Win + I) → Apps → Default apps.
Search for your preferred browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, etc.).
Select Set as default.
Relaunch Outlook and try the link again.
Fix 6 — Ask your IT administrator
If you’re on a work or school Microsoft 365 account, Safe Links may be controlled by your IT department. You won’t be able to change it yourself.
Ask your IT administrator to add Dapple to the “Do not rewrite the following URLs” list in the Microsoft 365 Defender portal. Here’s what they’ll need to do:
Sign in to security.microsoft.com.
Go to Email & Collaboration → Policies & Rules → Threat Policies → Safe Links.
Open the relevant policy and find Do not rewrite the following URLs in email.
Add dapplehq.com.
For full exemption, also go to Tenant Allow/Block List and select Allow this URL after reporting it as clean — this stops Safe Links scanning the URL at both delivery and click time.
Still not working?
If none of the above resolves it, get in touch with the Dapple support team and we’ll help you get access directly.