To ensure that valued e-mail is delivered to your Yahoo Inbox (not the Bulk Mail folder), you can instruct Yahoo to filter it to your Inbox. Here's how:

• Open your Yahoo mailbox.
• Click Mail Options.
• Click Filters.
• Next, click Add Filter.
• In the top row, labeled From header:, make sure contains is selected in the pull-down menu.
• Click in the text box next to that pull-down menu, then enter the address This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it   in the "From" line of your most recent e-mail from the sender you want to whitelist.
• At the bottom, where it says Move the message to:, select Inbox from the pull-down menu.
• Click the Add Filter button again.
  

If you're using Hotmail, you can ensure that valued e-mail is delivered to your Inbox by adding the "From" address to your Safe List. Here's how:

• Log on and click the Mail tab to get into your mailbox.
• Click Options (it's over at the top right, next to Help).
• Click Junk e-Mail Protection.
• Select Safe List.
• In the space provided, enter the address This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it in the "From" line of the most recent e-mail from the sender you want to whitelist.
• Click Add.
• When you see the address you entered in the Safe List box, click OK.

Alternatively, you can add the "From" address to your Contacts list:

• Open the most recent e-mail from the sender you want to whitelist.
• Click the Save Address button. (It's over to the right in the line of options just above the e-mail.)
• Click OK.
  

For AOL version 9.0: you can ensure that valued e-mail is delivered to your Inbox by adding the sending address to your "People I Know" list.

• Open the latest issue of the e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
• Click the Add Address button (over on the right) to add that sender to your "People I Know" list.

Alternatively, you can just send an e-mail to the "From" address, and that will add the address to your "People I Know" list automatically.

• Open the latest issue of the e-mail you want to whitelist.
• Copy the address This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it in the "From" line.
• Click the Reply button (it's in the top right corner).
• A new email window opens with an address pre-filled in the "Send To" box.
• Replace the address in the Send To box with the one you copied out of the From line.
• Click Send Now (it's in the top right corner).

Even if the e-mail you send doesn't get through (for whatever reason), the act of sending it does the job of putting the address into your "People I Know" list--and that's what counts.

If you're using an earlier version of AOL, you'll need to set your Mail Controls instead. Here's how:

• Go to Keyword Mail Controls.
• Select the screen name the valued e-mail is coming to.
• Click Customize Mail Controls For This Screen Name.

For AOL version 8.0: Select Allow email from all AOL members, email addresses and domains.

• Click Next until the Save button shows up at the bottom.
• Click Save.

For AOL version 7.0: In the section for "exclusion and inclusion parameters", include the domain of the "From" address (the part after the "@" (the at sign).