Microsoft 365 Help / Staff guides
Outlook Web

Archive email and find it again

Clear completed email out of Inbox while keeping it in your mailbox.

About 4 minutes Follow at your own pace

Before you start

  • A message you want to keep for later.

Follow these steps

0 of 6 steps done

  1. Open the correct Inbox

    Select your work Inbox in the left folder list. Pick a completed message that you want to keep but no longer need in Inbox.

  2. Select the message

    Click the message once. To select several on a computer, use their checkboxes, or hold Ctrl while clicking individual messages where supported.

  3. Choose Archive

    Select Archive on the top toolbar. In classic Outlook it is on the Home ribbon in the Delete group. You can also right-click a message and choose Archive where shown.

  4. Check where it went

    The selected message leaves Inbox. In the left folder list, expand your mailbox if necessary and select Archive to see it.

  5. Find archived mail later

    Use the Search box and select the whole mailbox or All folders. Searching only Inbox will miss messages moved into Archive.

  6. Move a message back

    Open Archive, select the message, then choose Move to > Inbox, or right-click it and choose the corresponding Move command.

You have finished when…

  • The message is in Archive and can still be found with a mailbox-wide search.

Helpful tips

  • Archive is useful for completed conversations that you still need to keep. It is different from Delete.
  • Mailbox retention rules may still apply to archived mail; Archive is not a permanent backup.
  • If a conversation contains several separate messages, check which messages are selected before archiving a large group.

Something looks different?

I archived something by accident

Open Archive, find the message and use Move to > Inbox. If an Undo notification is still visible, you can use it immediately.

My mailbox is still full

Ordinary Archive stays in the same mailbox. Ask the office about authorised cleanup or an Online Archive instead of repeatedly pressing Archive.

I cannot find Archive

Expand the account’s folder list. If you are using a shared mailbox or a different account type, ask the office to confirm the available archive options.

Microsoft help & further guidance

Menu names can change as Microsoft updates the apps. These official pages include further instructions.

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