How to Archive Old Emails in Outlook

To archive old emails in Outlook, select the messages and choose Archive on the toolbar. They move to the Archive folder. To move everything older than a certain date in one go, use classic Outlook for Windows: select File > Info > Tools > Clean Up Old Items, pick a folder, enter a date, and select OK. The first method tidies your Inbox. The second moves old mail out of your mailbox and into a file on your computer, so it helps to know which one you need before you start.

Which Outlook versions this covers

The steps follow Microsoft’s current instructions for Outlook for Microsoft 365, Outlook 2024, Outlook 2021, Outlook 2019, Outlook 2016, and the new Outlook for Windows. There are short sections for Outlook on the web and the Outlook phone app too.

Outlook for Windows now comes in two forms. Classic Outlook has a File tab in the top-left corner. New Outlook has no File tab and looks like Outlook on the web. The difference matters here, because archiving by date and AutoArchive exist only in classic Outlook.

This article was first written for Outlook 2010. That version is no longer covered by Microsoft’s current archive pages. It had the same date-based tool, which older instructions place under File > Info > Cleanup Tools > Archive, but it does not have the Archive button on the ribbon. Microsoft says that button appears only in Outlook 2016 and later.

Archive button or archive file: pick the right one

Outlook uses the word “archive” for two separate features.

• The Archive button moves the messages you select into a folder named Archive inside your mailbox. The mail stays on the server, shows up on your phone, and still appears in searches. It does not make your mailbox smaller.
• An archive file is an Outlook Data File, which has the file extension .pst and is saved on your computer. Clean Up Old Items and AutoArchive move old items into this file, which takes them out of your mailbox. The mail is then available only in Outlook on that computer.

Use the Archive button when your Inbox is cluttered. Use an archive file when your mailbox is close to its storage limit and you want old mail kept but moved out. If you have a work or school account, read the section on work accounts first, because your organization may handle this for you.

Archive messages with the Archive button

This works in new Outlook and in classic Outlook 2016 and later. Microsoft describes it in Archive in Outlook for Windows.

1. Open the folder that holds the old mail, such as your Inbox.
2. Select the messages. Sorting the folder by date first puts the oldest mail together. For a run of messages, click the first one, hold Shift, and click the last one.
3. Select Archive. In new Outlook it is on the toolbar. In classic Outlook it is in the Delete group on the Home tab.
4. The messages leave the folder and move to Archive. New Outlook shows a short pop-up confirming the move, with an Undo option.

In classic Outlook you can also press Backspace to archive the selected messages. Be careful with that key. Delete sends mail to Deleted Items, while Backspace sends it to Archive. Microsoft notes that Backspace does not archive a message that is open in its own window. Use the Archive button on the ribbon for that.

Archive everything older than a date in classic Outlook

This is the method to use for a real clean-out. It moves every item older than the date you choose into an archive file. The steps come from Microsoft’s Archive items manually page.

Before you start: the archived mail leaves your mailbox. It will no longer appear on your phone, in Outlook on the web, or on another computer. It lives in one file on this PC, so if that drive fails and you have no copy of the file, the mail is gone. Microsoft gives the same warning about archive files. An archive file is not a backup, so decide where it will be saved and keep a copy of it somewhere safe.

1. In classic Outlook, select File. The Info page opens.
2. Select Tools, then Clean Up Old Items. A box named Archive opens.
3. Select Archive this folder and all subfolders, then click the folder you want to archive, such as Inbox.
4. Under Archive items older than, enter a date. Everything older than that date in the chosen folder will be moved.
5. Optional: check Include items with “Do not AutoArchive” checked to include items that are normally skipped. Microsoft says this ignores the exclusion for this run only and does not remove it.
6. Look at the file location shown in the box and write it down. Change it if you want the file somewhere else.
7. Select OK. Outlook moves the items in the background.

Archive old emails automatically with AutoArchive

AutoArchive is the scheduled version of the same tool. It checks your folders on a timetable and moves items that have passed their “aging period,” which is the age at which Outlook treats an item as old. It exists only in classic Outlook. Microsoft states that the AutoArchive feature is not available in new Outlook for Windows.

Warning: the AutoArchive settings include options that delete mail permanently instead of archiving it. Read each option before you select OK.

1. Select File > Options > Advanced.
2. Under AutoArchive, select AutoArchive Settings.
3. Check Run AutoArchive every n days and choose how often it should run.
4. Check Archive or delete old items so you can change the options below it.
5. Set Clean out items older than to the age you want, in days, weeks, or months.
6. Make sure Move old items to is selected, not Permanently delete old items. The box shows where the archive file will be saved.
7. Select OK.

Microsoft’s AutoArchive settings explained page lists what each option does. A few are worth knowing:

• Prompt before AutoArchive runs shows a reminder first. Select No on the reminder to skip that session.
• Delete expired items (e-mail folders only) is off by default. Leave it off unless you want messages deleted when their aging period has passed.
• Show archive folder in folder list keeps the archive visible with your other folders.

If you never change anything, Microsoft lists these default aging periods:

Folder	Default aging period
Inbox and Drafts	6 months
Sent Items and Deleted Items	2 months
Outbox	3 months
Calendar, Tasks, Notes, Journal	6 months

An email’s age is counted from when it was received or when you last changed and saved it, whichever is later. Microsoft gives marking a message as read or unread as an example of a change. That is why some old messages stay put after an archive run.

To set different rules for one folder, right-click the folder, select Properties, and open the AutoArchive tab. To turn AutoArchive off, go back to AutoArchive Settings and clear Run AutoArchive every n days.

Archive in Outlook on the web and on your phone

These versions have only the Archive button. There is no archive file and no AutoArchive.

• Outlook on the web and Outlook.com: select a message, then select Archive. To see archived mail, select Archive under Folders.
• Outlook for iPhone and Android: long-press a message in the inbox and tap the Archive icon. With a message open, tap the Archive icon in the toolbar at the bottom of the screen. You can also set Archive as a swipe action in Settings > Mail > Swipe Options.

Find archived emails and move them back

If you used the Archive button: open the Archive folder in the folder list. In classic Outlook, show the list with View > Folder Pane > Normal if it is hidden. Search also works, because Outlook searches all folders in your mailbox by default. To undo, open the Archive folder and move the message back to your Inbox. Dragging it works, and so does Move to in Outlook on the web.

If you used Clean Up Old Items or AutoArchive: look for the archive file near the bottom of the folder pane in classic Outlook. If it is not listed, select File > Open & Export > Open Outlook Data File, choose the .pst file, and select Open. Microsoft says the first AutoArchive creates the file at C:\Users\YourUserName\Documents\Outlook Files\archive.pst unless you chose another place.

To undo a date-based archive, open the file, select the messages inside it, and move them back into a folder in your mailbox. There is no single undo command for a whole archive run.

Searching works differently for archive files. According to Microsoft, classic Outlook’s search covers only the current mailbox by default, so extra data files are left out unless you change the search scope to All Mailboxes.

New Outlook can open a .pst file from Settings > Files > Outlook Data Files > Add file. Microsoft lists requirements for that, including having classic Outlook installed as well. Its Open and close Outlook Data Files page has the details.

Work and school accounts

Check with your IT team before you create an archive file from a work mailbox. Many organizations set rules for how long mail must be kept, and Microsoft warns that a mail retention policy can override AutoArchive.

Some Microsoft 365 business plans include an Online Archive. Microsoft describes it as a feature for enterprise customers with very large mailboxes. It acts like a second mailbox with its own folders, and an administrator can set a policy that moves old mail there automatically. Because it is separate, Microsoft says it is not included in searches run from the Inbox.

If your organization uses an Online Archive, the date-based Archive command may not appear in classic Outlook at all. That is expected, and your administrator can tell you how old mail is handled.

Troubleshooting

There is no File tab or no Clean Up Old Items

You are probably using new Outlook, which has neither. Use the Archive button, or switch to classic Outlook if it is installed. In classic Outlook, Microsoft says the command does not appear for any account when the profile includes an Exchange account whose organization uses Online Archive. A network administrator can also disable it.

The Archive button is missing

The ribbon button exists only in Outlook 2016, Outlook 2019, and Outlook for Microsoft 365, according to Microsoft. Older versions do not have it. In those versions, use the date-based archive tool or drag messages to a folder you create.

I cannot see the Archive folder

For Microsoft 365, Exchange, and Outlook.com accounts, the Archive folder already exists even if you have never used it. In classic Outlook, select View > Folder Pane > Normal to show the folder list. If the folder is still missing in Outlook 2016 or Outlook for Microsoft 365, Microsoft suggests File > Office Account > Update Options > Update Now. If the whole window looks wrong, see how to change Outlook view back to normal.

Some old messages were not archived

The message may have been changed recently, which resets its age. It may also be marked Do not AutoArchive. For a manual run, check Include items with “Do not AutoArchive” checked in the Archive box.

Outlook says the archive file cannot be opened

The .pst file may have been moved or damaged. Browse to it with Open Outlook Data File. If it will not open, our guide on what to do when Outlook won’t open covers Microsoft’s Inbox Repair tool for .pst files.

Frequently asked questions

Does archiving free up space in Outlook?

Only the archive file method does. Microsoft states that using the Archive button to move messages to the Archive folder does not reduce your mailbox size. Clean Up Old Items and AutoArchive move mail into a .pst file on your computer, which takes it out of the mailbox. A work account with an Online Archive is the other option.

Does archiving delete my emails?

No. Archiving moves mail. The exception is AutoArchive when it is set to Permanently delete old items or Delete expired items. Microsoft says items handled that way are deleted and not archived.

Can I archive by date in new Outlook?

New Outlook has no archive-by-date tool and no AutoArchive. You can sort or search for old mail, select it, and choose Archive or move it to a folder. That keeps the mail in your mailbox.

Can I change where the Archive button sends mail?

Not for Microsoft 365, Exchange, or Outlook.com accounts. Microsoft says the Archive folder is a default system folder that cannot be renamed, moved, or deleted. For POP or IMAP accounts such as Gmail or Yahoo, classic Outlook lets you choose the folder under File > Mailbox Settings > Tools > Set Archive Folder.

Next step

Once the old mail is out of the way, you can keep the Inbox tidy with rules that file new messages as they arrive. See how to create an email rule in Outlook. If you are setting up Outlook from scratch, here is how to add a signature in Outlook.