How to create an archive folder in Outlook?

The Outlook mailbox has a certain size, and new e-mail messages are unlikely to stop coming. To prevent it from overfilling, you can move older items to the archive – a separate Outlook data file (.pst) that you can open in Outlook if needed. How to create an archive folder in Outlook? 

There are several ways to archive messages in Outlook. The methods you can use depend on the type of email account you have set up in Outlook.

All accounts have access to the Archive folder. For accounts in Office 365, Outlook.com, and Exchange, the Archive folder is one of the default Outlook folders, as do the Inbox, Sent Items, and Deleted Items folders. This folder cannot be deleted. If you use Outlook with an Exchange or Exchange Online account, folder policies, such as retention policies, apply to the Archive folder.

For POP and IMAP accounts, you can create an Archive folder or designate an existing folder that will be used as the Archive folder. You cannot change the location of the Archive folder for accounts in Office 365 and Exchange services.

Using the Archive button to move the message to the Archive folder does not reduce the size of the mailbox. If you need to reduce the size of your mailbox, you can use an online archive in Office 365 for enterprise or archive items manually.

By default, Outlook archives items at regular intervals using the AutoArchive feature. For more information, see Automatically archiving older items.

How to create an archive folder in Outlook?
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If necessary, you can also archive items manually. This way you can control which items are archived, where to store them and how old they must be to be archived. 

  1. Do one of the following:

In Outlook 2013, click File> Info> Cleanup Tools> Archive.

In Outlook 2016: Click File> Info> Tools> Clean Old Items. 

  1. Click Archive this folder and all subfolders, then select the folder you want to archive.
  2. Under Archive items older than enter date.
  3. If you want to archive some folders using different settings, you can create multiple .pst files. For example, you may want to store items in the Sent folder longer than in the Inbox folder
  4. Check the Include items box with the “Do not auto-archive” check box selected to archive individual items excluded from automatic archiving. This option does not cancel the exclusion of these items, but allows you to ignore the Do not auto-archive setting only for this archive.
  5. Click the OK button.

Disabling AutoArchive

  • To archive only when you want it, disable the autoarchive feature. Click File> Options> Advanced.
  • Under AutoArchive, click AutoArchive Settings.
  • Clear the Run autoarchiving every n days check box.

 

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