What is an email archive? How to store and retrieve messages
Ever wondered what it means to archive an email? Archiving can keep your inbox clutter-free without losing important messages, so it has advantages over simply deleting. Plus, once you know how it works, it’s a snap to archive and unarchive emails in different email programs.
Today, our blog helps you master the art of email archiving!
By Alyssa Schmitt It only takes a tap to move messages in and out of your Archive folder
What does “archive email” mean?
Archiving email means saving email messages that you still want in a special folder outside of your inbox. This has the advantage of keeping your inbox clear without actually deleting the messages, so you can find them again later if they contain information you need. You can also move them back to your inbox or another folder whenever you like.
Some email programs have a default “Archive” folder listed along with other permanent folders such as “Spam” or “Drafts”. Other email providers, such as mail.com, have the option of creating custom folders that you can use to archive your emails.
In addition, email programs such as Outlook feature an auto-archive function. You can set this up to automatically move any emails older than a certain date to the Archive folder.
Good to know: The above definition of email archiving applies to private users. Companies are actually required by law to save business-relevant communications, including emails, for a certain period of time. Some businesses therefore have dedicated servers where emails are archived.
Why archive emails?
You might be in the habit of deleting emails to keep your inbox clean and organized. Archiving is a good way to achieve the same tidy inbox without losing information you might need again in the future.
Moving messages to a general “Archive” folder keeps them out of sight until you need them, but you can always find them again with a quick email search. However, you might prefer to set up a folder structure to organize your saved emails, e.g., by storing messages by categories like “Family” or “Travel.
Archive vs. delete
Archiving or deleting emails are both good options for clearing emails out of your inbox. When you delete an email, it goes to your Trash folder, where it will usually be automatically deleted within 30 to 90 days – depending on your email settings, of course. Once a message is deleted from the Trash folder, it is gone forever, so you can never go back to it or return it to your inbox. Deleting is a perfect option for junk emails, brief replies, or information you’ll never need again.
If your email program has a default archive folder, usually it is not set up to be automatically emptied. So, unless you change the settings so that emails are purged after a certain length of time, you can always go back to these emails at a later date. This makes archiving a better option if you think the information contained in the email will be relevant again in the future.
How do I archive an email?
If you’d like to archive an email, all you have to do is put it into your archive folder. Many email programs have a system folder called “Archive” – like the Trash or Spam folder, it is there by default and can’t be deleted. If your email program doesn’t have a default archive folder, you can create a custom folder, name it “Archive,” “FYI,” or “Important emails,” and use it to archive messages. If you choose this option, check the folder settings to make sure your saved messages will not be deleted automatically after a certain period.
The process of moving an email to your Archive folder can vary by email program. For example:
Archive emails in Gmail: Select the email(s) and click the archive icon (box with downward arrow).
Archive emails in Outlook: Select the email(s), then click Archive in the toolbar. Alternatively, right-click on the email, then click Archive in the menu that appears.
Archive email on iPhone (Apple Mail): Swipe left on the email and tap More > Archive Message.
Pro tip: Create a custom archive folder in your mail.com account
mail.com gives you full control over how you store your emails – and with 65 GB of free email storage, you probably won’t run out of room in your inbox anytime soon. Setting up a folder structure lets you clear emails from your inbox and access them whenever you like. If you create a custom folder to archive emails (You can even name it “Archive” if you like!), by default the emails will be retained until you delete them manually or move them to another folder. For more information, see our deep dive: Email folders: how to create and use them
Where are archived emails?
Once you archive an email, it stays in the archive folder of your inbox. In most cases, like in Outlook or the Apple Mail app on an iPhone, the default archive folder is clearly marked “Archive.” In Gmail and Google apps, on the other hand, archived mail is kept under “All Mail.” By default, archived mails will remain in these folders indefinitely until you manually delete or move them. The exact steps for finding an archived email will differ according to the email program and version you use, but it will go something like this:
How to find an archived email in Outlook
If you use the Outlook email program with Microsoft 365, Exchange, or Outlook.com, there will be a default Archive folder. To find an email in this folder:
Open Outlook
Look for your list of default folders (Inbox, Trash, Sent, etc.) to the left of the email list
If you don’t see a list of folders, click View > Layout > Folder Pane
The Archive folder should appear at the top of the folder list
Click the Archive folder to open it and find your email
Please note that if you use Outlook with a POP/IMAP account, e.g. your mail.com Premium account, there may not be an archive folder unless you created one manually.
As an alternative, you can use the Outlook search function to find an archived email. Once you start typing in the search bar, a dropdown menu will appear to the left and you can select “Current Mailbox” to search all your folders, including the Archive. If you know the sender, the subject line, etc. of the email you are looking for, this can be the fastest way to find an archived email in Outlook.
How to retrieve archived emails
Once you have found your archived email, you have several options. You can simply leave it in the archive, where it will still be waiting for you next time you need it. However, you can also move it back to your inbox or to your Trash or another folder.
If you are wondering how to unarchive an email, it’s actually quite easy! Just go to the Archive folder and manually move the message back to your inbox. On a computer, select the email and drag it back to your inbox using your mouse. If you are using a mobile device like an iPhone, swipe left on the email until the “More” menu appears, select “Move Message,” and tap the folder you’d like to move it to.
FAQ: Archive an email
Where do I find archived emails?
Archived emails are typically moved out of your inbox and into a designated archive folder. The location of this folder can vary depending on your email service provider. Here are some examples:
Gmail: Click on “All Mail” in the sidebar to view archived emails.
Outlook: Go to the “Archive” folder in the left-hand menu.
Apple Mail app (iPhone): Look for the “Archive” folder under the mailbox list.
Each email service has its own way of organizing archived emails, but they are generally easy to locate within the main navigation or folder list.
What happens if you archive an email?
When you archive an email, it is removed from your inbox but not deleted. The email is stored in your archive folder, keeping your inbox clutter-free while still allowing you to access the email later if needed.
How long do emails stay in archive?
Emails stay in the archive indefinitely until you decide to delete them (unless you have changed the archive folder settings). Archiving is a way to organize your emails without setting a time limit for their retention.
How do I unarchive an email?
To unarchive an email, simply move it back to your inbox. The exact steps will vary by email program, but right-clicking or swiping left on the email will usually open a menu. Look for an option like “Move to Inbox” or “Move Message” and select it to move that email out of the archive.
Did this blog post help you learn how to retrieve archived emails? We look forward to your feedback below!
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