Keeping your Outlook inbox organized can be a challenge when dealing with large volumes of email. Whether you're really popular or feeling overworked, emails tend to pile up. One method that can be used to tame a wild inbox is archiving. On a simple level, this allows you to quickly move items from your inbox to a folder, or use more complex automated processes to reduce mailbox sizes. We will show you how to archive using multiple methods in the Outlook desktop application.

What is the difference between archiving and moving emails to folders?

Outlook includes an archive folder by default. It provides a convenient method for moving emails there once they are deemed handled yet still important. The process of archiving also has a dedicated shortcut key: backspace.

Beyond this handy default keyboard behavior and built-in Archive folder, there is really no other difference between moving items into a custom folder versus the dedicated Archive folder in Outlook other than the convenience of a shortcut.

You can also use Outlook’s built-in functionality to automatically archive emails based on age. Further, you can create a custom archive file (PST) which may be required to reduce your mailbox size or to fulfill compliance and regulatory requirements.

A few notes before we continue

• If you are using Outlook connected to a work account, your mailbox may be subject to policies which may prevent archiving using the steps in this guide. If such policies exist, you may not see archiving options, or they may differ from the following guide.
• This guide is designed around using the Outlook classic desktop application. The steps within this guide will not work with the new Outlook.

How to archive a single email using a shortcut key

First, we’ll cover the basic functionality of sending a single email to the archive folder using the keyboard shortcut.

1. In your Inbox, select the message you wish to archive.
2. Hit the backspace key on your keyboard, which, contrary to what you may think, does not delete the email.
3. Once completed, you can navigate to the Archive folder and confirm that the action worked. In the example below, we can confirm that it has been moved to the Archive folder (not deleted).

How to archive an email using Outlook’s ribbon toolbar

1. In your Inbox, select the message you wish to archive.
2. Select the Home tab on your Outlook ribbon toolbar.
3. Click the Archive button in the upper left area.

How to select and archive multiple emails

You can archive multiple emails at once by selecting all the emails you want to move to the archive.

1. To select specific emails you want to move all at once, hold down the Ctrl key while highlighting each email row that you wish to select.
2. Or, to select a full range of emails in a row that you want to deal with, hold down the Shift key while selecting the first and then the last in the range you want to highlight.
3. Once selected, you can press the backspace key or the archive button on the Outlook ribbon to send the message to the archive folder.

How to automatically archive emails to a file

In this section, we’ll cover the options available for automatically archiving emails. This can be useful to automate the movement of emails into your archive, or if you need to create a backup archive file of your emails at periodic intervals. It can also be used to reduce your mailbox size if you have an inbox quota.

These automatic options are not visible on the Simplified Ribbon toolbar within Outlook. You’ll need to reveal the larger Ribbon to access the AutoArchive settings.

1. On the Outlook Ribbon toolbar, click the down arrow at the far right and select Classic Ribbon.
2. Select the Folder tab.
3. Select AutoArchive Settings.

From here, you’ll be presented with the AutoArchive settings, where you can create an automatic archive schedule based on your own requirements. You can specify a schedule of days, weeks, and months and have it prompt you before it runs. You can also review and change the default settings anytime and tailor them to your needs.

Within these settings, there is another option to move messages out of your mailbox storage and into an Outlook Data File called a PST. This functionality is generally used in the business setting where there is a need to reduce mailbox sizes, back up emails each year for legal requirements, or even share with other organizations. For the purposes of this guide, though, we recommend moving items to the archive folder within your own mailbox.

How to restore an archive if needed

You can also import an email back into your mailbox which is stored in a PST file. To do this:

1. In Outlook, select File > Open & Export > Import/Export.
2. Select Import from another program or file, and then select Next.
3. Select Outlook Data File (.pst) and select Next.
4. Browse and locate your PST file and select the options you wish to use to import items back into your mailbox, then select Next to complete the process.

Making the most of Outlook

Using the archive function, you have started to declutter your inbox. Dealing with email can be daunting, but there are plenty of ways to master your inbox. To enhance your Outlook experience further, you can also try personalizing your account to get the most out of the software.