How to Archive Every Email in Outlook Step by Step

To archive every email in Outlook, open each mail folder, select its messages, and choose Archive; repeat for each folder you want to clear. First decide whether you mean moving messages into Outlook’s Archive folder or creating a separate backup. The Archive folder keeps mail in your mailbox and does not, by itself, free storage. The steps below cover Outlook for Microsoft 365 on Windows, Outlook on the web, and Outlook for Mac.

Outlook does not have one reliable command that gathers messages from every folder and archives them all at once. Working folder by folder helps you include the mail you want, leave important items such as drafts alone, and avoid accidentally moving or deleting the wrong messages.

What You’ll Need

Access to the Outlook mailbox whose messages you want to move, and permission to change its folders.
A little time to process each mail folder. Large folders may need to be handled in batches.
A decision about which folders count: for example, Inbox, Sent Items, and your own folders. Decide separately whether to include Junk Email or Deleted Items.
If you need an independent backup or want to reduce mailbox storage, use a suitable export or Online Archive option instead of assuming the regular Archive folder does either.

Step-by-Step

Choose what “every email” means for this mailbox. Make a list of the folders you intend to process, such as Inbox, Sent Items, and folders you created. Outlook’s Archive command moves selected messages to the mailbox’s Archive folder; it does not automatically preserve the original folder structure. Mail from several folders can end up together in Archive. If keeping the original organization matters, consider exporting a backup or creating destination folders before moving messages.
Check that the Archive folder is available. In the folder pane, look for Archive under the account you plan to clean up. Do not confuse it with an Online Archive, which is a separate mailbox feature that may depend on your organization’s Microsoft 365 plan and administrator settings. If you have several accounts in Outlook, confirm that you are working in the intended account before selecting anything.
Open the first folder to process. Start with Inbox, or another folder on your list. Do not begin from a search across the whole mailbox unless you understand which results are included. A folder-by-folder approach makes it easier to verify the selection and avoids mixing messages from different locations.
Select the messages in that folder. In Outlook for Windows, click in the message list and press Ctrl+A. On Mac, click in the message list and press Command+A. In Outlook on the web, use the checkbox at the top of the message list; if Outlook offers a link to select all messages in the folder, choose it when you want the entire folder, not just the currently displayed page. Check the selection count and folder name before continuing.
Archive the selected messages. In Outlook for Microsoft 365 on Windows, use Home > Archive in the classic Outlook ribbon, or select Archive on the toolbar in new Outlook. In Outlook on the web, select Archive on the message toolbar. In Outlook for Mac, select Message > Archive or the Archive button on the toolbar. If a confirmation or progress message appears, wait for the action to finish.
Verify the first batch before continuing. Open Archive and look for a few messages you recognize. Return to the source folder and confirm those messages are no longer there. If you do not see the Archive command, check that messages are selected and that the toolbar is not showing a limited set of buttons; the command may be under a more-options menu.
Repeat for each folder on your list. Return to the folder pane, open the next mail folder, select its messages, and archive them. Repeat for Sent Items and any custom folders you chose. Archive is itself the destination, so normally you do not need to process it again. If a folder has many messages, work in manageable batches and verify each batch rather than starting another action while Outlook is still syncing.
Handle special folders deliberately. Include Junk Email only if you want to keep those messages; often it is better to review and delete unwanted junk. Deleted Items contains messages already marked for deletion, so do not empty it if your goal is to retain them. Avoid moving active Outbox messages, which may still be sending. Treat Drafts separately: moving an unsent message out of Drafts can make it harder to find or continue editing.
Check the result and allow it to sync. Review Archive, search for a known sender or subject, and confirm the messages are present. In a work or school account, allow time for changes to synchronize across devices. If you need a backup, make and verify a separate export; a move to Archive is not the same as saving an independent copy.

Common Mistakes

Assuming Archive means backup. The standard Archive folder is generally part of the same mailbox. If the mailbox is deleted, access changes, or the account has a problem, that folder is not necessarily an independent backup. For a portable copy, export messages where your Outlook version and account type support it, then store the export somewhere protected.

Expecting the move to free mailbox space. Moving messages from Inbox to Archive normally changes their folder, not their mailbox storage usage. If you are near a storage limit, check your account’s storage tools or ask your organization’s administrator about Online Archive and retention options.

Selecting only the visible page. Some versions of Outlook show a select-all checkbox for the messages currently loaded, then provide a separate option to select all messages in the folder. Read the selection notice and, for a very large folder, process batches and check that older messages were not left behind.

Using Delete instead of Archive. Delete sends mail to Deleted Items; it is not the same as archiving. If you accidentally delete messages, check Deleted Items promptly and move them back or to Archive. Do not empty that folder until you are sure you no longer need its contents.

Forgetting custom folders or another account. Selecting everything in Inbox does not include Sent Items, subfolders, or other accounts. Use your folder list as a checklist, and check whether subfolders need to be opened individually.

Tips

Start with a small, familiar folder so you can confirm where Archive is and how the command behaves in your version of Outlook.
For a large mailbox, archive a few hundred or a few thousand messages at a time rather than repeatedly selecting everything. Smaller batches are easier to verify and recover if something goes wrong.
Use a checklist of folder names and mark each one complete only after checking the Archive destination. This is especially helpful when folders are nested.
If you want to keep messages grouped by project or year, create suitable folders under Archive and move messages into them instead of sending everything to one flat destination.
Keep important records in line with your organization’s retention rules. Archiving does not override retention, legal hold, or company policies.
On Windows, Ctrl+A selects messages when focus is in the message list; on Mac, the equivalent is Command+A. If the shortcut selects page text or another control, click the message list first.

Troubleshooting

Archive is missing or unavailable: Select at least one message and check the toolbar’s more-options menu. In classic Outlook for Windows, look on the Home ribbon. In Outlook on the web or new Outlook, the toolbar can change according to the selection and window width. If the command remains unavailable, check that the folder is a mail folder and that you have permission to modify its contents.

Messages remain in the folder: Confirm that you selected all messages rather than only the visible page, then check whether Outlook is still syncing. Refresh Outlook on the web or restart the desktop app after allowing a short wait. If only some messages moved, repeat the operation for the remaining items in smaller batches.

The messages are not visible in Archive: Make sure you opened the Archive folder for the same account, not another mailbox’s Archive or an Online Archive. Search by a distinctive sender or subject and inspect the result’s folder location if Outlook shows it. Also check any custom folders you made as destinations.

Outlook freezes or reports an error: Stop repeating the action until you know what happened. Reopen the source folder and Archive to see which messages moved. Try a smaller selection, check your internet connection, and allow synchronization to complete. For a work account, contact your administrator if permissions, retention rules, or mailbox limits may be involved.

You archived the wrong messages: Open Archive, select the affected messages, and use Move to or drag them back to the correct folder. The exact menu can vary by Outlook version. Avoid further bulk moves until you have restored and checked a small sample.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I archive all Outlook emails with one click?
No single Archive action reliably processes every folder in a mailbox. Select and archive messages folder by folder, including custom folders and Sent Items if you want them included.

Does archiving delete emails?
No. Archive moves selected messages out of their current folder into Archive. It is different from Delete, which moves messages to Deleted Items, and from permanently emptying that folder.

Will archiving every email free up space?
Usually not when you use the regular Archive folder, because the messages remain in the mailbox. Ask your administrator about Online Archive or other approved storage options if you need to reduce mailbox usage.

Can I keep the messages in their original folders?
Not if you move them into one Archive folder; a move changes their location. Create matching folders under Archive and move messages into the relevant folders, or make an export if you need a separate copy of the mailbox.

Does Outlook’s AutoArchive do the same thing?
No. AutoArchive is a separate feature in classic Outlook for Windows that can move or delete older items according to its settings, often using a local Outlook data file. It is not the same as manually moving every message to the mailbox’s Archive folder, and it may not be available in new Outlook or Outlook on the web.

Can I undo an archive?
Usually, yes. Find the messages in Archive and move them back to their previous folder or another folder. If you do not remember their original location, search by sender or subject and choose a suitable destination before moving them.

Try it: the Date Difference Calculator: days, months, years and weekdays between two dates, with the DATEDIF formulas.

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