Email Retention and Archive Guide

This guide explains how your organization automatically manages emails in your mailbox, and how you can use retention labels to make sure important emails are not deleted.

 

 

1. Automatic Email Management

Your emails are automatically managed based on the folder they are in. The table below shows what happens and when.

 

Folder

What happens automatically

Timeline

Junk Email

Emails are permanently deleted

After 30 days

Deleted Items

Emails are permanently deleted

After 30 days

Sent Items

Emails are permanently deleted

After 3 years

Inbox and other folders

Emails are permanently deleted unless a retention label has been applied

After 3 years

 

Important: Emails in your Inbox and other folders will be permanently deleted after 3 years unless you apply a retention label. Do not rely on your inbox as long-term storage.

 

 

2. Retention Labels

Retention labels let you override automatic deletion for emails that need to be kept longer. You can apply a label to a single email or to an entire folder.

 

Available Labels

Label Name

Retention Period

Use When...

1 Year Delete

1 year from date applied

Short-term reference only

5 Year Delete

5 years from date applied

General business records

7 Year Delete

7 years from date applied

Compliance-sensitive content

Never Delete

Kept indefinitely

Critical or permanent records

 

How Labels Work

  • A label applied to an individual email takes the highest priority and overrides any folder-level label.
  • A label applied to a folder acts as a default — all emails in that folder, including new ones added later, will inherit the label unless the email already has its own label.
  • Labels can be applied at any time. Once applied, the retention period starts from the date the email was received or created, not the date the label was applied.

 

 

3. How to Apply a Retention Label in Outlook

Option A: Apply to a Single Email

  1. Open Outlook and select the email you want to keep.
  2. In the toolbar, click Home → Policy. (In older versions of Outlook, look for Tags → Assign Policy.)
  3. Select the appropriate retention label (for example, 5 Year Delete).
  4. The label is applied immediately and will prevent automatic deletion.

 

Option B: Apply to an Entire Folder

  1. Right-click the folder you want to label (such as your Inbox or a custom folder).
  2. Select Assign Policy. (In some versions, this may appear under Properties → Policy.)
  3. Choose the desired retention label.
  4. All current and future emails in that folder will use this label as their default.

 

 

4. Best Practices

  • Apply retention labels to important emails as soon as possible to avoid accidental deletion.
  • Do not use your Inbox or Sent Items as a permanent archive — emails will be automatically deleted or archived after the policy period.
  • Avoid storing important emails in your Junk Email or Deleted Items folders, as these are cleaned up automatically.
  • If you are unsure how long to keep an email, check with your manager or refer to your organization’s records retention schedule.
  • You can check whether a label is already applied to a folder by right-clicking it and reviewing its properties.

 

 

Questions? Contact Help Desk for assistance.