Difference Between Archive Folder and Online Archive Mailbox
- Austin Dion (Deactivated)
- A.J. Newman
- Meera S Nair
All Microsoft 365 accounts with an Outlook mailbox have both an “Online Archive” and an “Archive” folder. This article will outline the differences between the two folders.
For users who have larger mailboxes, emails that are older than 2 years will be automatically moved to the Online Archive mailbox. This ensures that you do not have to delete old mail to make room for new mail. Mail that is older than the specified time can be moved from both the Inbox folder and the local Archive folder to the Online Archive mailbox.
What is the Archive Folder?
The archive folder is a default folder that is in your mailbox similar to the other default folders such as sent items or deleted items folder.
This folder cannot be deleted. Using the Archive button to move messages to the Archive folder does not reduce your mailbox size. You can use the Archive button in the Delete group on the ribbon to move one or more messages to your Archive folder without deleting them.
What is the Online Archive Mailbox?
A user’s Online Archive acts as a secondary mailbox with its own folder structure.
You can search the contents of this folder by clicking on it and using the search bar. You can also search all of your mailboxes (e.g., Inbox, Online Archive) by searching All Mailboxes or All Outlook Items.
If an Online Archive is enabled, administrators and users can set up their mailbox to automatically move old messages to the Online Archive using Archive Policies.
What is the Difference?
The Archive feature can be used to keep your Inbox clear of messages that you have already answered or acted on. You can store items in the Archive folder and still access them easily. You can also delete messages or move them to specific folders from the Archive folder.
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