Accidentally deleted an important email in Outlook? Don’t assume it is gone forever—even if you emptied Deleted Items. Microsoft 365 and Exchange Online often provide a second recovery stage. This guide explains how to restore email in new Outlook, classic Outlook for Windows, and Outlook on the web, when recovery is still possible, and what your administrator can check if the message is missing.
Quick answer: Open Deleted Items first. If the email is not there, select Recover items deleted from this folder in new Outlook or Outlook on the web, or Home → Recover Deleted Items From Server in classic Outlook. These options depend on your account type and how long ago the item was deleted.
Before you begin: understand the two recovery stages
For supported Microsoft 365/Exchange mailboxes, a deleted message normally goes to Deleted Items. After it is removed from that folder, it may still be recoverable from a separate Recoverable Items area for a limited period. The feature is not available to every account type or mailbox configuration. Never use Shift+Delete on additional messages while troubleshooting.
Method 1: Restore emails from Deleted Items in Outlook
Step 1. Open your Deleted Items folder
In Outlook, expand the mailbox folder list and select Deleted Items. If the message is not visible, check Junk Email too and verify you are signed into the correct mailbox, especially if you have several accounts.
Step 2. Find and select the email
Search by sender, subject or date. If your result appears in Deleted Items, select it. Do not press Delete again.
Step 3. Move it to a safe folder
Select Move on the ribbon or right-click the message and choose Move. Select Inbox or another folder you control. Some Outlook versions also offer Restore. Confirm the message appears in the target folder.
1. Select Deleted Items in the folder list
2. Select the message (check the sender, subject and date)
3. Choose Move and the destination folder, such as Inbox
Method 2: Recover emails after emptying Deleted Items (new Outlook)
Step 4. Open Recoverable Items
In new Outlook for Windows, select Deleted Items, then click Recover items deleted from this folder above the list. This opens the recoverable items view. If you do not see the command, verify that the mailbox is a supported Microsoft account or Exchange mailbox; an IMAP/POP account may not provide this server recovery.
Step 5. Select and restore the message
Select the checkbox beside the email. Choose Restore on the Home ribbon. Check your mailbox folders afterward—if it is not visible immediately, search the mailbox by subject and date.
1. Open Deleted Items
2. Choose Recover items deleted from this folder
3. Select the missing item in Recoverable Items
4. Click Restore
Method 3: Recover deleted emails in Outlook on the web
Step 6. Open Outlook in a desktop browser
Sign in through Outlook on the web for work/school accounts. In the left pane choose Deleted Items, then select Recover items deleted from this folder or the adjacent Recover command. Microsoft notes that the Recoverable Items folder isn’t accessible in a mobile browser.
Step 7. Restore recoverable items
Select one or more messages and click Restore. Do not assume recovery is unlimited: items that have aged beyond the configured retention period or have been purged may no longer be listed. Outlook.com consumer accounts and work/school Exchange Online accounts do not necessarily share the same retention rules.
Method 4: Recover permanently deleted emails in classic Outlook
Step 8. Use Recover Deleted Items From Server
Open classic Outlook for Windows, ensure you are online and connected to the mail server, and select Deleted Items. Choose Home → Recover Deleted Items From Server. This is separate from moving an email out of Deleted Items.
Step 9. Restore the selected emails
In the recovery window, select the messages to restore, choose Restore Selected Items, then click OK. Check your folders. If the recovery command is missing and your mailbox instead shows Trash, your account may not support this feature.
1. Confirm Outlook is connected to your Exchange mailbox
2. Open the Deleted Items folder
3. On the Home ribbon, select Recover Deleted Items From Server
4. Select the email, choose Restore Selected Items, then OK
How long can Microsoft 365 recover deleted emails?
For Exchange Online work or school mailboxes, Microsoft documents a default deleted-item retention of 14 days for recoverable deleted items; administrators can configure up to 30 days. That clock and the mailbox’s actual settings matter. In Outlook.com consumer accounts, Microsoft Support separately describes 30-day deletion and recovery behavior. Legal holds and Microsoft Purview retention settings may preserve items for compliance purposes, but that does not mean a user can always restore the item with the normal Outlook recovery button.
| Location | What you can try |
|---|---|
| Deleted Items | Move message back to Inbox or another folder |
| Recoverable Items | Restore if the account supports it and item is still retained |
| No longer listed | Ask an administrator to examine permitted recovery/retention options; there may be no recoverable copy |
Administrator checklist: when users cannot recover deleted email
Step 10. Verify the mailbox and recovery policy
With the required Microsoft 365/Exchange permissions, verify that the affected user is using the correct Exchange Online mailbox, check the deletion timeframe and configured deleted-item retention, and review whether the item may be retained under applicable organizational policies. Microsoft Exchange Online documentation describes the Recoverable Items area and its Deletions and Purges subfolders. Restoration from retention or compliance tooling is permission-bound and depends on the tenant’s policies and the item’s state.
Step 11. Explain recovery limitations honestly
If an item has passed its retention period, has been purged, or was in an unsupported account, it may be impossible to recover with built-in Outlook tools. Do not claim that an administrator can always restore a permanently deleted message. If the organization maintains an authorized mailbox backup product, check its restore capability using approved procedures.
1. Confirm the correct account and check Deleted Items and Junk Email
2. Check the Recoverable Items list and available date range
3. Contact the Microsoft 365 administrator for a permitted recovery assessment
4. Check any organization backup or retention solution; recovery is not guaranteed
Troubleshooting common Outlook recovery problems
I cannot see ‘Recover items deleted from this folder’
Check that you have selected Deleted Items and that you are using a supported mailbox type. Try Outlook on the web from a desktop browser. If the command remains unavailable, ask your administrator to verify mailbox support rather than installing an untrusted recovery utility.
I clicked Restore, but I cannot find the email
Search across your mailbox, including Inbox and the message’s original folder. Confirm the mailbox account and date filters. Allow the app to sync, especially if using classic Outlook.
The deleted email is not in the recovery list
Verify how long ago it was deleted and the mailbox’s retention configuration. It may have aged out or been purged. Contact your IT team promptly for policy-approved options.
Does this work for Gmail or another IMAP account inside Outlook?
Not necessarily. Outlook is only the email application in that setup; recovery depends on the mail provider’s server and policies. The Exchange-specific Recover Deleted Items From Server feature is not a universal recovery method for IMAP/POP.
Related ElMajdal.net tutorials
For other missing-message issues, see Outlook Not Receiving Emails? 8 Ways to Fix It. Explore more Microsoft 365 guides.
Official Microsoft documentation and visual credits
- Microsoft Support: Recover and restore deleted items in Outlook
- Microsoft Learn: Recoverable Items folder in Exchange Online
Four visuals in this tutorial are original instructional diagrams, not screenshots of a live Outlook account. Featured 3D email illustration: Mariia Berezovsky / Unsplash.