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To recover a deleted Office 365 (now Microsoft 365) Outlook message, first check Deleted Items and Junk Email. If the message is not there, open Outlook’s Recoverable Items view and restore it. New Outlook, Outlook on the web, Outlook.com, and classic Outlook use different menu labels, but the recovery sequence is the same: restore the message to Deleted Items, then move it to the folder where you want to keep it.
Recovery is time-limited. Outlook.com and Outlook on the web document 30 days for automatic removal from Deleted Items and another 30-day recovery period for items removed from that folder. Work or school Microsoft 365 mailboxes follow administrator-controlled retention settings; 30 days is Microsoft’s default example, not a guarantee. Once an item is purged from Recoverable Items, Outlook cannot restore it.
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Start with the correct mailbox and Outlook version
Before opening recovery commands, verify that you are viewing the mailbox where the message was received. Shared mailboxes, aliases, and personal Outlook.com accounts can appear together, and a search in the wrong account will not find the item. Also identify which Outlook interface you are using because the recovery command is named differently in each one.
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|---|---|---|---|
| New Outlook for Windows | Deleted Items, then Recoverable Items | Recover items deleted from this folder, then Restore | Menus differ from classic Outlook |
| Classic Outlook connected to Exchange or Microsoft 365 | Deleted Items, then server recovery | Home > Recover Deleted Items From Server | The command can be missing for unsupported accounts or when Outlook is offline |
| Outlook on the web or Outlook.com | Deleted Items, then Recoverable Items | Recover items deleted from this folder | Documented 30-day windows apply to Outlook.com/web; organizational policies can differ |
| Outlook mobile app or mobile browser | Deleted Items and Junk Email | Use a desktop browser or desktop Outlook for Recoverable Items | Microsoft says a mobile browser cannot open the Recoverable Items folder |
Check Deleted Items and Junk Email first
Messages normally move to Deleted Items when you delete them. A message can also be diverted to Junk Email by filtering, so check both folders before using server recovery. Search within the folder rather than searching the entire mailbox: narrow results by sender, subject words, or an approximate date.
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New Outlook for Windows
- In the folder list, open Deleted Items.
- Select the message. To select several messages, use the check boxes or hold the appropriate selection key.
- Choose Move and select Inbox or another destination. In some builds, right-clicking the message exposes Restore in the context menu.
- Open Junk Email if the message is not in Deleted Items. Select it, choose Move, and return it to Inbox or the intended folder.
Outlook on the web and Outlook.com
- Sign in through a desktop browser and select Deleted Items.
- Click the message, choose Move, and select the destination folder. The context menu may also offer Restore.
- Check Junk Email and move the message out if a filter placed it there.
Classic Outlook for Windows
- Open Deleted Items in the folder pane.
- Select the message, then use Move on the ribbon or the right-click menu.
- Choose Inbox or another folder. If the message is not present, leave the folder open while you continue to the server-recovery procedure below.
When a message appears in Deleted Items, it has not been permanently erased. Moving it to a normal mail folder stops the immediate deleted-item workflow, although an organization’s retention policy can still apply to the destination folder.
Open Recoverable Items when Deleted Items is empty
Recoverable Items is a server-side recovery store. It is separate from the visible Deleted Items folder, so an empty Deleted Items folder does not by itself prove that a message is gone. The store is available from desktop Outlook or a full desktop browser, not from a mobile browser.
New Outlook for Windows
- Open Deleted Items.
- At the top of the message list, select Recover items deleted from this folder.
- Review the recovery list. Sort by Subject, Deleted On, or From to narrow a long list.
- Select the message or messages and choose Restore.
Restored messages return to Deleted Items first. Open that folder after the operation completes, select the restored message, and move it to Inbox or the folder where it belongs.
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- Open Deleted Items.
- Select Recover items deleted from this folder. The wording can appear as a link above the message list.
- Choose the message, then select Restore.
- Return to Deleted Items, confirm that the message is present, and move it to its final folder.
Classic Outlook for Windows
- Open Deleted Items.
- On the ribbon, choose Home > Recover Deleted Items From Server.
- In the server list, select the message. Use the column headers to sort by sender, subject, or deletion date.
- Choose Restore Selected Items, then confirm the operation.
- Look in Deleted Items, select the restored message, and move it to the desired folder.
The classic command depends on a live connection to a mailbox server that supports server recovery. If Outlook is in an offline state or the account is not an Exchange or Microsoft 365 account that exposes this feature, the command may not appear.
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What the recovery windows mean
Retention differs by account type and by administrator policy. Treat the periods below as documented guidance, not a universal promise for every mailbox.
| Account or policy situation | Documented behavior | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Outlook.com and Outlook on the web | Messages are automatically deleted from Deleted Items after 30 days | Move a recovered message to a normal folder promptly |
| Outlook.com and Outlook on the web | Items removed from Deleted Items are recoverable for 30 days | Use Recover items deleted from this folder during that period |
| Work or school Microsoft 365 mailbox | The administrator controls retention and recovery; Microsoft gives 30 days as a default example for temporarily recoverable items | Your organization may use a shorter or longer period, a hold, or another policy |
| Item purged from Recoverable Items | Microsoft states that it is permanently deleted and cannot be restored through Outlook | User-level recovery is no longer available |
Deletion timers can start at different stages. A message may first spend time in Deleted Items, then move to Recoverable Items after a user empties that folder or an automatic process removes its contents. A policy can also delete or preserve content independently of what you see in the folder list. If the message is important, begin recovery as soon as you notice it is missing instead of waiting for a retention deadline.
Understand Shift+Delete and emptying Deleted Items
Shift+Delete
In classic Outlook, pressing Shift+Delete bypasses Deleted Items and requests permanent deletion. Microsoft warns that this can remove the normal recovery opportunity. The message may still be available in Recoverable Items depending on mailbox configuration and timing, so check that view once, but do not assume it will be present.
Emptying Deleted Items
Choosing Empty Folder removes the visible copies in Deleted Items. That action commonly sends messages to Recoverable Items for the remainder of the configured recovery period, which is why the recovery command is the next step. It is not the same as guaranteeing that every item remains recoverable indefinitely.
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Purge from Recoverable Items
When a user or policy removes an item from Recoverable Items and the service completes the purge, Outlook has no folder or button that can bring it back. For a work or school account, an administrator may still have options under an organization’s retention, hold, or compliance policy. Ask the Microsoft 365 or Exchange administrator promptly; do not keep retrying the same Outlook command.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshoot a missing recovery command
The message is not listed
- Confirm the mailbox, account, and folder. A message deleted from a shared mailbox will not appear in your personal mailbox’s recovery list.
- Check Junk Email and any custom folders before concluding that it was deleted.
- Sort the recovery list by Deleted On, From, or Subject; a long list can hide an older message.
- Search for distinctive subject words or the sender’s address rather than relying on a broad mailbox search.
- Check whether the message was moved or archived instead of deleted.
The Recover items link is absent in new Outlook or the web
- Open the actual Deleted Items folder, not a search-results view or a pinned shortcut.
- Use a desktop browser or desktop Outlook. Microsoft says mobile browsers cannot access Recoverable Items.
- Sign out and back in to refresh the mailbox session, then verify that you are online.
- If the account is managed by an organization, ask whether a retention policy or permission setting hides user recovery.
Recover Deleted Items From Server is absent in classic Outlook
- Check the connection indicator. The command requires Outlook to be connected to the mail server; switch from Work Offline to an online state if necessary.
- Confirm that the account is an Exchange or Microsoft 365 mailbox that supports server recovery. POP or IMAP accounts may not expose the command.
- Open Deleted Items directly before checking the Home ribbon; the command is contextual and may not appear in another folder.
- Update or restart Outlook if the mailbox is connected but the ribbon remains incomplete, then ask the administrator whether the feature is enabled.
The item restores but disappears again
After restoration, the message is placed in Deleted Items. Move it to a folder that is not governed by the same deleting policy, if your organization provides such a folder. A retention rule that targets the destination can remove the message again. For a work or school mailbox, ask the administrator which folder is covered by the applicable policy and whether a legal hold or retention label is involved.
Administrator-assisted recovery for work or school accounts
Personal recovery controls are limited by the mailbox policy set by your organization. If an employee cannot find an item in Deleted Items or Recoverable Items, provide the administrator with the mailbox address, sender, subject, approximate send or deletion time, and any relevant folder name. Those details help distinguish an ordinary deletion from a retention-policy action.
An administrator can explain how long the mailbox keeps temporarily recoverable items and whether a policy, hold, or compliance process changes that period. Ask before requesting a broad mailbox restore: restoring an entire mailbox or folder can reintroduce unrelated messages and create duplicate copies. If the item has already been purged and no organizational preservation mechanism applies, Microsoft’s documented position is that it cannot be restored.
Quick Recap
Use the safest recovery sequence
- Verify the mailbox and whether you are using new Outlook, classic Outlook, Outlook on the web, or Outlook.com.
- Check Deleted Items, then Junk Email, using a folder-level search and useful sort columns.
- Open Recoverable Items from a desktop browser or desktop Outlook.
- Select the message and choose Restore.
- Open Deleted Items, verify the restored copy, and move it to the intended folder.
- If the command is unavailable, confirm that Outlook is online and that the account supports server recovery.
- If the item is absent, contact the administrator for work or school mailboxes before the applicable retention period expires.
Prevent avoidable loss
- Use Move rather than Delete when filing messages you may need later.
- Do not use Shift+Delete unless you are certain the message should bypass Deleted Items.
- Review Inbox, Junk Email, and automatic-cleanup rules if messages vanish unexpectedly.
- For business mail, learn your organization’s retention period and the folder used for preserved messages.
- When a message is restored, move it out of Deleted Items immediately so the next automatic cleanup does not remove it.
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