How do I retrieve a deleted email

To retrieve a deleted email in Outlook, you can follow these steps:

1. Check the Deleted Items Folder: When you delete an email, it is first moved to the Deleted Items folder. Open this folder and look for the email you want to recover. If you find it, you can drag it back to your inbox or another folder.
2. Recover Deleted Items: If you have emptied the Deleted Items folder or the email is not there, you can try recovering it from the Recoverable Items folder. To do this:
   • In Outlook, go to the Deleted Items folder.
   • Look for the option "Recover Deleted Items" in the toolbar. This will show you emails that are still recoverable.
   • Select the email(s) you want to recover and click on the recover option.
3. Retention Period: Keep in mind that emails can only be recovered if they are still within the retention period, which is typically 14 days by default in Exchange Online. If the retention period has expired, the email may not be recoverable.

If you are unable to recover the email using these methods, you may need to contact your administrator for further assistance, as they may have additional recovery options available.

Dear John Bereziak

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A Community. I understand you are having a problem recovering a deleted email in Outlook. I am happy to assist you.  

1. Recover Recently Deleted Emails in Outlook  

If you have recently deleted an Email Message in Outlook, you can easily recover the Deleted Email by going to the Deleted Items Folder in Microsoft Outlook.  

•  Open the Deleted Items Folder by clicking on it.  
• Select the Emails that you want to recover > click on the Folder Icon in the top-menu bar and select Inbox or any other Folder where you want to Restore the Emails to.  

The deleted Emails will be restored back to the selected Folder in your Outlook Email Account.  

2. Recover Permanently Deleted Emails in Outlook  

Even if the Email has been permanently deleted (cleared from “Recently Deleted Folder”), it can be recovered by using the following steps.  

• Open the Deleted Items Folder located in the left-pane.  
• In the Deleted Items Folder, click on Recover Deleted Items from this folder link.  

Outlook will bring back all the Emails that were deleted from the Deleted Items Folder.  

3. Once all the deleted Emails are brought back, select the Emails that you want to recover, right-click on any selected Email and click on the Restore option in the menu that appears.  

Once the Restore process is completed, you should find the Deleted Email Messages back in the original Folder from which they were deleted.  

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