Outlook Online Archive

In 2025, WesternU implemented a two-year online archive. This article contains information detailing Outlook's Online Archiving that is used to free up storage space and improve the loading time of the Outlook desktop app.

• Outlook Online Archive is an online archive mailbox in the Outlook desktop app for both Windows and Apple computers.
• Moving emails to Online Archive frees up space in a user's mailbox with the following properties:
  • Online Archive is only available with an Internet connection
  • The Online Archive is a separate mailbox in Outlook
  • The data in Online Archive is not stored on a user's computer. 
• Using the Outlook Online Archive is a great way to reduce the mailbox size and keep a user's inbox clean. 
• Using the Outlook Online Archive will free up storage space on a user's computer and will reduce the load time of the Outlook desktop app.

Outlook Desktop App

1. The Online Archive will be shown as a separate mailbox in the Outlook Desktop app. It will display as Online Archive - Username
2. When expanded the Online Archive mailbox will duplicate the sub-folders that are also selected to be Online Archived.
3. 2 year Online Archiving is currently applied through an Exchange Policy.
4. Individual emails can also be clicked and dragged directly to the Online Archive mailbox at any time.

Outlook Web Access (OWA) Online Archive

1. In OWA the Online Archive mailbox has a different name, it is called In-Place Archive - UserName
2. The In-Place Archive will have the same emails as in the Online Archive mailbox in the Outlook desktop app.

Searching for emails in Online Archive

1. By default, when searching for an item in Outlook it will search in the current mailbox. 
2. In the Outlook desktop app, to search in the Online Archive as well, please select All Mailboxes next to the Search field.
3. In OWA, to search in the In-Place Archive as well, please select All Folders next to the Search field
4. The Online Archive mailbox may be searched directly for any emails older than 2 years old.

• Manage email storage with online archive mailboxes - Microsoft Support