Working with message folders in Outlook.com

Default folders

By default, your account starts with these folders:

• Inbox Incoming messages arrive in your inbox unless you’ve created an inbox rule to redirect them to another folder, or they’re identified as junk email. Learn how to Manage email messages by using rules in Outlook.

• Junk Email Messages that have junk email characteristics but that aren’t blocked by a spam filter before they reach your mailbox will automatically be moved to this folder. Learn more about how to mark email as junk or block senders in Outlook.com.

• Drafts If you start writing a message but don't finish, it will automatically be saved to your Drafts folder. You can come back to the message later to continue editing it, and then send it.

• Sent Items By default, a copy of every message you send is put in your Sent Items folder.

• Deleted Items When you delete a message, it’s moved to the Deleted Items folder.

• Archive This is a good place to store messages that you're done working with but might want to refer to later. Moving messages that you're done with to Archive helps reduce clutter in your Inbox.

Missing folders

If you are unable to see the left folder pane, try these steps.

1. Sign out of Outlook.com

2. Clear your browser cache. Learn how to do that for Edge, Chrome, Firefox or Safari.

3. Close all browser tabs and windows.

4. Sign in again at www.outlook.com.

Context menus for folders

Most of what you can do with a folder can be found in the context menu that appears when you right-click a folder.

• Create new subfolder Use to create a new subfolder in the folder you right-clicked.

• Delete folder Moves the folder and all its contents to Deleted Items. Default folders, such as the Inbox folder, can't be deleted.

• Delete all Moves all the items in the selected folder to Deleted Items.

• Mark all as read Marks as read all items in the selected folder.

• Rename Give the folder a different name. Default folders, such as the Inbox folder, can't be renamed.

Create a folder

Create new folders to organize your messages as you like. For example, you can create a folder for a specific project, for all messages from a particular person, or for all messages sent to a distribution group that you’re a member of.

Create a new folder

1. In the folder list, right-click on the mailbox name, and select Create folder

2. In the new folder box, enter a name for the folder and then press Enter.

   When you create a new folder, it is added in alphabetical order below the Archive folder.

Create a new subfolder

1. In the folder pane, right-click the folder to which you want to add a subfolder.

2. Select Create new subfolder.

3. In the new folder box, enter a name for the folder and press Enter.

Rename a folder

1. In the folder pane, right-click the folder you want to rename.

2. Select Rename.

3. Enter a name for the folder and press Enter.

Move a folder

You can't change the order of folders under Folders, and you can't move sub-folders into the main Folders menu. Sub-folders must always be inside another folder.

You can reorder folders or any other items in your Favorites list. To add a folder to Favorites, right-click the folder and then select Add to Favorites.

Delete a folder

1. In the folder pane, right-click the folder or subfolder you want to delete.

2. Select Delete folder.

3. Select OK to confirm.

Deleted Items folder

When you delete a message or folder, it’s moved to the Deleted Items folder. You can either manually remove messages from the folder or you can set Outlook.com to automatically empty your Deleted Items folder when you sign out.

Handling messages

Use commands on the Outlook.com command bar or set up rules to have Outlook.com automatically move messages into folders as you receive them.

Use commands to automatically handle messages

Commands like Sweep and Move to let you automatically delete or move messages from a particular sender. Commands appear on the Outlook.com command bar when you select a message in your inbox.

• Sweep lets you quickly delete unwanted emails in your Inbox. When you select a message, you can automatically delete all incoming email from that sender, keep only the latest email and delete the rest, or delete emails older than 10 days.

• Move to lets you move a message a specific message to another folder.

Set up rules to automatically handle messages

Use rules to automatically move messages into folders as you receive them.

1. In your inbox, select a message to which you want to assign a rule and select on the command bar.

2. Select Create rule. The Create a rule dialog box opens.

3. Choose a folder to which you want to move messages from that sender.

4. To choose other conditions and actions, select More options.

   By default, the Stop processing more rules check box is selected. When this is selected, subsequent rules will be ignored, even if they apply to the message.

5. Select OK to save the rule.

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