How to Empty Deleted Items in Outlook Automatically for Clutter-Free Email

Why Set Up Automatic Deletion of Deleted Items in Outlook

A cluttered Deleted Items folder can significantly impact Outlook's performance, especially as it grows larger over time. By setting up automatic deletion, you can:

• Improve Outlook Performance: A smaller Deleted Items folder leads to faster loading times and smoother operations.
• Free Up Disk Space: Regularly removing old, unnecessary emails helps conserve valuable disk space on your computer.
• Enhance Security: Limiting the retention period of deleted items reduces the risk of sensitive information falling into the wrong hands, especially if your computer is compromised.
• Maintain Inbox Organization: A clean Deleted Items folder contributes to a more organized and efficient email management system.

Steps to Enable Automatic Deletion in Outlook 365

To enable automatic deletion in Outlook 365, follow these detailed steps:

Step 1. Launch the Outlook 365 application on your device.

Step 2. Right click the folder you would like to delete from and select Properties.

Step 3. Switch the AutoArchive tab and select your desired settings.

Step 4. Select the File tab at the top of the screen and then Options.

Step 5.Select Advanced on the lefthand menu and then click on AutoArchive Settings.

Step 6. Choose how often you want to run AutoArchive, and whether you want to be prompted before it runs. When everything done, click OK to save the changes.

How to Configure Auto-Deletion in Outlook Web App

If you primarily use Outlook Web App, you can configure automatic deletion as follows:

Step 1. Log in to Outlook Web App: Access your Outlook account through a web browser.

Step 2. Open Settings: Click on the gear icon in the top-right corner and select Settings.

Step 3. Navigate to Mail Settings: In the Settings pane, choose Mail.

Step 4. Add a Rule: Scroll down to the Rules section.

• Add a rule name: input a name to display its purpose.

• Add a conditional: You can add conditions to the rule, such as specific sender or recipient addresses, to target specific emails for deletion. You can add severnal conditions to filter the desired results more precisely.

• Add an action: Add an action from the given list. In our situtation, choose "Delete".

Step 5. Save Changes: Click Save to apply the settings.

How to Empty Deleted Items in Outlook on Mac Automatically

To automatically empty the Deleted Items folder in Outlook for Mac:

Step 1. Open Outlook for Mac: Launch the Outlook application on your Mac.

Step 2. Go to Preferences: Click on Outlook in the menu bar and select Preferences.

Step 3. Navigate to General: In the Preferences window, select General.

Step 4. Set Empty Deleted Items: Check the box next to "Empty Deleted Items folder when quitting Outlook."

Step 5. Close Outlook: Close and reopen Outlook for the changes to take effect.

Bonus Tip: How to Manage or Back Up Outlook Emails

This article addresses the question “How to empty deleted items in Outlook automatically?”. If you’re considering backing up your Outlook, MultCloud can be extremely useful. Trusted by over 3 million users, MultCloud is a multi-cloud management tool that facilitates the transfer or synchronization of files between various cloud services.

For instance, you can save your Outlook emails as PDFs to your computer or cloud drives, such as Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox, in bulk. MultCloud also enables you to access and manage all your cloud or Email accounts via a single application. Currently, it supports more than 30 different cloud services, including Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, Box, Google Photos, iCloud Photos, FTP, WebDav, and more.