Deleted an important email and already emptied Deleted Items? In Microsoft 365 it usually isn't really gone yet. Exchange Online keeps deleted email for a while in the Recoverable Items folder. This article shows how to recover it yourself in Outlook, and what an admin can do if it was longer ago.
Step 1: the Deleted Items folder
First check Deleted Items. Right-click the email > Move > Inbox. Can't find it? Use the search bar and choose All folders.
Step 2: recover deleted items
- New Outlook and Outlook on the web: right-click Deleted Items > Recover items deleted from this folder.
- Classic Outlook: open Deleted Items > Folder tab > Recover Deleted Items.
Select the emails and choose Restore. They go back to Deleted Items or their original folder.
How long do you have?
- By default 14 days after permanent deletion. An admin can raise that to 30 days with Set-Mailbox -RetainDeletedItemsFor 30.
- With a retention policy or litigation hold, email is kept as long as the policy says.
For admins
- In the Exchange admin center > Mailboxes > select the mailbox > Recover deleted items. You can filter by date, subject and sender.
- With PowerShell: Get-RecoverableItems -Identity john@contoso.com -SubjectContains "quote", then Restore-RecoverableItems.
- Longer ago and a retention policy applies? Use Content search or eDiscovery in Microsoft Purview.
- Whole user deleted? Restore the account within 30 days in the Microsoft 365 admin center > Deleted users.
Tip
Microsoft 365 isn't a full backup. If you need to recover email years later, look at a retention policy or a backup solution. Related: restore deleted files in Teams or SharePoint and recall an email.
Nederlandstalige versie: Verwijderde e-mails herstellen in Outlook en Exchange Online