How to Restore Deleted Emails in Outlook?

  Rollins Duke
Rollins Duke   
Published: January 30th, 2026 • 5 Min Read

If you have deleted some crucial emails in Outlook then it can be stressful, especially when they contain business records, personal communication or legal information. Then the good is you can recover deleted emails in Outlook even if they are permanently removed. This guide comes with all possible methods and also explains to you how Outlook handles deleted emails, where they are stored, and why recover if often possible.

Yes, deleted emails can usually be recovered in Outlook, depending on how they were deleted and how much time was passed. Outlook was a multi-stage deletion process, which means emails are rarely erased immediately.

In some cases, email can be restored from the deleted items folder, the recoverable items folder or from backup files like PST or OST files. The key to successful recovery is understanding where the email went after deletion.

When you delete an email it doesn’t appear instead. As Outlook moves it to different locations before removing it permanently. This design provides users with multiple chances to recover data from Outlook PST or missing folders in Outlook.

Why Do Emails Get Deleted or Disappear in Outlook?

  • Most emails occur due to simple mistakes, such as deleted emails while cleaning the inbox or using keyboard shortcuts unintentionally. These emails are usually easy to recover.
  • Outlook rules, filters and retention policies can automatically delete or move emails with obvious alerts. Incorrect or outdated rules are common causes of missing emails.
  • Server sync failures, cached mailbox errors, or corrupted PST or OST files can cause emails to disappear even though they still exist in the data file or on the mail server.

How to Recover Deleted Email in Outlook?

Outlook offers an inbuilt feature to recover deleted junk email in Outlook. The steps below are arranged from quickest recovery to advanced recovery. So, users can stop as soon as their email is restored.

Method 1. Recover Deleted Emails in Outlook

  1. Open Outlook and go to the deleted item folder.
    open outlook
  2. Locate email as you want to restore.
  3. Right-click on email and choose Move then Inbox.

Method 2. Recover Deleted Junk Email in Outlook Web or OWA

  1. Login to Outlook.com or OWA.
  2. Open the Deleted items folder and click on Recover items deleted from this folder.
  3. Select the email and hit on Restore.

Method 3. Restore Emails from a PST Backup

  1. Open Outlook and navigate to the file.
    click on file
  2. Click on open and export and select Open Outlook data file.
    click on open and export
  3. Browse and select the PST file.
  4. Import or drag required emails back into your mailbox.

When Manual Recovery Fails?

  • Deleted items and recoverable items folder are empty.
  • Emails were deleted long ago and retention limits have passed.
  • PST or OST files are corrupted or cannot be opened.
  • Outlook profile or mailbox is damaged or deleted.
  • No PST backup is available.

Advanced Method to Recover Missing Outlook Folder

If you want to recover missing Outlook then we recommend you to choose BitRecover Outlook Recovery Tool as it allows users to easily recover deleted data or corrupted data from PST file and also works to easily recover missing Outlook folder. This software has been coded with advanced algorithms and is also perfect for Outlook file recovery.

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  1. Download and run Recommended Software on your PC.
    launch Repair PST Tool
  2. Click on Select files or folder to browse PST file.
    Select Outlook data
  3. Choose the Outlook folder as you want to recover.
    Select Outlook PST folder
  4. Select the PST file in the list of Saving options.
    Select PST file
  5. Browse destination and hit on Repair Outlook files.
    Select destination path

Benefits of Recommended Software

  • This software allows you to recover any number of Outlook files at one shot.
  • It also offers a simple initiative interface to make it friendly for all types of professional and beginner users.
  • You can also use dual mode to select files or select folder to easily select multiple Outlook files or whole folder of PST file.
  • With this wizard, you can also select the Outlook folder and also uncheck the unwanted folder.
  • You can easily repair any version of PST file including ANSII or UNICODE PST file without facing compatibility issues.

Common Queries

Where do Permanently Deleted Items go in Outlook?

Permanently deleted emails are first moved to Outlook hidden recoverable items folder, where they are available for a limited retention period(usually 14-30 days). After this period of expertise and no backup exists, the emails are removed from the Outlook storage.

How to Recover Emails that have Disappeared in Outlook?

Check deleted items folder, or if emails do not appear, check Outlook rules, sync issues of PST file corrupted.

Can I Retrieve Permanently Deleted Emails from Outlook?

Yes, Permanently deleted emails can be recovered within the retention period or stored in backup Outlook files. If retention has expired and no backup exists, a professional Tool may be required.

Conclusion

Let’s conclude this guide as we have shared all possible techniques to recover deleted emails in Outlook by both manually and automated methods for both Outlook web or Outlook App. If the manual method doesn’t work then you can opt for Recommended Software as it offers fully maintained attributes and no risk of losing any data.


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