Setting Mail Retention Policies

Retention policies are a new way of setting how long emails stay in your mailbox before they are automatically deleted. These have replaced Managed Folders.  You will need to set the retention you want on your folders. Some folders have a default retention policy set by your Administrator, but all other personal folders can be managed by you.

Default Settings:

1. Inbox – it will keep for one year

2. Junk Email – it will keep for thirty days

3. Deleted Folder – it will keep for thirty days

4. Everywhere else (All Previously Managed Folders Included) – it will keep forever unless a retention policy is applied

When a retention policy is set on a folder, all folders within it assume the retention of its parent folder unless a different retention policy is applied.

In Outlook (desktop application)

1. Highlight the folder you want to set the retention policy to:

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2. Click Assign Policy in the toolbar (you may only see the icon), then Set Folder Policy.

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   • Note: Do not click a retention policy directly from that drop-down; it will apply only to the email visible, not to the entire folder.

3. Click the Folder Policy dropdown and select the needed policy, then click OK.

In the Outlook web app

1. Right-click the folder you wish to change the retention policy for.

2. Hover over Assign policy.

3. Select the needed policy.