Automatically Move Old Emails into the Microsoft Online Archive

(Using Outlook Webmail)

Online Archive mailbox designed to store older emails separately from your main mailbox.

By automatically moving older emails into the archive, you can keep your mailbox organised and prevent it from becoming full.

This guide explains how to automatically move old emails into the Online Archive using Outlook Webmail.

Step 1 – Open Outlook Webmail

1. Open your web browser.

2. Go to:

https://outlook.office.com

3. Sign in using your Microsoft 365 email address and password.

Step 2 – Locate the Archive Mailbox

On the left side of Outlook:

1. Scroll down the folder list.

2. Find the mailbox labelled:

Online Archive – Your Name

3. Click the arrow to expand it.

This is where archived emails will be stored.

Step 3 – Create a Rule to Move Older Emails

Rules allow Outlook to automatically move emails based on conditions.

1. Click the Settings (gear icon) in the top right.

2. Click Mail.

3. Select Rules.

4. Click Add new rule.

Step 4 – Configure the Rule

Set the rule with the following example settings.

Rule name
Archive older emails

Condition
Choose a condition such as:

Received → Before → (select a date)

Example: emails older than 12 months.

Action
Select:

Move to → Online Archive

Choose the appropriate folder in the archive.

Step 5 – Save the Rule

1. Click Save.

2. Outlook will now automatically move matching emails into the archive mailbox.

Step 6 – Manually Move Older Emails (Optional)

If you want to quickly clean up older emails immediately:

1. Select emails in your mailbox.

2. Click Move to.

3. Choose Online Archive.

This is useful for moving large batches of older messages.

Recommended Archiving Strategy

Most users find this structure works well:

This keeps your main mailbox fast while still retaining important historical emails.

Helpful Tip

The Online Archive mailbox can grow much larger than your primary mailbox, so it is ideal for storing older project emails or records you may need later.

Need Assistance?

If you need help setting up automatic archiving or managing mailbox storage, please contact HealthyPC Support and we will be happy to assist.