Sent emails not showing up

It seems this may be a bug or issue developing with the outlook service currently.

I attempted to assist somebody on Monday with a similar situation.

The user had replied to an email, but could not see the reply in their sent folder, even though the email received was showing replied to. This was with their personal hotmail email account.

Then today another user came to me because as of 2:30pm yesterday (30/09/2024) they had sent emails to other staff, but could not see the sent items. Some emails were delivered to recipients, however others were not delivered and typically contained documents that had not been saved. These emails were sent via our 365 tenant.

The user also sent some emails earlier today, with a similar thing occurring.

Emails were not sitting in the outbox and on performing a message trace, I could not see the emails in question

I have also encountered the same problem, just now. Emails I sent yesterday are showing up but not from today. I'm still in discovery to see if they actually went through or not.

same thing, i have emails i sent years ago for a column i write and kept them in my sent box.......suddenly i can only go back three weeks.....where did the rest of them go, i did not delete them!

Hello Stratways,

Good day! Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft community.

I understand you’re experiencing an issue where your sent emails are not appearing in the Sent Items folder, and the backup folder isn’t displaying them either.

I know how frustrating this can be, especially when trying to keep track of important emails.

To better understand and investigate your issue,may I get some more detailed information from your side:

1. Will you please share me your Outlook version details? Please follow this article What version of Outlook do I have? - Microsoft Support and follow the steps to check.
2. Are you using Microsoft365 business account(@xxx.onmicrosoft.com/@yourdomain.com) or personal account (which is ended with outlook.com/hotmail.com/live.com/msn.com) or some other 3rd party pop/imap account?
3. Will you please share with me any Error messages or screenshots.

To help you resolve this issue, here are a few steps and possible workarounds:

Check Outlook Settings

Ensure that the setting to save copies of sent messages is enabled:

• Go to File > Options > Mail.
• In the "Save messages" section, make sure "Save copies of messages in the Sent Items folder" is checked.

Inspect the Outbox

Sometimes, emails get stuck in the Outbox:

• Check the Outbox folder for unsent emails.
• If you find any, try resending them or check for connection issues.

Check Deleted Items Folder

• Look in your Deleted Items folder:
• If you find your missing sent emails, restore them by dragging them back to the Sent Items folder.

Verify Sent Items Folder Settings

1. Open Outlook.
2. Click on the File tab in the top-left corner.
3. From the left menu, select Options.
4. In the Outlook Options window, select Mail from the left pane.
5. Scroll down to the Save messages section.
6. Make sure the checkbox for Save copies of messages in the Sent Items folder is checked.
   • If you don’t see this option, you may be using an Exchange account, which handles sent items differently (see next step).

Click OK to save any changes and restart Outlook.

Check for IMAP or Exchange Account Settings (Folder Mapping)

For IMAP or Exchange accounts, you may need to manually map the Sent Items folder to the server:

1. Go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings.
2. Select your email account and click Change.
3. Click on More Settings in the lower-right corner.
4. Switch to the Sent Items tab.
5. Ensure Save sent items in the following folder on the server is selected.
6. Choose the correct Sent Items folder on the server and click OK.
7. Restart Outlook.

Check Rules or Filters

1. In Outlook, navigate to the Home tab.
2. Click Rules > Manage Rules & Alerts.
3. Review all your rules to ensure no rule is moving sent emails to another folder or deleting them automatically.
4. If you find any relevant rules, either disable them or modify them as needed.
5. Click Apply and OK.

Mailbox Synchronization Issues (IMAP/Exchange)

Sometimes synchronization issues can cause folders not to display all emails:

1. Right-click on the Sent Items folder.
2. Choose Update Folder.
3. You can also try forcing a full synchronization by selecting Send/Receive from the top ribbon and clicking Send/Receive All Folders.
4. If the issue persists, you can try resetting your Send/Receive settings:
   • Click Send/Receive > Send/Receive Groups > Define Send/Receive Groups.
   • Click Edit, ensure all your folders are checked, and then click OK.

Repair Outlook Data Files (PST/OST)

Corrupted data files can cause sent emails to be misplaced or not displayed:

Repair Outlook Data Files (.pst and .ost) - Microsoft Support

• Close Outlook.
• Locate the Inbox Repair Tool (scanpst.exe):
  • This tool is located in the Outlook installation folder (you can search for it using Windows search).
• Run scanpst.exe and select your .pst or .ost file.
  • The default location of these files is usually in:
    C:\Users\[YourUserName]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook\
• Click Start to begin the scan and follow the prompts to repair any errors found.
• Once complete, restart Outlook and check your Sent Items folder.

Check Backup Folder Path

If you're using a third-party backup tool or add-in, the configuration might be incorrect. Here's how you can verify:

1. Open the settings of your backup tool or add-in within Outlook.
2. Check the folder path where sent emails are being saved.
3. Ensure the backup location is valid and accessible.
4. Try restoring or manually navigating to the backup folder if necessary.

Restart Outlook and Device

• Sometimes a simple restart can resolve temporary glitches:
• Close Outlook completely, restart your computer, and then reopen Outlook.

Update Outlook

• Ensure that you are using the latest version of Outlook:
• Go to File > Office Account > Update Options > Update Now.

Create a New Outlook Profile

If none of the above steps resolve the issue, creating a new Outlook profile might fix any hidden configuration issues:

1. Go to Control Panel > Mail > Show Profiles.
2. Click Add to create a new profile.
3. Set up your email account from scratch in the new profile.
4. Set the new profile as the default and check if the issue persists.

By following these troubleshooting tips, you should be able to recover your missing sent emails and ensure they are saved correctly in Outlook moving forward

I hope this detailed guide helps you resolve the problem with your sent emails not appearing.

If the issue persists or you encounter any further difficulties, don’t hesitate to provide more information so we can continue assisting you!

Please understand that our initial response may not always resolve the issue immediately. However, with your help and more detailed information, we can work together to find a solution.

Appreciate your patience and understanding and thank you for your time and cooperation. Have a great day!

Sincerely,

Microsoft Community Moderator

i tried it and my emails are still not showing