Why can't MS get "cleanup folder" feature in Outlook to work?

Question

Why can't MS get "cleanup folder" feature in Outlook to work?

Piehl, Mathias 0

It's simple: just delete(move to trash folder) everything that has been read in that folder I want to clean up.... Instead nothing happens.... I only have options to exclude mails from beeing deleted, but I haven't enabled any of these, so...... why doesn't this work again?

Am I supposed to click on every mail and manually delete it? WTF?! Also impossible, because of that amazong speed Outlook has, it would me take years.....

Can you just focus on simple stuff, that most people use, instead of adding feature, after feature + more and more buttons, that nobody will ever use?
The Program doesn't even tell me what went wrong, nor does it tell me, which rules are REALLY applied, when checking for clean up......

0 comments

2 answers

Your answer

Answer 1

Piehl, Mathias 0

Seems we dont make any progress,since you are asking questions I already answered. I click here:

grafik

0 comments

Answer 2

Nam-D 3,395 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hello @Piehl, Mathias,

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A Forum.

Based on the information you have provided, it appears that you are seeking to configure automatic deletion for all emails marked as Read within a specific folder.

At present, this functionality is not natively supported in the Outlook service. To help improve our service, I strongly encourage you to submit your feedback directly through the Outlook · Community.

Your input is highly valuable, and it plays an important role in shaping future updates. Microsoft teams carefully review user feedback, and your contribution will help enhance the experience for many others as well.

Thank you for your patience and understanding. We appreciate your time and cooperation.

Piehl, Mathias 0 Reputation points

2026-02-20T12:07:48.19+00:00

I am not seeking for an automation.... I just seek for a button that does whats on its name.
Nam-D 3,395 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-23T08:12:30.5166667+00:00

Hello @Piehl, Mathias,

Hope you are doing well.

Could you please provide me with a bit more detail about the issue you are experiencing? Are your messages being automatically deleted after they have been read several times, or are you trying to clean up a specific folder that contains messages in your Outlook?

Once I have more information, I will be able to identify the issue more accurately and guide you on the next steps.
Nam-D 3,395 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-24T15:18:03.4433333+00:00

Hello @Piehl, Mathias,

Would you please get back to me at your earliest convenience? Your response is important for continued troubleshooting.
Piehl, Mathias 0 Reputation points

2026-02-25T10:04:32.4166667+00:00

Hello, I am trying to clean up a specific folder that contains messages, that have been read already, in my Outlook. I just dont understand, why this doesnt work and why it doesnt tell me, why it (on top of that) doesnt tell me why nothing happend.

Here (I only have German version), I can only say what it must not move to trash, but I have nothing checked, as you can see, so it should just move everything to trash by my logic:

instead, nothing happens....
Nam-D 3,395 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-25T15:21:38.47+00:00
Hello @Piehl, Mathias,

Thanks for your update.

Based on the Microsoft article “Use Conversation Clean Up to delete redundant messages in Outlook – Microsoft Support” you should see the following options:

Clean Up Conversation

Clean Up Folder

Clean Up Folder & Subfolders

Could I please confirm whether, when you select Clean Up Folder or Clean Up Folder & Subfolders, no emails are being deleted at all?

I look forward to hearing from you.
Nam-D 3,395 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-02T07:52:51.18+00:00

Hello @Piehl, Mathias,

Just checking in to see if you have any updates. Please feel free to let me know anytime.
Nam-D 3,395 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-04T07:36:31.8033333+00:00

Hello @Piehl, Mathias,

This is a second follow-up message to make sure everything goes smoothly. If you are still facing any issues or have encountered new ones, please feel free to share the details. I'm here and happy to help.

In the meantime, I will continue to follow up with other customer inquiries on the forum to ensure everyone receives timely support. If you have any updates or other questions, you can tag me in your response so I can help you more directly.

Or, if you encounter a new problem, you can create another topic. We will be happy to help you!

I look forward to hearing from you!
Piehl, Mathias 0 Reputation points

2026-03-04T09:44:34.23+00:00

I am clicking on that button, I am not searching for any automation...... Can you please get a REAL person, that understands my problem?! Thanks.
Piehl, Mathias 0 Reputation points

2026-03-04T09:46:20.44+00:00

also stop deleting my comments or cutting of text I wrote.... thanks.....
Nam-D 3,395 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-04T12:38:14.6166667+00:00

Hello @Piehl, Mathias,

Since the feature is not functioning as expected, I strongly recommend contacting the Microsoft Support team directly. They will be able to review your configuration in detail and run the necessary diagnostic tools to identify whether anything is preventing the conversations from being fully cleaned up. I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience — as a moderator, my access to diagnostics and tenant‑level configuration is limited.

To contact the new Outlook support team, please follow these steps: New Outlook (desktop app) > Help > Support Then provide a brief description of the issue and submit it to the support team.

For additional guidance, you may refer to the official documentation:

Contact support and provide feedback in new Outlook for Windows - Microsoft Support

I truly understand how important this feature is for your workflow, and I truly appreciate your patience and cooperation. If you have any additional questions or further details to share, please feel free to let us know. I look forward to assisting you.

Share via

Why can't MS get "cleanup folder" feature in Outlook to work?

2 answers

Your answer