Deleted Email Folder

Question

I accidently deleted an email folder and would like to attempt to recover before setting up a new folder with rules.

Answer 1

Hi Hazelip, Diana

If the folder was deleted recently, you may still be able to recover it in Outlook before recreating any rules.

1, Check the Deleted Items folder

When a folder is deleted, it is usually moved to Deleted Items as a subfolder rather than being removed immediately.

• In the Outlook navigation pane, expand Deleted Items.
• Look for the deleted folder.
• If found, right‑click the folder and choose Move Folder, then select its original location or another folder.

2, Recover from the server (Recoverable Items)

If the folder is not in Deleted Items, or if the folder was emptied, the contents may still be recoverable from the Exchange server.

• Select the Deleted Items folder.
• On the Home tab, choose Recover Deleted Items from Server.
• In the recovery window, locate and select the emails that belonged to the deleted folder.
• Ensure Restore Selected Items is selected, then choose OK.
• Recovered items are typically restored to Deleted Items, from where you can move them back to the appropriate folder.

For reference: Recover and restore deleted items in Outlook

Please note that recovery is only possible within your organization’s retention period. If the folder or items no longer appear in either location, they may have been permanently deleted. In that case, only your organization’s IT administrator can check whether additional recovery options are available.

Regarding rules

• If the original folder is restored: Existing rules may begin working again automatically.
• If a new folder must be created: Go to File > Manage Rules & Alerts, edit the affected rule, and reselect the new folder as the destination.

I hope this helps you recover the folder before setting up new rules. Please let us know how it goes, as your feedback can be helpful for others with the same issue.

---

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".  

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Answer 2

In classic Outlook for Windows, a deleted folder can be recovered only if it is still in the Deleted Items folder.

1. In the folder list, expand Deleted Items.
2. Look for the deleted folder.
3. Select, hold, and drag the folder from Deleted Items back to its original location (or any other folder) in the folder list.

If the folder is no longer in Deleted Items, the folder itself cannot be recovered. However, individual messages that were in that folder may still be recoverable from the Recoverable Items folder:

1. Make sure Outlook is online and connected to the mail server.
2. In the folder list, select Deleted Items.
3. On the Home tab, select Recover Deleted Items From Server.
4. In the Recover Deleted Items window, select the messages that belonged to the deleted folder.
5. Select Restore Selected Items, then OK. The items are restored to the Deleted Items folder, and can then be moved into a new folder.

If Deleted Items is not visible (only Trash appears), or Recover Deleted Items From Server is not available, the account does not support recovery beyond what is already in Deleted Items.

---

References:

• Recover and restore deleted items in Outlook