Outlook sent folder

Question

Outlook is not saving my emails sent from gmail on my PC, although Outlook is saving emails from other accounts

Answer 1

Hi Gary Peterson

I understand your issue: Outlook is saving sent emails for other accounts, but not for your Gmail account.

With Gmail IMAP accounts, sent emails are typically stored on the Gmail server (Sent Mail label) instead of Outlook’s local “Sent Items” folder.

So depending on the configuration, you may:

• See sent emails only in the Gmail “Sent Mail” folder in Outlook, or
• Not see them if that folder is not synced properly

Have you already tried the Q&A Assist suggestions? In addition, I’d like to narrow this down:

1. When you send an email from the Gmail account in Outlook, do you see it in Gmail web?
2. In Outlook, do you see a folder named: “[Gmail] > Sent Mail” or similar (not just “Sent Items”)?
3. Are the missing emails: Sent from Outlook, or sent from Gmail web/app?

Looking forward to your updates so I can guide you further.

Answer 2

Enable saving of sent items for the Gmail account in Outlook and verify that no policy is disabling it.

1. In Outlook, select File > Options > Mail.
2. Under Save messages, make sure Save copies of messages in the Sent Items folder is checked.
3. Select OK.
4. If this option is greyed out or already enabled but Gmail sent items still do not appear, a Group Policy or registry setting may be overriding it. The relevant registry paths and value are:
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\<x.0>\Outlook\Preferences
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\<x.0>\Outlook\Preferences
   • DWORD: SaveSent (0 = disabled, 1 = enabled)
5. For IMAP Gmail accounts, also check whether sent items are being stored only on the server’s Sent folder and whether Outlook is configured not to save sent copies locally (for IMAP, Outlook can turn saving off entirely). If duplicates appear when saving is enabled, follow the IMAP guidance to turn off saving sent items in Outlook so only the server copy is used.

If forwarding specifically is not saved, also ensure Save forwarded messages is enabled under File > Options > Mail > Save messages, or via Group Policy using the More save messages setting (registry DWORD SaveFW = 1).

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References:

• Email sent using Outlook aren't saved to the Sent Items folder
• Emails that you forward are not saved in the Sent Items folder in Outlook
• IMAP Sent Messages in Outlook for Windows are duplicated and unread in Sent Items folder
• Change where sent email messages are saved