Outlook Sent folder emptied

Question

All of the emails that were in my Sent folder are missing. How can I get them back?

Answer 1

Hi Steve R,

To help narrow this down, could you confirm whether the missing messages are also absent when you sign in directly through your email provider’s website?

It would also be helpful to know:

• Whether this affects one account or every account configured in Outlook.
• Whether the account is Outlook.com, Microsoft 365 work or school, Gmail, or another provider.
• Whether the messages disappeared after an Outlook update, profile change, or account reconfiguration.
• Whether only older messages are missing or the entire Sent Items history disappeared at once.

If this is a work or school account and the messages are also missing online, your Microsoft 365 administrator may need to check the mailbox retention policy or available recovery options. Please avoid creating a new Outlook profile or removing data files until it is confirmed whether the server still holds the messages. Thank you so much for your understanding.   

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Answer 2

Check the Sent Items folder through your email provider’s webmail first; this determines whether the messages were deleted from the mailbox or are only missing in classic Outlook.

1. Check the server copy

Sign in to the same account through Outlook on the web or your provider’s website, then open Sent Items.

• Messages appear online: They still exist, so do not delete or rebuild Outlook data files. Continue with Fix classic Outlook’s display or synchronization below.
• Messages are missing online: Continue with Recover deleted messages.
• If Outlook contains multiple accounts, expand each account and check its separate Sent Items folder. Outlook maintains a Sent Items folder for each account.^1^

2. Recover deleted messages

If the messages are in Deleted Items

1. Open Deleted Items in classic Outlook.
2. Select the missing messages. Use Ctrl or Shift to select multiple messages.
3. Right-click the selection and choose Move, then select Sent Items.

If Deleted Items is empty

1. Ensure Outlook is online and connected.
2. Select Deleted Items.
3. On the Home tab, select Recover Deleted Items From Server.
4. Select the missing messages.
5. Select Restore Selected Items, then OK.
6. The recovered messages initially return to Deleted Items. Move them from there to Sent Items.^2^

If Recover Deleted Items From Server is unavailable, that account does not support this recovery method. If it is available but the messages are absent, the mailbox’s recovery period may have expired. For a work or school mailbox, contact the Microsoft 365 administrator promptly; an administrator might still be able to recover them.^2^

3. If the messages exist online but not in classic Outlook

Work through these non-destructive checks:

1. Show the complete folder list
   • Press Ctrl+6.
   • Expand the arrow beside the account.
   • Open its actual Sent Items folder rather than relying on Favorites.
2. Reset the folder view
   • Open Sent Items.
   • Select View > Reset View.
   • This removes a view or filter that may be hiding existing messages.^3^
3. Increase the offline synchronization period
   • Go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings.
   • Select the account and choose Change.
   • Move Mail to keep offline to a longer period, or to All.
   • Complete the dialog and restart Outlook. Older sent messages may not appear locally when Outlook is configured to synchronize only a limited period.^1^
4. Check other mail stores
   • Go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings > Data Files.
   • Inspect the Sent Items folder under each mailbox or Outlook data file, particularly if multiple accounts are configured.
   • Also check other accounts if messages were sent using a different address, shared mailbox, Send As, or Send on Behalf.^3^

4. Prevent newly sent messages from disappearing

In classic Outlook:

1. Select File > Options > Mail.
2. Under Save messages, enable Save copies of messages in the Sent Items folder.
3. Send a test message and verify that it appears both in classic Outlook and in webmail.^1^

This setting affects messages sent afterward; it does not restore older messages.

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References

1. View sent email | Microsoft Support
2. [Classic Outlook](https://support.microsoft.com/outlook/mail/recover-and-restore-deleted-items-in-outlook)
3. Sent Folder Issue - Microsoft Q&A