Over time, your Microsoft Outlook “Deleted Items” folder can balloon in size, taking up valuable mailbox storage space. While you can manually right-click the folder and select “Empty Folder,” Outlook has a built-in feature that can automate this process every time you close the application.
How to Auto-Empty the Deleted Items Folder in Outlook
This setting is available in the classic desktop version of Microsoft Outlook for Windows. Once enabled, Outlook will automatically purge all deleted emails the moment you exit the app.
- Open the Microsoft Outlook desktop application on your Windows PC.
- Click on the File tab located in the top-left corner of the ribbon menu.
- At the bottom of the left-hand navigation pane, click on Options.
- In the Outlook Options window that appears, select the Advanced tab from the left sidebar.
- Under the very first section labeled “Outlook start and exit,” check the box next to Empty Deleted Items folders when exiting Outlook.
- Click OK at the bottom of the window to save your changes.
A Warning Before You Enable This Feature
While this feature is excellent for saving server space and keeping your mailbox clean, it removes your safety net. The Deleted Items folder acts as a temporary recycle bin for emails you accidentally delete. By enabling this auto-empty feature, those accidental deletions will be permanently purged the moment you close the app.
If you do accidentally lose an important email after closing Outlook, you might still be able to recover it. Click on the Deleted Items folder, and look for a button at the top of the ribbon that says Recover items recently removed from this folder. This relies on your company’s Exchange server retention policies, so it is not guaranteed, but it is a useful fallback option.