Automatically delete emails from the server in Outlook (POP only)

If you chose a POP configuration, e-mails will remain in your online mailbox / server, sometimes even if you have already deleted them in Outlook. This allows the mailbox to fill up so that you ultimately can no longer receive new e-mails.

You can configure Outlook not to keep a copy of your e-mails  Outlook logoon the server, or only for a limited time.

Is your mailbox already full? Then first delete excess e-mails via webmail
Outlook on an Apple computer?  Use our manual for Outlook on Mac .

Follow these steps in Outlook 2013 or 2016:

  1. Via the navigation bar at the top left, go to “File”> “Account settings” and choose “Account settings” from the drop-down again.ь
  2. Select your mailbox and click on “change”.
  3. Click in the bottom right on “More settings” and go to the “Advanced” tab.
  4. Under “Delivery”, check the options “Leave a copy of messages on the server” and “Remove from server after removal from ‘deleted items'”. Optionally, you can also simply choose to automatically delete messages from the server after X number of days, for example after two weeks. The messages will still be on your computer but no longer on the server.
  5. Click “OK” to confirm and click “Next” to check the settings.
    If all goes well, your deleted emails will be deleted from your e-mail server from now on.

 

Updated on 23 March 2020

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