Demo Buy
Administration

Email archive and recovery: how to recover deleted mail?

A deleted email does not disappear immediately; it remains in the trash for the period determined by the organization and can be restored during that time. For emails that are no longer needed but must be kept, archiving rather than deleting is the right approach: archiving removes the email from the inbox but does not delete it.

SmartMail team2 min readPublished:

“I accidentally deleted that email” is a sentence heard in every office. Most of the time the email is not lost; it is just in the wrong place. Knowing the difference between deleting, archiving and permanently deleting makes it easier to restore it and also prevents emails that really need to be kept from being accidentally removed.

What is the difference between archiving and deleting?

ActionWhere does the mail go?Can it be recalled?
ArchiveArchive folder; found in searchAlways: Unarchive
DeleteTrashWithin the retention period: Restore
Retention period expiresPermanently deletedNo

How to restore a deleted email?

  1. Open the Trash folder on the left.
  2. Click the email you want to recall.
  3. Click Restore at the top; the email returns to the inbox.

Good practice for organizations

  • Archive emails that are done instead of deleting them; search will always find them.
  • Set the trash retention period according to your organization's recovery needs.
  • Track bulk deletion and permanent deletion operations in the audit log.

How SmartMail solves this

  • Archive folder: Archive removes the email from the inbox without deleting it; Unarchive brings it back.
  • Trash and restore: a deleted email stays in Trash for the retention period; Restore returns it to the inbox.
  • Retention is managed centrally: the administrator sets how long items stay in the bin.
  • Bulk action and audit trail: archive all of a sender's emails at once and leave a bulk-action trace in the audit log.

SmartMail featuresTrash and restoreArchiving emails

Frequently asked questions

How long do emails stay in the trash?For the duration set by your organization. Your administrator sets the period; once the period expires, the email is permanently deleted.
Do archived emails appear in search?Yes. Archived emails stay in the Archive folder and can be found in search.
Can I archive multiple emails at the same time?Yes. With a bulk action, you can move selected emails, or all emails from a sender, to the archive in one go.

Related articles