How to delete email messages (items) permanently in Outlook?

Author Kelly Last modified 2025-04-10

As you know, when you delete an email message from the Inbox folder, this message is not removed permanently, and you can find it in the Delete Items folder. If you want to remove this message permanently, you have to delete it from the Delete Items folder again. It sounds tedious! Actually, there are several tricks to delete email messages or items permanently in Microsoft Outlook.

Permanently delete email messages from Inbox folder with shortcuts
Permanently delete email messages from Inbox folder with AutoArchive
Permanently delete email messages from the Delete Items folder
Permanently remove all deleted items in Outlook

Permanently delete email messages from Inbox folder with shortcuts

You can permanently delete email messages from the Inbox folder easily.

1. Open the Inbox folder, select to highlight the email messages in the Inbox folder that you will delete permanently, and press the "Shif"t + "Delete" keys at the same time.

2. In a pop-up warning dialog box, click the "Yes" button. Then all selected email messages in the Inbox folder are deleted permanently.

Note:
(1) This method can also be used to permanently delete email messages from other folders, such as Sent Items folder, Drafts folder, Outbox folder, etc.
(2) Holding the "Shift" key, you can select multiple adjacent email messages with clicking the first email message and the last one.
(3) Holding the "Ctrl" key, you can select multiple nonadjacent email messages with clicking each one separately.

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Permanently delete old emails/items from Inbox folder with AutoArchive

This method will guide you to archive old emails from the Inbox folder with the AutoArchive feature, which can permanently delete old emails automatically.

1. On the "Navigation Pane", right click the Inbox folder, and select "Properties" from the context menu. See screenshot:

2. In the opening "Inbox Properties" dialog box, go to the "AutoArchive" tab, and do as follows: (1) Check the "Archive this folder using these settings" option; (2) Define the old email as you need, such as 3 months; (3) Check the "Permanently delete old items" option.

the screenshot of permanently deleting old emails/items from Inbox folder with AutoArchive 1

3. Click the "OK" button to save the settings.
From now on, it will automatically and permanently delete emails/items older than the defined time period from the Inbox folder.

Note: This method can also automatically and permanently delete old emails/items from other folders, such as Sent Items folder, Calendar folders, etc.

Permanently delete email messages in the Delete Items folder

If you have deleted many email messages before, you can permanently remove these deleted email messages from the "Delete Items" folder quickly.

1. In the Navigation pane, right click the "Delete Items" folder, and click the "Empty Folder" in the right-clicking menu.

the screenshot of permanently deleting email messages in the Delete Items folder 1

2. A warning dialog box comes out. Just click the "Yes" button to exit this dialog box.

the screenshot of permanently deleting email messages in the Delete Items folder 2

Then all deleted email messages are permanently removed from the Microsoft Outlook at once.

Note: If the Deleted items folder includes subfolders, after clicking "Yes" button in the warning dialog box, all items in the Deleted items folder will be removed including the subfolders.

Permanently remove all deleted items in Outlook

There is an alternative method to permanently remove all deleted items from Microsoft Outlook immediately. You can do it as following:

1. Open the Mailbox Cleanup dialog box:
A. If you are using Outlook 2007, please click the "Tools" > "Empty "Delete Items" Folder".
B. If you are using Outlook 2010 or later versions, please click the "File" > "Info" > "Cleanup Tools" > "Empty Delete Items Folder".

the screenshot of permanently deleting all deleted items in Outlook 1

2. In the pop-up warning dialog box, just click the "Yes" button to close it.

the screenshot of permanently deleting all deleted items in Outlook 2

Then everything in the Delete items folder will be permanently removed in a minute.

Note: If the Deleted items folder includes subfolders, after clicking "Yes" button in the warning dialog box, all items in the Deleted items folder will be removed including the subfolders.