Tired of archiving emails in Outlook by dragging and dropping or picking a folder from a menu? Find out here how to archive email with a keyboard shortcut in Outlook (on Windows, Mac and the Web) to save yourself time and effort.
First, Look at This Fish
Look at this fish underwater. Chances are, it is not there.
For when light travels from one medium to another, its rays bend. When light leaves water for air, for instance, it (effectively, not really) speeds up and bends towards the water surface.
Our eyes and brain assume light always travels in straight lines, of course. As they follow the line above water—anything under water appears higher up (and farther back) toward the surface than it is.
So, if you were to go poking for the fish you might miss it because you are peeking around a corner of sorts without knowing it.
Now, don’t want to see an email any longer where it currently is but deeper down (and perhaps farther back) the archive? Here’s where to poke:
How to Archive Email with a Keyboard Shortcut in Outlook
Outlook for Windows
Time needed: 1 minute
To move an email to the “Archive” folder in Outlook for Windows using a keyboard shortcut:
- Create or choose the archive folder for the account.
- Open the message you want to archive.
More than one: You can highlight more than one email to archive them all in one go; hold Ctrl while you click to add to or subtract from the selection and Shift to select a range.
- Press Backspace.
With the mouse: You can also click Move to Archive Folder on the Home (or Message if the email is open in its own window) tab in the ribbon.
Without opening: Without a reading pane, you can click on an email (or one in a selection), then select Archive… from the context menu that appears.
Outlook for Mac
To archive an email in Outlook for Mac:
- Open or highlight the message you want to archive.
Multiple mails: You can highlight multiple emails to archive them together, of course; hold the Shift key to select a range and Command to add or remove individual emails. - Press Control E.
Using the mouse: You can also click Archive on the Home or the Message tab in the ribbon or select Archive from the menu that comes up when you click on a message with the right mouse button.
Working the menu: In the menu, you will find archiving as Message | Archive.
No “Archive” folder: If no archiving folder has been set up for the account, Outlook for Mac will offer to create one for you; select Continue to have Outlook add a folder named Archive at the root folder or select Choose Another Folder to pick a different folder.
New Outlook or Outlook on the Web
To move an email to the archiving folder in New Outlook or Outlook on the Web at Outlook.com:
- Open or check the message you want to archive.
All in one: Use the checkboxes or holding down Ctrl (on Windows) or Command (on a Mac) while you click to select more than one message in New Outlook. - Press E.
Using the mouse: Clicking Archive in the toolbar also works.
How to Archive Email with a Keyboard Shortcut in Outlook: FAQ
Will archiving also mark a message read?
Yes.
If you archive an email in Outlook using the Move to Archive Folder command, it will be both
- moved to the archiving folder and
- marked as read.
Other than archiving: How to Tweak Outlook “Mark as Read” Settings
Can I change the keyboard shortcut for archiving in Outlook?
No, you cannot change the Outlook archive keyboard shortcut on Windows and on the Web.
Yes, you can set up an additional keyboard shortcut for archiving in Outlook for Mac for the Archive menu item.
Can I undo archiving?
Yes.
To undo moving an email to the Archive folder:
- Press Ctrl Z (Windows) or Command Z (Mac) or
- click the Undo button in the Outlook title bar.
This will move the message back to the current folder. It will not mark it unread, though.
Can I archive an email in Outlook without opening it?
Yes.
You can disable the reading pane in Outlook, then use the right-click context menu for any email or group of emails to archive.
(How to archive email with a keyboard shortcut tested with Outlook for Windows 2309–2409, Outlook for Mac 16.75 and New Outlook; first published October 2023, last updated September 2024)