Outlook can move older messages into a local archive file automatically. That keeps the mailbox small — but it comes with a risk you should know about before you turn it on.
Archived messages then exist only on your own computer. The Upon archive, delete emails from the server option removes them from the server for good. After that they are no longer in webmail, no longer on your mobile phone and no longer in our backup. If the archive file is lost, those emails are gone.
Check the alternatives first
Archiving solves a single problem: a full mailbox. In most cases one of these options is better:
- Increase the mailbox size under E-Mail Accounts — up to 75 GB, depending on the plan. The data stays on the server and in the backup.
- Clean up — large attachments and old newsletters usually make up the lion's share.
Setting up archiving
You need Outlook on Windows with the Zimbra Connector.
- In Outlook, switch to the Zimbra tab.
- Click Advanced.
- Turn on automatic archiving and set the age from which messages are moved.
- Choose the location of the archive file deliberately — ideally a folder that your own backup covers.
The setting that matters
| “Upon archive, delete … from the server” checkbox | Effect |
|---|---|
| not checked (default) | Messages are copied into the archive and stay on the server. This does not make the mailbox smaller. Recommended. |
| checked | Messages are moved and deleted from the server. The mailbox gets smaller — the data leaves webmail, mobile devices and the backup. |
Limit the scope to your own mail folders — archiving can also include items that others on your team access. Also check whether an option for deleting items permanently is active; if it is, recovering deleted email no longer works either.
You retrieve messages from an archive file by opening the file in Outlook and moving the messages into a folder in your mailbox. Make sure there is enough free space.
The official description is in the Zimbra Connector user guide.
