Outlook 2010 Email Retention

What is a Retention Policy?

Organizations can create default retention policies for mail items in an Exchange Server mailbox, specific policies for default folders — such as Inbox, Drafts, Sent Items, Deleted Items, and Junk E-mail — or create retention policies that users can apply to folders or individual items themselves. All or a combination of these options can be configured by the Exchange Server administrator.

Assigning a Retention Policy

It is easier to assign a retention policy on a per-folder basis instead of individual messages. However, even when a retention policy is assigned to a folder, you can select one or multiple messages, and assign a different policy to those specific items. A policy assigned to an individual message takes precedence over an inherited folder policy.

Assign a retention policy to an email folder

  1. In the Navigation Pane, click a mail folder.
  2. On the Folder tab, in the Properties group, click Policy.

    Policy Button
  3. On the Policy tab, in the Folder Policy list, click a selection based on your organization's guidelines.

Assign a retention policy to email messages

  1. In the message list, click a message.
    Tip: To select more than one message, press and hold CTRL as you click each message.
  2. On the Home tab, in the Tags group, click Assign Policy.

    Assign Policy Button
  3. Under Retention Policy, click an entry based on your organization's guidelines.

The retention policy for a message appears in the header in the Reading Pane under the recipient names and includes the expiration date. If no retention policy is applied, no information appears under the message recipient names.

Remove a retention policy

When you remove a retention policy from an email message, the folder policy applies to the item, if one is assigned.

  1. In the message list, click a message.
    Tip: To select more than one message, press and hold CTRL as you click each message.
  2. On the Home tab, in the Tags group, click Assign Policy.

    Assign Policy Button
  3. Under Retention Policy, click Use Folder Policy.

The retention policy for a message appears in the header in the Reading Pane under the recipient names and includes the expiration date. If no retention policy is applied, no information appears under the message recipient names.

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