Software & Apps > MS Office How to Delete a Folder in Outlook Mail at Outlook.com Delete folders you no longer use and clean up your mailbox By Heinz Tschabitscher Heinz Tschabitscher Writer University of Vienna A former freelance contributor who has reviewed hundreds of email programs and services since 1997. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on January 22, 2021 Reviewed by Jon Fisher Reviewed by Jon Fisher Wichita Technical Institute Jonathan Fisher is a CompTIA certified technologist with more than 6 years' experience writing for publications like TechNorms and Help Desk Geek. lifewire's editorial guidelines MS Office Outlook Word Excel Powerpoint Trending Videos Close this video player What to Know Right-click the folder you want to remove, select Delete folder, and then select OK in the dialog box.To restore a folder: Select Deleted Items in the Folders pane, then select the folder you want to restore and drag it to the Folders list.To permanently remove folders: Go to Settings > View All Outlook Settings > Mail > Message Handling > Empty my deleted items folder. This article explains how to delete folders in Outlook on the web at Outlook.com. Delete a Folder in Outlook on the Web at Outlook.com Any folder that you create in Outlook can be deleted when you no longer need it. The exception is that the default folders such as Drafts, Inbox, and Sent Mail cannot be deleted. When you delete a folder, the email messages in that folder are also deleted. Right-click the folder you want to delete. If you don't see the folder you want to delete, make sure the folders are not collapsed. To display collapsed folders, select the arrow next to Folders. Select Delete folder. In the Delete folder dialog box, select OK. Restore a Deleted Folder If you accidentally delete a folder, restore it. Folders that have been permanently deleted cannot be restored. In the Folders pane, select Deleted Items. Select the folder you want to restore. You might have to press the arrow next to Deleted Items to expand the folder and see the folder you removed. Drag the folder to the Folders list. Automatically Empty Your Deleted Items Folder Outlook.com can empty your Deleted Items automatically every time you sign out. This permanently removes the folders and email messages you deleted. In the upper-right corner of the Outlook window, select the Settings gear icon. Select View all Outlook settings. In the Settings dialog box, select Mail. Choose Message handling. Select the Empty my deleted items folder check box. Select Save. Close the Settings dialog box when you're finished. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit