We’re seeing a lot of questions that begin like this:
I’m using Outlook 2010 and messages I send are not being saved to the “Sent Items” folder. I know they have been sent but I cannot locate them. I have checked the options and the necessary check-boxes have been checked
For most people, the sent messages are being saved correctly but not in the folder where they expected the sent item to be.
First, check your options and verify you are saving sent items. Most users will have the correct settings but you should check it just to be sure. Next, check the Sent folders in your profile.
Sent Item Options
Go to File, Options, Mail and check the Save Messages options.
Are you saving replies in the folder with the original?
If you forwarded the message, are you saving forwarded items?
Are you saving sent items?
Find the Sent Items Folder
New in Outlook 2010 is the ability to choose the Sent folder for IMAP accounts. Other account types save sent items in the data file where the incoming messages are stored.
If you have an IMAP account
- Go to File and open the Account Settings dialog
- Double click on email account to open the Change Account dialog
- Click on the More Settings button to open the Internet E-Mail Settings window
- Select the Sent Items tab and verify where you are saving sent items.
Gmail users: Note that saving sent items on the server will result in duplicate messages being saved in the sent folder because Gmail will save a copy as well. Some users report that two messages are sent, however I can’t reproduce this behavior.
If you have a POP3 account
By default, Outlook 2010 creates a separate data file for each email account, with separate Inbox, Drafts, Sent Items folders. The messages you send using each account are placed in the Sent Items folder in the data file associated with the account, not in one main sent folder.
To locate your folders, browse the folder list and look for additional Sent items folders. To make it easier to find this folder, drag it to the Favorites list at the top of the Mail navigation pane.
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Last reviewed on Sep 2, 2011
The problem is on are new 2010 outlook. When we make are toolbar and at the end of the we log off, the next day we log on to outlook we have to set up the tool bar again, how do we get it to save are toolbar setting?
Thanks Gary
That usually means Outlook did not close correctly and it reverts to the last good set of files. Try closing Outlook and waiting a few minutes then looking in Tasks Manager, Processes tab and see if outlook.exe left running. If it’s not running, restart outlook and see if your changes stuck.
Good morning Diane – I had the problem as outlined, followed your excellent suggestion and my Sent items are now in my Sent folder!!
However, I also have a very similar problem with Draft items – when I save a Draft of an email I am composing it is not saved in the Draft folder. No doubt there will be something simple I’m missing, but is there as equally good a solution for this problem?
Is it saved in the Inbox? That is normal under certain circumstances.
IMAP drafts should be saved to the local drafts folders, not to the IMAP accounts drafts.
Help still required (IMAP account). Have followed all steps suggested, but sent messages still not being saved in Sent Items folder, nor are deleted messages being saved in Deleted Items folder. I can see in the Change Settings windows that the Sent Mail and Trash folders are drop-downs from my Inbox, but on the list of folders down the left when I open Outlook, there is no + next to the Inbox to allow me to open the drop-down list for more folders within the Inbox. Is this where I am getting stuck?