- How to export Outlook emails in classic Outlook
- How to export Outlook emails in new Outlook
- The catch most people miss: Outlook only holds a year of email
- Where to save your export (and where not to)
- Exporting doesn't delete anything
- Exporting more than one account
- What a .pst is good for, and what it isn't
- My verdict
- Frequently asked questions
To export Outlook emails in classic Outlook, go to File, Open & Export, Import/Export, choose Export to a file, then Outlook Data File (.pst), pick the account and where to save it. In new Outlook, use Settings, Files, Export. Set the sync slider to All first, or you'll only export a year of email.
Exporting your Outlook email gives you a single file, a .pst, holding a copy of your messages, folders, contacts and calendar for one account. You'd do it before changing computers, moving to a new email address, leaving a job with a personal mailbox you want to keep, or simply because you want a backup you control.
The steps are short. The mistakes people make are about what goes into the file and where they save it, so read the catches below before you start.
How to export Outlook emails in classic Outlook
- At the top of classic Outlook, choose File.
- Choose Open & Export, then Import/Export.
- Choose Export to a file, then Next.
- Click Outlook Data File (.pst), then Next.
- Select the email account you want to export and keep Include subfolders ticked, then choose Next.
- Click Browse, choose where to save the file, give it a clear name and choose OK.
- Choose Finish. If it's a new file, Outlook lets you add a password. It's optional, but if you set one, write it down somewhere safe.
How to export Outlook emails in new Outlook
- Open new Outlook and go to Settings.
- Select Files, then Export.
- Select Get started and follow the wizard to pick the mailbox or the folders you want.
One limit to know: Microsoft says calendar and contacts saved in .pst files aren't available in new Outlook at this time, and importing a .pst still needs classic Outlook. If you're moving a full mailbox, including your calendar, the classic route is the safer one.
The catch most people miss: Outlook only holds a year of email
Microsoft's own guide points out that, by default, Outlook downloads email for the past 1 year. If you export straight away, your .pst holds that year and nothing older, and you won't know until you go looking for an old message on the new computer.
Before you export, open Account settings, select your account and move the sync slider to All. Then leave Outlook open until everything has downloaded. On a big mailbox that can take a long time, so do it the day before.
Where to save your export (and where not to)
Don't save the .pst into a OneDrive folder. Microsoft warns against it because OneDrive blocks automatic syncing for Outlook data files, so you can end up with a file that never finishes syncing. Save it to your computer or an external drive, then copy it wherever you need it.
| What you want | Best option | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Full backup of one mailbox | Export to .pst in classic Outlook | Includes email, contacts and calendar |
| Move to a new computer | Export, then import the .pst on the new machine | Keeps your folder structure |
| Move to a new email account | Add both accounts, export one, import into the other | Microsoft's recommended route |
| Only your contacts | Export contacts to a .csv file | Smaller and opens in a spreadsheet |
| Old emails out of the way | Archive, not export | Auto-archive moves items, it doesn't copy them |
Exporting doesn't delete anything
A common worry: does exporting remove your email from Outlook? No. Outlook makes a copy. Everything stays in your mailbox exactly where it was, so you can export as often as you like. If you export again to the same file name, Outlook asks how to handle items that are already in the file, so use a new file name, with the date in it, each time.
Exporting more than one account
Only one account can be exported at a time. If you have a work address and a personal address in Outlook, run the export twice and name each file after the account, so you're never guessing which .pst holds what.
What a .pst is good for, and what it isn't
A .pst is a snapshot. It's brilliant for a move or a one-off backup, but it doesn't keep itself up to date. Microsoft says there's no automated way to back up everything, old and new, on a schedule. If you need ongoing protection for a business mailbox, that's a job for your email provider's own retention and backup tools, not a file on your desktop.
If you're tidying up how your team shares files more generally, my guide to software that improves productivity covers the wider set-up.
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My verdict
Exporting Outlook email is a five-minute job once you know the two traps. Move the sync slider to All and let everything download first, and save the .pst anywhere except OneDrive. Use classic Outlook if you need contacts and calendar too, name every file clearly, and test the file by importing it before you wipe an old computer. If you're thinking about switching inbox entirely, read whether Proton Mail is safe first.
If that raises the next question, see How to Schedule an Email in Outlook (New and Classic).
Frequently asked questions
Can I export Outlook emails to a PDF?
Not as a whole mailbox. The built-in export creates a .pst file. You can save single emails as PDFs by printing them to PDF.
Why is my exported .pst missing older emails?
Outlook downloads only the past year by default. Move the sync slider to All in Account settings and let it download before exporting.
Does exporting delete emails from Outlook?
No. Exporting makes a copy, and nothing is removed from your mailbox.
Can I export several accounts at once?
No. Only one account can be exported at a time, so repeat the export for each one.
Can I export from new Outlook?
Yes. Go to Settings, Files, Export and follow the wizard. Contacts and calendar in .pst files aren't supported in new Outlook yet.
Where should I save the .pst file?
On your computer or an external drive. Don't save it in OneDrive, which blocks syncing for .pst files.
