Most users who manage their work email from shared hosting make the same mistake: they leave all their messages on the server and don't keep any local copies. For months, or even years, emails accumulate. The inbox grows. Available space runs out. And at no point is there a real backup of that information.
The server is not a file. It's a transit channel. And the sooner that difference is understood, the better.
When emails reside solely on the server, any incident, whether it's a technical failure, a poorly executed migration, an attack, or simply reaching the allocated space limit, can result in the loss of relevant information that has been accumulating for years.
Cleaning up spam or the trash helps, but it barely addresses the underlying problem. Important emails—those containing quotes, client conversations, contracts, or invoices—remain on the server, and only on the server.
The solution is simple: download those emails to your machine periodically, so that the server is freed up and you have the information saved locally.
Outlook for Windows includes a tool called AutoArchive that automatically moves older emails from the server to a local file on your computer. You can configure it so that, for example, messages older than six months or a year are downloaded and deleted from the server, while the most recent ones remain available from any device.
To activate it, follow these steps:
From there, the process runs automatically. Older emails are automatically moved to a local file and removed from the server , without you losing access to them from Outlook.
Once AutoArchive has run at least once, the archived emails appear in the left pane of Outlook under a folder called Archive or with the name of the .pst file. Clicking there allows you to browse and search for any old email just like in your main inbox.
If you ever need to manually load a backup .pst file, the process is as follows:
Location of the .pst file in Windows: By default, it is saved in C:\Users\ [tu usuario] \Documents\Outlook Files\ or C:\Users\ [tu usuario] \AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook\ . This is the folder that must be included in any computer backup routine.
Outlook for Mac handles local storage differently than the Windows version. Instead of .pst files, it uses its own internal database. However, it is possible to manually export emails for backup purposes.
To export emails in Outlook for Mac:
To re-import that backup or load it onto another computer: File > Import and select the .olm file.
This process is manual , so it is recommended to do it every three to six months and save the .olm file on an external drive or in the cloud.
On macOS, the Mail app automatically downloads and stores emails locally when the account is configured as IMAP. To back up these folders:
To import that backup later: Mailbox > Import mailboxes and select the .mbox folder.
As with Outlook for Mac, this process is manual . It is recommended to incorporate it as a recurring task or ask whoever assists with computer maintenance to automate it using a system script.
Location of local emails on Mac: The folder where Mail stores all messages is ~/Library/Mail/ . Making a copy of this entire folder is the most direct way to back up your entire email history.
Some accounts are configured with the POP3 protocol and have the option enabled to leave a copy of messages on the server. This combination is particularly problematic: the email is downloaded to the computer, but it also remains on the server indefinitely, accumulating copies without any system for cleaning them up.
In Outlook for Windows, this situation has a direct solution within the account settings themselves:
This way, the emails remain available on the computer, but are automatically deleted from the server after that period , preventing accumulation.
In Outlook for Mac , the current version of the application offers this option in a more limited way: in many cases, only the "leave a copy on the server" checkbox appears, without the ability to configure a retention period. In this scenario, the only real solution is to consider migrating the account from POP3 to IMAP , which is the recommended protocol for current email usage.
Changing the protocol from POP3 to IMAP is not a change made to the existing account: it involves deleting the current account in the client and reconfiguring it as IMAP. This does not affect emails already downloaded to the computer, but before making any changes, it is essential to verify that a complete local copy of all messages exists, because if something goes wrong during the process, those emails could be lost.
The general procedure is:
With IMAP, emails are synchronized between the server and all devices, but the responsibility for performing regular local backups remains with the user . The protocol changes, but the need for backups doesn't disappear.
If you're unsure how your account is configured or have any doubts before making any changes, it's best to consult with the person who assists with equipment maintenance before proceeding . An incorrect action at this point could result in the loss of irretrievable data.
Regardless of the email client you use, the rule is always the same: recent emails, from the last six to twelve months, can remain on the server for access from any device. All of the above should reside on your computer, in a backup file , and not take up space on your hosting.
This isn't an optional measure. It's a basic part of managing your information responsibly. The server can fail. Your machine can too, of course, but in that case, you're already in control: you can make a copy of the backup file wherever you want—on an external drive, in the cloud, or both.
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