What does purge mean in outlook email

In Outlook, "Purge" is a feature that permanently deletes emails from your mailbox, without moving them to the "Deleted Items" folder. When you purge an email, it is removed from your mailbox and cannot be recovered.

Purging emails is useful in situations where you want to completely remove sensitive or confidential information from your mailbox, and you're sure you won't need to refer to the emails again. However, be cautious when using this feature, as purged emails cannot be recovered, even with data recovery software.

Here are some scenarios where you might use the Purge feature in Outlook:

  1. Deleting sensitive information: If you receive an email with sensitive information, such as financial data or personal identifiable information (PII), you may want to purge the email to ensure it's not stored in your mailbox.
  2. Removing spam or junk emails: If you receive a large number of spam or junk emails, you can purge them to free up space in your mailbox and reduce clutter.
  3. Deleting duplicate emails: If you receive duplicate emails, you can purge the duplicates to keep your mailbox organized and reduce clutter.

To purge an email in Outlook:

  1. Select the email you want to purge.
  2. Right-click on the selected email and choose "Purge" from the context menu.
  3. Confirm that you want to purge the email by clicking "Yes" in the prompt.

Alternatively, you can also purge multiple emails at once by selecting them and then right-clicking on the selection and choosing "Purge".

Remember to use the Purge feature with caution, as it permanently deletes emails and cannot be undone.