Online Archive not showing in Outlook and OWA
Microsoft’s Online Archive is a powerful feature in Exchange Online and Outlook that helps users manage mailbox size by providing additional storage beyond the primary mailbox. This blog explains what Online Archive is, how it works, and why it’s essential for organizations dealing with large volumes of email. It also offers troubleshooting steps when Online Archive not showing in Outlook and OWA, including checking mailbox policies and license assignments. Finally, the article outlines the licensing requirements, highlighting which Microsoft 365 and Exchange Online plans support Online Archive, ensuring smooth deployment and effective mailbox management.
Table of Contents
What is Online Archive
Microsoft’s Online Archive (also called In‑Place Archive) is essentially an auxiliary mailbox stored in Microsoft’s data centers. It provides additional space for older or less frequently used emails without consuming the quota of the primary mailbox.
- Auxiliary Space: The archive mailbox lives separately from the primary mailbox, hosted securely in Microsoft 365 or Exchange Online.
- No Impact on Primary Quota: Because it’s distinct, emails stored in the archive don’t count against the primary mailbox size limit.
- Seamless Access: Users see the archive alongside their regular folders in Outlook and Outlook Web App (OWA).
- Retention Policies: Administrators can configure rules to automatically move older emails into the archive.
- Compliance & Storage: Since it resides in Microsoft’s cloud data centers, it supports compliance, eDiscovery, and long‑term storage needs.
Exchange Online Archive License Requirements
Exchange Online Archive mailbox is available with below licenses:
- Exchange Online Plan 1
- Exchange Online Kiosk
- Microsoft 365 Business Basic
- Microsoft 365 Business Standard
- Office 365 E1
- Office 365 A1
- Office 365 G1
- Office 365 F3
- Microsoft 365 F3
Note that the following plans already include archiving and don’t require Exchange Online Archiving as an add-on:
- Exchange Online Plan 2
- Microsoft 365 Business Premium
- Microsoft 365 E3
- Microsoft 365 E5
- Microsoft 365 F5 Compliance
- Office 365 A3
- Office 365 A5
- Office 365 E3
- Office 365 E5
Troubleshoot Online Archive not showing in Outlook and OWA
At times, users may notice that their Online Archive isn’t visible in Outlook or Outlook Web App (OWA). This can cause uncertainty, especially when mailbox storage is important. Recognizing the reasons behind this behavior is the first step toward ensuring proper access and configuration.
Verify if Online Archive is Enabled
If Online Archive is not visible in Outlook and OWA, check if Online Archive is enabled using Exchange Admin Center or PowerShell. To check from Exchange Admin Center, follow the below steps:
- Login to Exchange Admin Center using Global Administrator account.
- Expand Recipients
- Click Mailboxes, and see if Archive Status shows Active.
To check if online archive is provisioned using PowerShell, run below command:
get-mailbox -Identity "test user" | fl *archive*This command will show below output where you can see online archive name, archive status, archive Guid, and quota.
Online Archive not showing in Outlook Client
If Online Archive is enabled but is not showing in Outlook client, follow the below steps:
1. Make sure Outlook is up to date by following the below steps:
- In Outlook, Click File
- Click Office Account
- Click Update Options
- Click Update Now
If the affected user is a mailbox delegate, verify that the delegate has Full Access permission on the mailbox. Full Access permission is required for a delegate to access an archive mailbox. For delegates who have Full Access permission, Outlook automatically automaps the primary and archive mailboxes to their Outlook profile. Don’t assign Full Access permission on the mailbox through a security group because Outlook won’t automap the primary and archive mailboxes to the Outlook profile of each group member.
2. You can also ask the affected user to run the Classic Outlook Advanced Diagnostics troubleshooter to help diagnose the issue.
3. If above steps doesn’t help, create new outlook profile for the affected user:
- Press
Windows+ R, typeControl, and hit Enter. - Set “View by” to Large icons or Small icons.
- Opens the Mail Setup window.
- Then click “Add…” to create a new profile.
- Enter a name for the new profile (e.g., “Exchange Online”).
- In the Add Account wizard, enter your name, email address, and password.
- Outlook will automatically detect and configure the Exchange Online settings using AutoDiscover.
- Once setup completes, click Finish.
Online Archive not showing in OWA
If Online Archive mailbox is not showing in OWA or in new Outlook, follow below steps:
1. Run self help diagnostic Run Test: Online Archive using a Global Administrator account to check if Online Archive is provisioned correctly for the user.
2. When you enable Online Archive for a mailbox and you verify archive status using PowerShell command given above, ArchiveName property should have a value In-Place Archive <display name of user>. If ArchiveName attribute is not set to this value, run below PowerShell command to modify it:
connect-exchangeonline
$dn=Get-Mailbox <user mailbox ID> | Select -ExpandProperty DisplayName
Set-Mailbox <user mailbox ID> -ArchiveName "In-Place Archive -$dn"If after following above steps, Online Archive is still not showing in Outlook and OWA, wait for 2-3 hours and check the behavior.
Related Articles
We discussed how you can troubleshoot when Online Archive not showing in Outlook and OWA. We welcome you to browse our other articles on Exchange Online:
Microsoft 365 vs Office 365: What’s the Real Difference?
Office 365 vs Google Workspace: Which is Better for Your Business?
Office 365 Explained: A Smart Choice for Future-Ready Workplaces
SharePoint Document Library Best Practices
SharePoint Server vs SharePoint Online. What is SharePoint Online.
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