How to Export Emails From Outlook: Back Up to a PST File and Import It Back
You want a copy of your Outlook email on your own computer, to keep as a backup or to move to another account or PC. How you do it depends on which Outlook you have open. The desktop apps can export to a file; Microsoft’s instructions for the browser send you to a desktop app.
In short: in classic Outlook for Windows, go to File > Open & Export > Import/Export, choose Export to a file, then Outlook Data File (.pst), pick the account, keep Include subfolders ticked, and choose where to save. Outlook makes a copy; nothing is removed from your mailbox. To bring it back, use the same wizard with Import from another program or file. New Outlook for Windows exports from Settings > Files > Export. For Outlook on the web and Outlook.com, Microsoft says to add the account to a Windows desktop Outlook and export there. Legacy Outlook for Mac exports to an .olm file from Tools > Export, though Microsoft’s pages say support for it will end in October 2026.
Which Outlook Can Export to a PST File?
| Outlook | Export mail | Import a backup |
|---|---|---|
| Classic Outlook for Windows | Yes, to .pst | Yes, from .pst |
| New Outlook for Windows | Yes, to .pst | Microsoft’s pages disagree (see below) |
| Outlook on the web / Outlook.com | Not as a .pst. Microsoft says to use a desktop Outlook | No |
| Outlook for Mac | Legacy Outlook for Mac only, to .olm (support ending; see below) | Legacy Outlook for Mac, from .olm or .pst |
| Outlook for iPhone and Android | No steps from Microsoft | No steps from Microsoft |
How to Export Outlook Emails to a PST File in Classic Outlook
These steps follow Microsoft’s export article, which covers Outlook for Microsoft 365 and Outlook 2016 to 2024.
- Select File at the top of the ribbon.
- Select Open & Export > Import/Export.
- Select Export to a file, then Next.
- Select Outlook Data File (.pst), then Next.
- Select the account to export. You can export one account at a time. Leave Include subfolders checked so the Inbox, Calendar, Contacts and Tasks all go in, then select Next.
- Select Browse, choose where to save the file, type a file name, and select OK. If you’ve exported before, the old location and name appear. Type a new name to make a fresh file; if you keep the old one, Outlook asks how to handle items already in it.
- Select Finish.
- If you’re creating a new file, Outlook asks for an optional password. Enter it in Password and Verify Password, select OK, then enter it again in the Outlook Data File Password box.
Microsoft says the export “makes a copy” and that nothing leaves Outlook. Attachments are included. Folder views and permissions, AutoArchive settings, rules and blocked senders lists are not.
Before You Export: Get Every Email Into the File
Classic Outlook only exports what it has downloaded, so check these first:
- Sync window: by default Outlook downloads the past year of email. To export everything, go to Account settings > Account Name and Sync Settings and move the slider to All.
- Cached Exchange Mode: with it on, Outlook exports only the items in your cache, which holds 12 months by default. Turn it off first to export older mail.
- OneDrive: don’t save the .pst to a OneDrive folder, and make sure OneDrive isn’t syncing the folder you chose.
You choose the save location with Browse. Microsoft’s data file article says Outlook keeps .pst files in Documents\Outlook Files on Windows 10 and 11, though it varies by version.
How to Import a PST File Back Into Classic Outlook
From Microsoft’s import article:
- Select File > Open & Export > Import/Export.
- Select Import from another program or file, then Next.
- Select Outlook Data File (.pst), then Next.
- Select Browse and pick the file. Under Options, choose how to handle duplicates, then Next.
- If the file has a password, enter it and select OK.
- To import into a Microsoft 365 mailbox, select that mailbox. Otherwise choose Import items into the current folder.
- Select Finish.
To look through a backup without copying it into your mailbox, use File > Open & Export > Open Outlook Data File instead. The file appears in the navigation pane, where you can browse its folders.
Export and Import PST Files in New Outlook for Windows
To export, go to Settings > Files > Export, select Get started, and follow the wizard to pick the mailbox or the folders you want. Microsoft’s export article says calendar and contact items in .pst files aren’t available in new Outlook.
On importing, Microsoft’s pages disagree as of November 2026. If import isn’t there or fails, switch back to classic Outlook with the New Outlook toggle and use the classic steps above. The export article says importing a .pst “is currently not supported in new Outlook.” The import article gives steps, and the feature comparison (updated June 2026) lists .pst support as “Partially available” and says new Outlook supports importing mail, calendar events, contacts and tasks. The import steps are:
- Select Settings, Data files, then Import. (Other Microsoft pages call this section Files.)
- Under Outlook Data File (.pst), select Get started, then Select file, and open the file.
- Under Folders to import from, pick a folder and select Next. Include subfolders is checked by default.
- Under How do you want to handle duplicate items?, choose an option and select Next.
- Under Choose a destination folder, pick the mailbox from the Account list, then the folder, and select Import.
To open a .pst in new Outlook, Microsoft requires classic Outlook to be installed too, with the same 32-bit or 64-bit architecture, and a Microsoft 365 subscription on the account. The ARM version of new Outlook doesn’t support .pst files.
How to Back Up Outlook Emails From Outlook on the Web or Outlook.com
Microsoft’s Export your Outlook.com mailbox article says you need a desktop version of Outlook:
- Install new or classic Outlook for Windows.
- Add your Outlook.com account to it.
- Export the mailbox to a .pst with the steps above.
The file holds a copy of your email, contacts and calendar up to the day you create it. Microsoft says you can do this without a Microsoft 365 subscription by using classic Outlook in Reduced Functionality Mode.
Microsoft’s privacy FAQ still says you can export email from Outlook.com under Settings > General > Privacy and data. Microsoft’s own article for that page now describes only an Export of your search history as a .csv file, not your mail. If you don’t see a mailbox export there, use desktop Outlook.
How to Export a Work or School Mailbox
With a Microsoft 365 work or school account, export from desktop Outlook as above. An admin can also export mailboxes to .pst files with eDiscovery in the Microsoft Purview portal. Search export packages are deleted 14 days after they’re created, so download them first. Ask IT before relying on either.
How to Export Emails in Outlook for Mac
Microsoft’s Mac export article is written for legacy Outlook for Mac and gives .olm as the only format:
- On the Tools tab, choose Export. If it’s missing, update Outlook, then look for Export on the File menu.
- In the Export to Archive File (.olm) box, check the items you want, then choose Continue.
- Pick a location under Where, select Save, and choose Finish when the export completes.
To import, choose Tools > Import, select Outlook for Mac archive file (.olm) or Outlook for Windows archive file (.pst), then Continue, find the file, and choose Import. Items appear under On My Computer.
Microsoft’s Mac articles say “support for legacy Outlook for Mac will end in October 2026,” and that continued support depends on your Microsoft 365, Office or Outlook license. Microsoft’s end-of-support page says that starting October 2026, “the legacy Outlook for Mac client will stop working against Exchange Online mailboxes.” If your work or school mailbox is on Exchange Online and legacy Outlook no longer connects to it, export from Outlook for Windows on a PC, or ask IT about an eDiscovery export. The same page gives October 9, 2029 for on-premises Exchange accounts and Office LTSC 2024. None of these pages give export steps for the new Outlook for Mac.
Outlook App for iPhone and Android
Microsoft’s export articles give no steps for the mobile apps. Use a desktop Outlook.
Export Contacts to a CSV File
If you only need contacts, Microsoft’s contacts article covers exporting them to a .csv file in new Outlook, classic Outlook and Outlook on the web.
To save one email as a file rather than a whole mailbox, see how to save an email as a PDF in Outlook.
What a PST Backup Does and Doesn’t Protect
- Microsoft 365, Exchange and Outlook.com: Microsoft says these messages are kept on the mail server, so you don’t need a .pst to move them to a new PC. A .pst is a separate copy, frozen on the day you made it.
- POP accounts: all your mail is stored in a .pst on your computer, and by default Outlook deletes it from the server after downloading, so that file is usually your only copy. Back it up.
- .ost files can’t be moved to another computer. Outlook recreates them when you add the account again.
- No schedule: Microsoft says there’s no automated way to back up everything regularly. It notes that AutoArchive only covers old items and moves them rather than copying them. Repeat the export when you want a fresh copy.
Keep your original mail after you export, and store the .pst in a second place too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does exporting to a PST file delete emails from Outlook?
No. Microsoft says exporting to a .pst makes a copy and nothing leaves Outlook. Your mailbox stays as it was.
Why is my Outlook PST export missing older emails?
Classic Outlook exports only what it has downloaded. By default it syncs the past year, and Cached Exchange Mode holds 12 months. Move the sync slider to All or turn off Cached Exchange Mode, then export again.
Can I export emails from Outlook on the web?
Not as a .pst. Microsoft’s instructions for Outlook.com are to add the account to new or classic Outlook for Windows and export there. With a work or school account, an admin can export mailboxes through eDiscovery.
Can new Outlook for Windows import a PST file?
Microsoft’s pages disagree as of November 2026. Try Settings > Data files > Import; if it isn’t there or fails, switch to classic Outlook and use File > Open & Export > Import/Export.
Where does Outlook save the PST file?
Wherever you choose with Browse during the export. Microsoft says Outlook keeps .pst files in Documents\Outlook Files on Windows 10 and 11. Don’t save it in a folder that OneDrive syncs.
Do I need to back up a Microsoft 365 or Outlook.com mailbox?
Microsoft says Exchange, Microsoft 365 and Outlook.com messages are kept on the mail server, so you don’t need a .pst to move them to a new PC. A .pst is a separate copy, frozen on the day you made it. A POP account is different: its mail is usually only in the .pst on your computer.