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Just as a file cabinet contains folders to help you organize your documents, Outlook gives you a similar way to save and organize email messages. You can move or copy messages between folders in several different ways. 

  • Use drag-and-drop

  • Use Copy to Folder or Move to Folder

  • Move or copy using the clipboard

To work with multiple messages, do the following first:

  • To select adjacent messages, click the first message, and then hold down Shift and click the last message. All messages in the list between the first and last message you clicked are selected.

  • To select nonadjacent messages, click the first message, and then hold down Ctrl and click additional items.

Move using drag and drop

  1. Select the item you want to move.

  2. Drag to the destination folder, and then release the mouse button.

    Notes: 

    • If the folder you want to move or copy the message to does not appear because it is in a collapsed folder, hover the mouse pointer over the collapsed folder icon and the subfolders will appear. Repeat this as necessary until the folder you want appears.

    • If the item you want to move is a public folder or a SharePoint list, dragging it to another folder results in a Copy operation.

Copy using drag and drop

  1. Select the item you want to move by holding down the right-mouse button (or the alternate mouse button if you're using the mouse with your left hand).

  2. Drag to the destination folder and release the mouse button.

  3. When the context menu appears, select Copy.

Move or copy using the Move to Folder or Copy to Folder option

  1. Select the item you want to move.

  2. On the Outlook ribbon, select Move.

    • To move an item to a folder, select the folder from the drop-down list.

      If your folder isn't listed, select Other Folder and select the folder from the Choose Folder dialog box.

    • To copy an item to a folder, select Copy to Folder.


Move or Copy using the clipboard

  1. Select the item you want to move or copy.

  2. To move, right-click and select Cut. To copy, right-click and select Copy.

    Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut.
    To copy the item: click Ctrl+C.
    To move the item: click Ctrl+X

  3. Navigate to the folder where you want to move or copy the item to, and then click Ctrl+V.

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