How to reduce the size of email mailbox?

[The Mad Monk]

My email provider has tod me that my mailbox is 90% full and I should reduce its size.

What is the best way to reduce the size of the mailbox?

[mmm-five]

Delete stuff...especially any mails with large attachments...but it might just be a ploy to get you to buy more storage!

[v8notbrave]

Use Google to copy the script if "delete emails older than 5 years" etc the delete all easy to do some basic housekeeping and avoid charges

[natterjak]

See if there is an option to display your emails in order of size, instead of date order.

Then deleting just a few of the biggest will make a huge difference in storage space.

[FourWheelDrift]

Check deleted items, deleted them permanently.

Check sent items, delete all of them if you don't need them.

[Mandat]

The Mad Monk said:

My email provider has tod me that my mailbox is 90% full and I should reduce its size.

What is the best way to reduce the size of the mailbox?

What e-mail provider / software do you use, as this would make a difference to your options.

[Mr Pointy]

If it's Microsoft/Outlook/Onedrive remember that Outlook & Onedrive share the same storage allowance so it might not just be an email issue.

Look at moving mail into local storage folders after culling anything not needed & compacting all folders.

[butchstewie]

Mandat said:

What e-mail provider / software do you use, as this would make a difference to your options.

This.

Paying for more storage is one option.

Deleting is one option.

Moving old data to an archive might be another option but depends on some details including how you access your email.

Moving to an email provider who offer more storage is also an option.

There isn't a one size fits all to this - unless just deleting stuff is an option but if it was I guess you wouldn't be asking the question

[Steve_H80]

The Mad Monk said:

My email provider has tod me that my mailbox is 90% full and I should reduce its size.

What is the best way to reduce the size of the mailbox?

The default answer used to be to set an archive to move older files out of the mailbox and into another mail file, but this might not be feasible for you.
It might not even be your problem, Google for example gives these messages when your Gdrive starts to fill up, ditch some of that and you have plenty of email box available.

[bunchofkeys]

Do a search for "unsubscribe"

It will find all the junk emails that you safely delete. You'll be surprised as to how much space they consume, especially if the images have been downloaded.

[The Mad Monk]

bunchofkeys said:

Do a search for "unsubscribe"

It will find all the junk emails that you safely delete. You'll be surprised as to how much space they consume, especially if the images have been downloaded.

Now that IS a good idea. I have just deleted 2 years worth of junk from various companies and organisations.

How can I measure how full my inbox is?

[mmm-five]

The Mad Monk said:

Now that IS a good idea. I have just deleted 2 years worth of junk from various companies and organisations.

How can I measure how full my inbox is?

Unless they've got attachments, their size will be tiny and contribute next to nothing to storage usage.

[Mr Pointy]

The Mad Monk said:

Now that IS a good idea. I have just deleted 2 years worth of junk from various companies and organisations.

How can I measure how full my inbox is?

You've already been asked why sort of email service or provider you are using. Gmail?Hotmail?BT? Virgin?Outlook?MS365?POP?IMAP? We're just guessing how to help at the moment.

[Mandat]

Mr Pointy said:

The Mad Monk said:

Now that IS a good idea. I have just deleted 2 years worth of junk from various companies and organisations.

How can I measure how full my inbox is?

You've already been asked why sort of email service or provider you are using. Gmail?Hotmail?BT? Virgin?Outlook?MS365?POP?IMAP? We're just guessing how to help at the moment.

Exactly. Without knowing your setup we can't provide meaningful advice.

I run a company who's main form of communication is via e-mail, with lots of attachments, pdf's, photos, documents going back & forth. My e-mail service has a 2GB inbox limit, yet I have over 140GB worth of e-mails filed in dozens of self hosted pst files for easy access & archive purposes.

[The Mad Monk]

Mr Pointy said:

The Mad Monk said:

Now that IS a good idea. I have just deleted 2 years worth of junk from various companies and organisations.

How can I measure how full my inbox is?

You've already been asked why sort of email service or provider you are using. Gmail?Hotmail?BT? Virgin?Outlook?MS365?POP?IMAP? We're just guessing how to help at the moment.

Yahoo