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How to Manage Microsoft 365 Mailbox Archiving and Size Options
Question details
The user needs to understand Microsoft 365 mailbox archiving, eligible licenses, capacity limits, and how to manage mailbox size and archive settings.
- Product
- Microsoft 365
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Administrators or users need to enable archiving to manage mailbox capacity and verify if their current subscription supports advanced mailbox size configurations.
- Observed behavior
- Seeking clarification on license requirements and technical methods (admin center vs PowerShell) for managing Exchange Online archiving.
Ensure you have global administrator or Exchange administrator privileges in your Microsoft 365 tenant to view and modify mailbox archiving settings.
Verify Eligible Licenses and Enable Archiving in Admin Center
Check if your current Microsoft 365 subscription supports archiving and enable the feature for users through the Exchange Admin Center.
Mailbox archiving requires specific subscriptions, such as Exchange Online Plan 1, Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Business Standard, or Office 365 E1/A1/G1/F3.
By default, archiving is not enabled. Administrators must manually turn it on for users who need extra storage space beyond their primary mailbox quota.
Log in to the Microsoft 365 admin center using your administrator credentials and navigate to Admin centers > Exchange.
In the Exchange admin center, go to Recipients > Mailboxes and select the user whose archive you want to enable.
In the mailbox properties pane on the right, click on 'Others', select 'Manage mailbox archive', and toggle the 'Mailbox archive' status to Enabled. Save your changes.
Manage Mailbox Archiving Settings using PowerShell
Use Exchange Online PowerShell for bulk enablement and detailed management of archive settings.
Try WPS Office as Your Lightweight Productivity Solution
While you manage complex Microsoft 365 mailbox archiving policies on the backend, you can lower software overhead by equipping your team with WPS Office. It provides a free, highly compatible, and lightweight suite for daily document creation.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS Office website and click the 'Free Download' button.
- 2. Install the application: Run the downloaded installer file and follow the on-screen setup instructions.
- 3. Open your files: Launch WPS Office to instantly open, edit, and save your existing Microsoft Office documents without formatting loss.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Microsoft 365 licenses include mailbox archiving?
Eligible licenses include Exchange Online Plan 1, Exchange Online Kiosk, Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Business Standard, Office 365 E1, A1, G1, F3, and Microsoft 365 F3. Check Microsoft's Exchange Online service descriptions for the most up-to-date licensing details.
Can I manually increase my primary Microsoft 365 mailbox size?
Primary mailbox sizes are strictly determined by your subscription plan (e.g., 50 GB for Business Basic/Standard, 100 GB for E3/E5). Administrators cannot manually increase this limit beyond the license maximum; users must clean up data, use an archive, or upgrade their license.
What happens when an archive mailbox becomes full?
If you reach the archive quota limits and do not have an auto-expanding archive feature enabled (available in Exchange Online Plan 2 or via a dedicated add-on), users will not be able to move more emails to the archive. Administrators may need to apply retention policies to delete older data automatically.
