Mailbox full — how to check and what to do
A full mailbox doesn't just make it harder to stay organized — it starts rejecting new messages before they even arrive. Here's how to check, and how to free up space fast.
What to check, step by step
Check quota usage in the account settings
In your mailbox settings (usually under "Storage" or "Mailbox size"), you'll see how much of your available quota has been used.
Sort messages by size
Most mailboxes let you sort or search for messages starting with the largest — usually a handful of emails with big attachments (scans, presentations, videos) take up a disproportionate amount of space.
Empty the Trash and Spam folders
Deleted messages and spam still take up space in your mailbox until the Trash and Spam folders are manually emptied — often a surprising, easy chunk of your quota to reclaim.
Archive instead of delete if you want to keep messages
If you don't want to lose old messages but they don't fit in the mailbox, download them locally (export to a file) instead of permanently deleting them — that frees up space while keeping the content accessible.
When it's a job for IT
- You regularly hit the limit despite tidying up — the assigned mailbox quota may need to be increased.
- You don't see an option to check your used space in the account settings.
- You suspect something else (like a forwarding rule) is generating unwanted traffic in the mailbox — see the separate article on suspicious rules.
Couldn't fix it yourself?
Report the issue — it goes straight into our ticketing system, and our AI assistant assesses priority right away.