Standardly, the outbox is a folder where your emails go immediately before they are sent. The vast majority of email services dispatch their messages so quickly these days that you will not even notice the message first going into the outbox.
However, some emails can end up there (and stay there) accident, depending on your email settings. Note that the outbox folder is a completely different folder from the sent folder.
- The sent folder is where you can view all the emails you’ve successfully sent.
- The outbox is a temporary folder where emails that are in the process of being sent are held until the process is done.
The outbox is a sort of limbo for emails. The email client understands that you’ve hit send on the email and is trying to process that action, but it can’t fully send it to the recipient’s inbox either. This can be for a few reasons, such as:
- The email has a large attachment file that takes a while to process
- Your internet connection went out as the email was getting sent
- Your internet connection is slow
- Your email is set up to go to outbox automatically so you can manually send it later
If your email is stuck in the outbox, you need to resolve one of the above problems before it gets sent. This may include:
- Condensing or breaking apart attachments into separate, smaller messages
- Checking your internet connection and ensuring you are reconnected in the event of a drop
- Waiting until your slow internet is able to process the request
- Adjusting your email settings to send the email automatically after you press the “send” button, instead of waiting for another check-over by you.
You can also delete the email from the outbox, send it later, or change it if you sent the email by accident. With the right changes applied, it will have an easier time leaving the outbox.
