This article explains what Message Archiving is within SmarterMail, how it works, and what customers should understand before using it for compliance or recovery purposes.
SmarterMail Message Archiving Explained
Message Archiving is a compliance and safety feature that keeps a secure copy of emails sent and received on your domain.
It is designed primarily for compliance, investigation, legal discovery, and message recovery purposes.
Important: Message Archiving is not a visible mailbox folder and does not increase the mailbox storage quota available to users.
Contents
What Message Archiving Is
When Message Archiving is enabled, a secure copy of each incoming and outgoing email is stored in a separate archive system.
What It Does
- Stores copies of incoming emails
- Stores copies of outgoing emails
- Creates a separate protected archive
- Provides compliance-style message retention
- Allows administrative message recovery
Key Characteristics
- Archive is separate from live mailboxes
- Users cannot browse the archive directly
- Archive storage does not count toward mailbox quota
- Messages remain protected independently from the mailbox
The archive exists as a protected compliance and recovery store, not as a normal user-accessible mailbox.
What Message Archiving Is NOT
Message Archiving is commonly misunderstood. It is not:
- An “Archive” folder inside the mailbox
- A second mailbox account
- A way to move old mail out of the mailbox to save storage space
- A day-to-day email browsing system for users
- A replacement for mailbox cleanup or storage management
Archived messages cannot normally be viewed through:
- Outlook
- Webmail
- Apple Mail
- Mobile devices
Instead, archived messages must be retrieved through an administrative archive search.
How Archived Messages Are Retrieved
If an archived message needs to be located, an administrator must perform a search within the archive system.
Typical searchable information includes:
- Sender email address
- Recipient email address
- Approximate date ranges
- Subject line keywords
Once a search is completed, matching messages can be reviewed and, where appropriate, restored or provided.
Archive retrieval is generally an administrative process and is not intended for routine day-to-day mailbox access.
Important Notes
- Archiving only stores messages processed after archiving has been enabled
- Historical email is not automatically imported retroactively
- Archive searches may take time depending on message volume and date range
- Retention policies may apply depending on the archive configuration
- Archive systems are designed for compliance and recovery, not mailbox expansion
Why Message Archiving Is Used
Message Archiving provides an additional layer of protection, accountability, and recoverability for business communications.
Common business use cases include:
Business Continuity
Additional protection against accidental deletion or mailbox loss.
Administrative Investigation
Reviewing historical communication when necessary.
Compliance & Legal Discovery
Supporting legal, contractual, or regulatory retention requirements.
In summary: Message Archiving is a compliance and recovery feature, not a mailbox storage management feature.
