How to Export Outlook Emails to a PST File for a Specific Date Range

How to Export Outlook Emails to a PST File for a Specific Date Range

Requirements

• Microsoft Outlook installed (Windows only; not available on Mac for this feature)

• Your Outlook account set up and synced

• Sufficient disk space for the exported file

✅ Step 1: Create a Custom Search Folder (Optional but Recommended)

Since Outlook's native export tool does not support filtering by date directly, the easiest method is to move or copy messages from a specific date range to a new folder first.

1. Open Outlook.

2. In the left pane, right-click on your Inbox, then select New Folder.

3. Name it something like Export_Jan2025.

4. Go to the Search bar and click Search Tools > Advanced Find.

5. In the Advanced Find window:

   • Go to the Advanced tab.

   • Click Field > Date/Time fields > Received.

   • Select between, and enter your date range (e.g., 01/01/2025 to 01/31/2025).

   • Click Add to List, then Find Now.

6. Select all matching emails (Ctrl+A), then drag them into the folder you created in Step 2.

Step 2: Export Emails to PST

Once the filtered emails are in a separate folder:

1. Click File > Open & Export > Import/Export.

2. Select Export to a file, then click Next.

3. Choose Outlook Data File (.pst) > Next.

4. Select the folder you created (Export_Jan2025) and ensure Include subfolders is checked if needed.

5. Click Next.

6. Choose where to save the .pst file and optionally set a password.

7. Click Finish.

Alternative Method (If You Don’t Want to Move Emails)

If you don’t want to move emails manually:

1. Use Outlook's Search Folder:

   • Go to Folder tab > New Search Folder.

   • Scroll to the bottom > choose Create a custom Search Folder > click Choose.

   • Name it, then click Criteria > Advanced tab > filter by Received date.

2. Once created, repeat the Export steps and select the new Search Folder during export.

Note: This method may not allow export unless the Search Folder is considered a top-level selectable folder.

Result

You should now have a .pst file with only the emails within your chosen date range, ready for backup, migration, or archiving.