# Back up a mailbox

To back up a mailbox, open Admin console › Backup & Archival › Backup. Type the user's email, login or mobile number, click Exact or Search, then click Select on the right user. Choose the dates and folder, click Start Backup and download the file from the queue when its status shows Completed.

## How to back up a mailbox

1. Open **Backup & Archival** and click **Backup**.
2. Type the user's email, login or mobile number and click **Exact** or **Search**.
3. On the **Configure** tab, click **Select** next to the right user.
4. Set **Start date**, **End date** and **Mailbox folder**. Tick the delete option only if you want to free space.
5. Click **Start Backup**, then watch the job on the **Queue** tab and download the file when it shows **Completed**.

## Queue tab

The page opens on the **Queue** tab, titled **Create Mail Backup**. It shows recent backup jobs for your domain, not only one user.

| Item | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Counters | **Queued**, **Running**, **Completed** and **Failed** jobs. |
| Filters | A status list (**All status**, **Queued**, **Running**, **Completed**, **Failed**), a **Mailbox** box and a refresh icon. |
| Columns | Requested At, Mailbox, Folder, Backup Range, Status, Age, Started At, Finished At, File, Action. |
| **File** | Downloads the finished backup. |
| **Action** | Cancels a queued job, or deletes the record of a finished one. You are asked to confirm. |

While a job is queued or running, the list refreshes by itself every few seconds.

## Configure tab

The **Configure** tab appears after you search. **Exact** finds the one matching user. **Search** lists every user that matches.

| Option | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|
| User list | Name, E-mail, Activation Date, Expiry Date, Last Login Date, Mailbox Size and a **Select** button. | |
| **Start date** / **End date** | The period of mail to back up. You cannot pick a future date, and the start cannot be after the end. | today |
| **Mailbox folder** | One of the user's folders, or all folders. | |
| **Delete backed-up mails from mailbox after backup** | Removes the backed-up mails from the mailbox. | off |
| **Start Backup** | Adds the job to the queue. | |
| **Backup History** | This user's earlier backups with folder, dates, when each step ran, the download link and an action. | |

## Example

> Before Anita leaves acme.in, Meera backs up her Inbox from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2025, ticks the delete option to free space and downloads the file once the queue shows **Completed**.

## Good to know

- You can back up only mailboxes in your domain, unless a server administrator has allowed you to manage other domains.
- Backups run in the background. You can leave the page and come back to the queue.

## Common questions

**Can I free up a user's mailbox space with a backup?**

Yes. Tick **Delete backed-up mails from mailbox after backup**. The mails in the range are removed from the mailbox once they are backed up, so keep the backup file safe.


Source: https://docs.xgenplus.com/admin/back-up-a-mailbox/