I was looking for a solution to delete emails from our Microsoft 365 account, as the Inbox and Archive mailboxes are full.
You know it is difficult and time-consuming to delete the emails one by one or even by a date range.
I have been looking for solutions on the internet and have never been satisfied.
But today, finally, I have got a solution and here it is:
First, we need to go and visit as an admin to:
https://purview.microsoft.com/ediscovery
Then go to > Solutions > eDiscovery
Go to > Content Search & Create a New Search for a specific user, give a search name to remember, and click create, which we will need later to use in PowerShell.
I use > boni20_23
Immediately, you will be redirected to the Query menu:
In the query menu, click> Add Sources. Search for your user exchange mailbox to add to the query and click > Save and Close
Remember and select carefully > Locations to include > Mailboxex only
For my case, I am selecting Mailboxes only (It will delete mail only unless you know what you are doing)
On the right side > Condition Builder, add the date ranges and click > Run Query
I am selecting date > between > 2020-10-02..2023-10-02
On the next pop-up, again click Run Query and wait for the results
Now go to PowerShell and follow the instructions to: Install Online Exchange Module
If you have already done it, you can skip and continue, and for others, please follow accordingly.
And also, you may follow this Microsoft Article: Connect to Security & Compliance PowerShell
Download: Install and maintain the Exchange Online PowerShell module
Copy and paste on PowerShell: Install-Module -Name ExchangeOnlineManagement -RequiredVersion 3.9.0
Type: Yes and Press Enter
If you see: Untrusted repository, type Yes again and press Enter
Load the Exchange Online PowerShell module
Type: Import-Module ExchangeOnlineManagement and press Enter
Connect and authenticate
Connect-IPPSSession -UserPrincipalName email@yourcompany.com
To check your session: Get-PSSession
To see the list of the searched: Get-ComplianceSearch
To delete search results as per your date range:
New-ComplianceSearchAction -SearchName "boni20_23" -Purge -PurgeType HardDelete
If you see an error:
Write-ErrorMessage : |Microsoft.Exchange.Management.Tasks.ComplianceJobTaskException|Unable to execute the task.Reason: The search "boni20_23" is still running or it didn't return any results. Please wait until the search finishesor edit the query and run the search again.At C:\Users\DEF\AppData\Local\Temp\tmpEXO_mtvu23ym.xkr\tmpEXO_mtvu23ym.xkr.psm1:1191 char:13+ Write-ErrorMessage $ErrorObject+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~+ CategoryInfo : WriteError: (:) [New-ComplianceSearchAction], ComplianceJobTaskException+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : [RequestId=c9291ff7-6394-9742-d901-dc467239a01a,TimeStamp=Wed, 22 Oct 2025 05:19:22 GMT],Write-ErrorMessage
Please check the status (NotStarted): Get-ComplianceSearch
Go to > Cases > Content Search > Searches > boni20_23 and Click Export
Give a name to your Exports and make changes as per your requirements, and click Export
\
Now wait for exporting the reports, you can check by going: Case > Content Search > Exports
Once exports are complete, follow the above instructions to purge or delete the items, or follow as below:
New-ComplianceSearchAction -SearchName "Shoeb Old" -Purge -PurgeType HardDelete
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