Email Archiving Solutions

Business emails aren't just messages — they're legal documents. Deleting them without following the proper rules can result in fines of millions of dollars or even criminal proceedings.

US businesses are required by law to retain copies of business emails for a set period of time. These rules come in three forms:

• Federal laws that apply to all businesses and organizations
• Industry-specific regulations such as those covering healthcare, finance, and legal sectors
• State-specific laws that vary by location

Key regulations to be aware of include IRS rules, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX), and the Freedom of Information Act. All of these require that archived data is searchable and accessible when needed.

Email archiving isn't just about staying organized — it's a legal requirement. A proper archiving tool ensures your emails are preserved with the right levels of quality, integrity, security, and privacy to keep you fully compliant.

Every US business is responsible for retaining business emails — no exceptions. That said, the rules vary depending on your industry. Publicly traded companies must comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX), while healthcare and insurance providers are subject to HIPAA requirements. Other industries have their own specific regulations too.

The most important step? Find out which laws apply to your business and make sure you're meeting them.

It depends on which laws apply to your business. Here are some common benchmarks:

• IRS regulations and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) both require a minimum of 7 years for all companies
• Credit card and payment processors may only need to retain emails for 1 year
• Some industries require retention for a lifetime

Even if you're confident you're meeting federal requirements, it's worth checking with your legal counsel to make sure you're also covered under state and local laws. Learn more about email retention periods by industry in our Digital Guide.

Both backups and archives store your data — but they serve very different purposes.

A backup is a copy of your data that can be used to restore the original if something goes wrong. Hardware failure, human error, or a natural disaster can all cause data loss, and an email backup keeps you covered for those worst-case scenarios.

An archive is a long-term store of records that you may need to access in the future. Unlike backups, archives typically hold data that isn't in active use — freeing up space on your faster, more frequently accessed systems. The original data is moved to the archive rather than copied.

You can add the email archiving module to IONOS Mail Basic and Mail Business, as well as any IONOS product that includes an email address — such as web hosting and domain plans.

It works with IONOS Webmail and any other email client, including Outlook. All emails are securely backed up, professionally archived with audit-proof, tamper-proof envelope journaling, and fully searchable if you ever need them for a legal motion or audit.

A data breach or accidental deletion doesn't have to mean lost emails. IONOS Email Archiving keeps your business running with powerful search and one-click recovery.

• Works with all your IONOS email accounts — archive as many as you need
• Set and adjust access rights to suit your team
• Storage starts at 5 GB and expands automatically as you grow
• Fully compatible with Microsoft Outlook