Hitting a snag where emails are just stuck in the Drafts folder on Outlook? Yeah, it’s a pretty common gripe, especially with recent updates or weird account glitches. Sometimes, emails stubbornly refuse to send, linger there like uninvited guests, and can even cause inbox clutter that’s hard to clear. If you’re tired of seeing that “stuck in draft” message or just want a way to push those emails out without re-creating everything, these fixes might help. They cover a mix of toggling settings, clearing cache, or even just a quick workaround to get that draft off your list and sent on its way.
How to Fix Emails Stuck in Drafts in Outlook
Fix 1 – Switch to the New Outlook Client (if you’re still on Classic)
This one is pretty straightforward and, oddly enough, seems to fix some weird syncing issues. Outlook has this “new” version that’s supposed to be more stable with recent updates. If you’re still rocking the classic version, giving this a shot might actually bump your email out of limbo.
- Make sure Outlook isn’t minimized or running in the background.
- Look for the Try the New Outlook toggle—usually at the top or in the sidebar.
- Flip it to On.
- A prompt will pop up—just confirm, and you’ll switch over.
- Once you’re in the new layout, try to resend the problematic draft. Sometimes, on this setup, messages go out smoother.
Pro tip: On some setups, this step might go sideways on the first try, then magically work after a restart or re-login. Windows and Outlook have their quirks, of course.
Fix 2 – Recreate and Send the Email from Scratch
This classic workaround bites sometimes, but it works pretty consistently. Open the stuck draft, copy all its content, then compose a new email and paste it in. Send that one instead. And then, just delete the old draft. Easy, but effective—especially if the draft’s messing with attachments or formatting.
- Open your Drafts folder and find that stubborn email.
- Copy everything—text, images, attachments (if they’re still linked).
- Start a brand-new email, paste everything in, and hit send.
- Back in Drafts, delete the original, so it’s tidy.
If something weird happens, like attachment links breaking or formatting shifting, doing this can help avoid those issues. Feels less pixelated that way.
Fix 3 – Send the Email from Inbox Instead of Drafts
Ever notice that when you try to send a draft, Outlook sometimes creates a duplicate in your Inbox? Kind of weird, but it’s a common glitch, especially with large attachments or when Outlook gets confused about message states. Here’s what you do:
- Open the message from your Drafts folder — it’s safer to keep a backup just in case.
- Save a copy of the message—click the Save icon (looks like a floppy disk or just use Ctrl + S).
- When prompted about conflicts, tap Yes. A second copy will appear, often saved directly into your Inbox.
- Go to your main Inbox where the copy landed, open it, and send it from there. Afterwards, delete the original draft to stay tidy.
This method sometimes avoids stuck drafts because the message is now fully recognized as sent or ready to send from the inbox. Not sure why it works, but it does—probably a sync thing.
Fix 4 – Clear Your Outlook Storage & Cleanup Large Files
If you’ve accumulated a boatload of emails with giant attachments, Outlook might stumble trying to send new messages. Reduce your storage—delete old emails, empty your Trash and Junk folders—and see if that frees things up.
- Go through the inbox and delete big mail items (attachments over 25MB, usually).
- Check your Junk and Trash folders and empty them.
- Sometimes, Outlook’s local cache gets bloated. Clearing it might help.
Because of course, Windows has to make it harder than necessary, right?
Fix 5 – Clear Outlook Cache Files
Corrupted cache files can make Outlook act weird, including sticking emails in Drafts. To clear out cache:
- Close Outlook completely.
- Press Win + R to bring up the Run box.
- Type `
%localappdata%\Microsoft\Outlook` and hit OK. - Delete everything inside that folder—files and subfolders.
- Reopen Outlook, log in, and let it resync your emails. This might take a few minutes but can fix lingering glitches.
On some machines, Outlook might recreate the cache on its own after this step—refreshing the whole setup.
Fix 6 – Run Repair for Outlook
Sometimes, Outlook files just get corrupted or broken. Repairing the app can fix that without needing a full reinstall.
- Type Outlook into your Windows search bar.
- Right-click the Outlook app icon and choose App Settings.
- Scroll down to find the Repair option and run it.
- Once done, open Outlook again and check if the drafts are behaving.
On some systems, you might have to restart or re-login, but it’s worth a shot.
Fix 7 – Use Outlook on the Web
If desktop Outlook is being stubborn, the web version can often bypass underlying glitches. Plus, it’s a quick way to send stuck drafts without installing anything extra.
- Visit Outlook Web.
- Log in with your credentials.
- Navigate to the Drafts folder, open the stuck email, and hit Send.
- If it sends successfully, delete the draft from both web and your desktop app to prevent duplicates.
Sometimes, web Outlook handles things better when the desktop client gets wonky.
Summary
- Switch to the new Outlook if you’re still on classic—it can help with syncing issues.
- Recreate and resend drafts instead of trying to push stuck stuff directly.
- Send directly from Inbox if the draft is acting up.
- Clear out old emails and large attachments to free up space.
- Clear cache files to fix lurking corrupt data.
- Run Outlook’s repair tool — sometimes, it just needs a little nudge.
- Use Outlook on the web as a backup plan.
Wrap-up
Getting emails unstuck can be a bit of trial and error, especially with updates and account quirks. Most of these fixes have worked on at least one or two setups, so giving them a shot might finally send that stubborn message on its way. Stay patient and don’t forget to keep your Outlook updated — it’s easier to troubleshoot with the latest version sometimes. Hopefully, this shaves off a few hours for someone. Good luck!