New Outlook Folder Reorder Settings: Location and Practical Limits

When you switch to the new Outlook for Windows, you may notice that the familiar drag-and-drop folder reordering behaves differently or seems to stop working. The new Outlook stores folder order settings in a specific location tied to your Microsoft 365 account, and it enforces limits on how many folders you can reorder manually. This article explains exactly where the folder reorder settings are stored, how to access them, and what practical limits you will encounter when trying to reorganize your mailbox.

Many users find that after reordering a few folders, the changes do not sync to other devices or disappear after restarting Outlook. This happens because the new Outlook uses a server-side folder order stored in Exchange Online, not a local profile file. Understanding this location and the maximum number of custom folder orders allowed helps you avoid wasting time on unsupported folder arrangements. The following guide covers the settings location, step-by-step reorder instructions, and the exact limits you must work within.

How the New Outlook Stores Folder Order Settings

The new Outlook for Windows does not use a local Outlook profile file to store folder order. Instead, it stores the custom folder order on the Exchange Online server as part of your mailbox configuration. This means the folder order you set on one device applies to all devices where you sign in with the same Microsoft 365 account, including Outlook on the web, Outlook mobile, and the new Outlook for Mac.

The folder order is stored in a hidden system folder called FolderOrder under the root of your mailbox. This folder is not visible in the folder pane. When you reorder folders using the new Outlook interface, the client sends a request to Exchange Online to update the folder order property. The server then applies the new order to all connected clients.

Where to Find the Folder Order Settings

The folder order settings are not exposed in the ribbon or right-click menu. You must open them through the Outlook Options dialog:

1. Open Outlook Options
   Click File in the top-left corner, then click Options in the left navigation pane.
2. Navigate to the Folder Order section
   In the Options dialog, click General on the left sidebar. Scroll down to the Folder Order section.
3. Open the Folder Order Editor
   Click the Folder Order button. A new window opens showing your mailbox name at the top and a list of all folders in the selected mailbox.

The Folder Order Editor lists every folder in your mailbox, including default folders like Inbox, Sent Items, and Deleted Items, plus any custom folders you created. Each folder has a Move Up and Move Down button on the right side. The order you see in this list is the current server-side order.

Steps to Reorder Folders in the New Outlook

Use the Folder Order Editor to reorder folders. Do not rely on drag-and-drop in the folder pane, because the new Outlook does not support drag-and-drop reordering for server-side folder order. The only supported method is through the Options dialog.

1. Open the Folder Order Editor
   Go to File > Options > General > Folder Order and click the Folder Order button.
2. Select the folder to move
   In the Folder Order Editor, click the folder you want to reorder. The folder becomes highlighted.
3. Move the folder up or down
   Click the Move Up button to shift the folder one position higher in the list. Click Move Down to shift it one position lower. Each click moves the folder by exactly one position.
4. Repeat for additional folders
   Continue selecting and moving folders until the list matches your desired order. The order in this list directly controls the order in the folder pane on all devices.
5. Save and close
   Click OK to save the changes and close the Folder Order Editor. Click OK again in the Options dialog. The folder pane updates immediately.

Changes sync to other devices within a few minutes. If the folder pane does not update, restart Outlook or press F5 to refresh the folder list.

Practical Limits of Folder Reordering

The new Outlook imposes a hard limit on the number of folders you can manually reorder. You can set a custom order for up to 100 folders per mailbox. This limit applies to all folder types, including default folders, custom folders, and shared folders that you have added to your mailbox.

When you exceed 100 folders, the Folder Order Editor still shows all folders, but the Move Up and Move Down buttons become disabled for folders beyond the 100th position. Folders in positions 101 and above remain in their default alphabetical order and cannot be moved. This limit is set by Exchange Online and cannot be changed by the user or administrator.

What Happens When You Reach the Limit

If your mailbox contains more than 100 folders, only the first 100 folders in the current order can be reordered. The remaining folders appear at the bottom of the folder pane in alphabetical order. You cannot drag them into the first 100 positions. If you delete or move folders from the first 100, the next folders in alphabetical order shift into the reorderable range, but you must manually reorder them again.

Folder Reorder Does Not Affect Search or Rules

The folder order setting is purely cosmetic. It changes the display order in the folder pane. It does not affect how Outlook searches for items, how inbox rules apply to folders, or how email is delivered. Rules and search continue to work based on folder hierarchy and name, not display order.

If Folder Reorder Settings Do Not Sync or Apply

Several issues can prevent folder reorder settings from applying correctly. The following are the most common problems and how to resolve them.

Folder Order Resets to Alphabetical After Restart

If you reorder folders but the order resets to alphabetical after you close and reopen Outlook, the custom folder order was not saved to the server. This usually happens when you exceed the 100-folder limit without realizing it. Open the Folder Order Editor and count the folders in the list. If you have more than 100 folders, the custom order for the first 100 folders is saved, but folders beyond that are not reordered. Reduce the number of folders to 100 or fewer to keep the custom order stable.

Folder Order Does Not Sync to Other Devices

Folder order sync depends on a stable connection to Exchange Online. If you are using a VPN or have a slow network, the order may not sync immediately. Close and reopen Outlook on the other device, or wait up to 15 minutes for the server to push the update. If the order still does not sync, sign out of all devices and sign back in. This forces a full mailbox configuration reload.

Cannot Reorder Shared or Group Mailbox Folders

The Folder Order Editor only allows reordering folders in your primary mailbox. Shared mailboxes, group mailboxes, and public folders cannot be reordered through this interface. To reorder folders in a shared mailbox, you must have full access permissions and use Outlook on the web. In Outlook on the web, right-click a folder in the shared mailbox and select Move Up or Move Down. The new Outlook does not support this feature for non-primary mailboxes.

Item	New Outlook (Windows)	Classic Outlook (Windows)
Folder order storage	Exchange Online server	Local Outlook profile (.xml file)
Reorder method	File > Options > General > Folder Order	Drag-and-drop in folder pane
Maximum reorderable folders	100 per mailbox	No limit (limited by local file size)
Sync across devices	Automatic via Exchange	Manual export/import of profile
Reorder shared mailbox folders	Not supported	Supported via drag-and-drop

Understanding these differences helps you decide whether to use the new Outlook or stick with the classic version for folder management. If you rely on a large number of custom folders or need to reorder shared mailbox folders, the classic Outlook gives you more flexibility. For most users with fewer than 100 folders in their primary mailbox, the new Outlook folder reorder settings work reliably once you know where to find them and how to stay within the limit.