We explain the sifference between outbox and sent with table. The “outbox” folder and the “sent” folder are often used synonymously, but have very different features and functions.
The outbox folder is a space where all your outgoing messages are temporarily stored. During the process of writing a message, the data is automatically saved as a draft in your outbox. On the other hand, the sent folder is the space where all your messages move once they have been sent to the recipient.
What is the Outbox?
The outbox folder is the first step in the process of sending a message. The outbox folder temporarily contains all the messages you have composed. It is a safe place for your messages, as they remain there until a secure connection is established between the mail server and the recipient. After the process of composing a message when it is sent, it is moved directly to the outbox folder where it remains on hold until there is a secure connection available to the SMPT (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) server that leads to establishing the connection.
The other messages that are also commonly stored in the outbox are messages that have not been successfully delivered to the recipient due to any internet connectivity issues. Although the messages are stored in this folder, you can also re-edit them if necessary, as they have not yet been sent. After the mail server reconnects to the recipient and the message is successfully delivered to the recipient, the message will no longer remain in the outbox folder and will be automatically transferred to the send folder.
What is shipped?
The sent folder is the final stage in the process of sending a message. The sent folder usually stores all the messages that the sender has successfully sent to the recipient. All messages messages that have been sent through the mail server are stored here. Unlike the Outbox folder, messages in this folder can no longer be edited or deleted as the recipient has already delivered and received them.
Various email clients have their own labels to label sent messages. For Gmail it is commonly “sent mail” while for Microsoft Outlook the chosen label is “sent item”. Most email servers specifically choose the “sent” folder as the default.
Difference between outbox and sent with table
The difference between outbox and sent is that the outbox stores all messages or drafts that have not yet been delivered and, in addition, they can be edited and deleted as chosen. The envoy stores all messages that have been successfully delivered and no further changes can be made.
Comparison table between outbox and sent
Comparison output bin parameter sent
| Purpose | The outbox is a waiting cell for your messages until the server successfully sends them to the recipient. | The sent folder is the collection of all the messages that the mail server successfully delivered to the recipient. |
| Delivery status | All messages in the outbox are in the process of being sent | All messages that have been successfully sent to the intended recipient are stored in the sent folder. |
| Accessibility | The messages in the outbox folder can still be reviewed and changes can be made at will. Messages can also be deleted if they are no longer needed. | Sent folder messages cannot be edited further because they have already been sent to the intended recipient. |
| Condition | It is often referred to as a temporary holding cell. | Permanently stores all messages that have been sent. |
| panorama | The archive stores only unsent messages. | All messages that have been sent can be tracked for future reference. |
Key differences between Outbox and Sent
- The main difference between the outbox and the sent ones is that the outbox folder temporarily stores all the messages that are sent. They store it for a certain period of time, while the sent folder permanently stores all messages that have been successfully delivered by the sender.
- Messages that are stored in the outbox folder can be edited or deleted as desired, as they have not yet been sent to the recipient. Unlike the outbox folder in the sent folder, no further changes can be made to messages, as the recipient has received them successfully.
- Certain times, due to connectivity issues between the email client and the mail service, the message is often stored in the outbox and cannot be delivered, however once the connectivity issue is fixed and message is delivered, the message changes to the send folder.
- The messages in the outbox folder are waiting for a secure connection to the server to be established, while the messages in the sent folder have already gone through the process of ensuring an established connection and thus have been delivered to the recipient.
- The messages in the outbox folder have not yet been delivered, while the messages that are stored in the sent folder have already been delivered to the recipient.
Final Thought
Both the term outbox and sent are components that we find in different messaging platforms. The two terms are often confused as having a similar function, but these folders have very distinctive characteristics and are also widely separated in the various ways. The process of operation of both is very different. The “outbox” folder and the “shipped” folder can be distinguished on the basis of three factors, each of which is purpose, delivery status, and accessibility.
The Outbox folder stores all messages temporarily during the process of sending a message, while the Sent folder already stores all messages that have been successfully sent to the recipient.
The outbox folder is also a temporary holding cell for all messages waiting to be sent or delivered to the recipient. Additionally, undeliverable messages are temporarily stored here until a secure server connection is established with the recipient’s mail server and the message is delivered. Whereas the sent folder refers to all the messages that have been successfully sent to the recipient after going through the process of establishing a secure connection with the recipient’s mail server.
