Define what is missing
A message absent from a visible inbox may have been moved, filtered, archived, deleted, excluded from an export or held under a different account. The first task is to establish the expected correspondence, the last known location and the sequence of changes. Absence from one search is not proof that it never existed.
Potential sources
The assessment considers available sources individually rather than assuming every provider has the same recovery functions.
- Live account folders and source-specific retained material, where accessible.
- Local stores or caches, authorised archives and historical backups.
- Copies held by senders, recipients, shared mailboxes or other authorised custodians.
- Migration exports and older devices that may contain a separate historical record.
Information needed
Provide the provider, account type, approximate dates, deletion or migration history and any known backups. Identify whether the account remains active, who controls it and what repair or recovery attempts have already taken place. The condition of the source and available access material may determine whether further work is worthwhile.
Possible outputs
A feasibility assessment can identify promising sources, inaccessible sources and material limitations. Further examination may produce located messages, a reconciliation of gaps, a recovery schedule and an explanation of provenance. Material reconstructed from deleted structures should be distinguished from complete surviving copies obtained elsewhere.
Limits and preservation
Purged, overwritten or cryptographically inaccessible material may not be recoverable. Existing retention and hold arrangements are source-specific; applying preservation now does not guarantee restoration of earlier losses. Avoid restoring, compacting or repairing the only surviving copy without an agreed plan. Start with the history and source inventory rather than assuming a recovery result.