Is it a myth that email isn't really a record, or do work emails actually have to be managed like records?

It is a myth. The format of a message has never decided whether it is a record. What matters is content and function: if an email documents your organization’s business, it is a record and must be managed like one, no matter how casual it looks.

Why “email isn’t a record” is wrong

The belief usually comes from two places: email feels informal, and there is a lot of it. Neither changes the legal and professional reality. Records are defined by what they document, not by the medium that carries them. An approval, a decision, a contract term, a commitment, or evidence of an action is a record whether it sits in a signed memo, a database, a text message, or an email thread.

This principle is consistent across authoritative guidance. Recordkeeping standards treat a record as information created or received as evidence of an activity, regardless of form or carrier. Email is simply one more carrier.

What “managed like a record” means

If an email qualifies as a record, it carries the same obligations as any other record:

• Retention. It must be kept for the period set by an approved retention schedule, then disposed of on schedule or preserved permanently.
• Findability and integrity. It must remain accessible, readable, and trustworthy for as long as it is required.
• Legal duties. It can be responsive to litigation holds, audits, FOIA or public-records requests, and similar obligations. Deleting it improperly can carry real consequences.

Not every email is a record

The myth survives partly because much email genuinely is not a record. Lunch plans, “got it, thanks,” and routine logistics have only short-term value and can be deleted under policy. The real task is distinguishing record emails from transitory ones, then applying the right retention to each.

The practical takeaway

Treat email as a category that contains records, not as something exempt from recordkeeping. Build capture and retention into how email is handled, rather than relying on individuals to remember which messages matter. When you are unsure whether a message is a record, treat it as one until you can confirm otherwise, and follow your own organization’s schedule and policy.

For broader context on governing information across formats, see the information governance topic hub.