emails sent or received using a personal or non-official account must be

Emails sent or received using a personal or non-official account must be copied or forwarded to the official email account within a specified timeframe, often within 5 or 20 days depending on the agency or organization's policy. For example, guidance for U.S. federal employees specifies forwarding a complete copy of such records to an official account not later than 20 days after the original transmission. The Department of Defense mandates that if official business is conducted through personal email in rare circumstances, the message must be copied or forwarded to the official account within 20 days. Similarly, other organizations may require forwarding within 5 days to ensure proper record keeping and compliance with legal and organizational policies to maintain transparency and security.