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How to Send a Gmail Email as an Attachment: The Definitive Guide

Want to forward a conversation thread without all the clutter? Or maybe archive an email for later reference in a structured manner? Sending a Gmail email as an attachment allows you to do just that, packaging the email neatly into a downloadable file. Let’s dive in.

The simplest method is to download the email as an .eml file and then attach that file to a new email. This maintains the integrity of the original message, including headers, formatting, and attachments. Many email clients, including Gmail, can open .eml files. Below, we will explore the exact steps to do this directly in Gmail, as well as alternative methods and troubleshoot any challenges you might encounter.

Downloading and Attaching Emails in Gmail: A Step-by-Step Guide

Here’s the breakdown of how to send a Gmail email as an attachment:

Open the Email: Navigate to the email you wish to send as an attachment.
Access the “More” Options: In the upper-right corner of the email, you’ll find three vertical dots (the “More” options menu). Click on this.
Choose “Download message”: From the dropdown menu that appears, select “Download message”. This will download the email as an .eml file to your computer’s designated download folder. The name of the downloaded file will typically reflect the subject line of the email.
Compose a New Email: Click the “Compose” button to start a new email in Gmail.
Attach the .eml File: Click the “Attach files” paperclip icon in the compose window. Navigate to your downloads folder (or wherever you saved the .eml file) and select the downloaded .eml file.
Address and Send: Enter the recipient’s email address, add a subject line (if desired), and compose any accompanying text you wish to include in the email body. Finally, click “Send.”

That’s it! You’ve successfully sent a Gmail email as an attachment. The recipient will receive an email with the .eml file attached, which they can then open in their email client.

Why Send an Email as an Attachment? The Benefits

Sending emails as attachments offers several advantages:

Preserves Formatting and Headers: The .eml format retains the original email’s formatting, including images, links, and headers. This is crucial when the original formatting is important for context or legal reasons.
Organized Archiving: Instead of simply archiving emails within Gmail, you can download them as .eml files and store them in a separate folder structure on your computer or in a cloud storage service, allowing for more granular organization.
Forwarding Complex Threads: Instead of forwarding an entire lengthy email thread, you can send individual important emails within that thread as attachments.
Legal and Compliance Purposes: For legal documentation or compliance requirements, saving emails as .eml files provides a verifiable record of the original message, which can be essential in legal proceedings.
Circumventing Gmail Size Limits: While Gmail has a generous attachment limit, sending multiple emails as attachments can be a workaround for sending large amounts of information without exceeding those limits. This is because each .eml file, representing an individual email, is typically smaller than sending all those emails as separate, forwarded messages within a single email.
Offline Access: You can access the content of the attached .eml file even without an internet connection, provided you have an email client installed on your device that can open these files.

Understanding the .eml File Format

The .eml file format is a standard email file format used by many email clients, including Gmail, Outlook, Thunderbird, and Apple Mail. It stores the complete email message, including:

Headers: Sender, recipient, subject, date, and other metadata.
Body: The actual content of the email, including text and HTML formatting.
Attachments: Any files attached to the original email.

When you open an .eml file, your email client interprets the file and displays the email as it would appear in your inbox. Crucially, attachments within the .eml file remain accessible; they’re not embedded or altered.

Alternative Methods and Considerations

While the “Download message” method is the most straightforward within Gmail, there are a few alternative approaches and considerations to keep in mind:

Using Third-Party Tools: Some third-party email archiving tools can automate the process of downloading and archiving emails, including the ability to send them as attachments.
Printing to PDF: While not technically an attachment in .eml format, you can print an email to a PDF file and attach that PDF. However, this method may lose some formatting and won’t preserve the email headers in the same way as an .eml file. Also, embedded images are usually saved as part of the PDF.
Forwarding as Text: You can copy and paste the contents of an email into a new email. However, this will strip all formatting and attachments. It’s generally not recommended unless preserving the original format is unimportant.
Mailspring: This is a desktop email client for macOS, Linux, and Windows that allows you to save emails directly as .eml files.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

.eml File Won’t Open: Ensure you have an email client installed on your computer (like Outlook, Thunderbird, or even Gmail within a browser) and that it’s associated with the .eml file type.
Attachment Size Limits: Be mindful of attachment size limits imposed by your email provider and the recipient’s email provider. If the .eml file is too large, consider compressing it or using a file-sharing service.
Security Concerns: Be cautious when opening .eml files from unknown senders, as they can potentially contain malicious code. Always scan the file with antivirus software before opening it, especially if it comes from an untrusted source.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Can I send multiple Gmail emails as a single attachment?

No, Gmail doesn’t natively support combining multiple emails into a single .eml file. You would need to download each email individually as an .eml file and attach them separately. However, you could zip multiple .eml files into a single compressed archive (e.g., .zip) and send that as an attachment.

2. Is there a limit to the size of the .eml file I can attach?

Yes, Gmail has a limit of 25MB for attachments. This includes the .eml file itself and any attachments embedded within the original email.

3. How do I open an .eml file on my computer?

Most email clients, like Outlook, Thunderbird, Apple Mail, and even Gmail (within your browser), can open .eml files. Simply double-click the file, and your default email client should open it. If it doesn’t, you may need to manually associate the .eml file extension with your preferred email client.

4. Will the recipient see the original attachments within the .eml file?

Yes, the recipient will be able to access any attachments that were present in the original email when they open the .eml file. The .eml format preserves the entire email, including attachments.

5. Can I send an email as an attachment from the Gmail mobile app?

No, the Gmail mobile app does not offer a direct “Download message” option. You would need to access Gmail through a web browser on your mobile device to download the email as an .eml file.

6. Does sending an email as an attachment affect the original email in my Gmail inbox?

No, sending an email as an attachment does not alter or delete the original email in your Gmail inbox. It simply creates a copy of the email as an .eml file.

7. Are there any security risks associated with sending emails as attachments?

There are no inherent security risks specific to sending emails as attachments. However, recipients should always be cautious when opening attachments, especially from unknown senders, as they can potentially contain viruses or malware. Standard email security best practices apply.

8. What happens to HTML formatting when I send an email as an attachment?

The .eml format preserves the original HTML formatting of the email. The recipient should see the email as it was originally formatted, assuming their email client supports HTML rendering.

9. Can I send a draft email as an attachment?

Unfortunately, you cannot directly download a draft email as an .eml file. You must send the email first and then download the sent email as described earlier. As an alternative, you could copy the content of the draft and paste it into a new email or a text file for sharing.

10. Is it possible to automate the process of downloading and sending Gmail emails as attachments?

Yes, using third-party email archiving tools or scripting (using languages like Python with libraries like imaplib and email) it is possible to automate this process. However, this requires technical expertise.

11. Will the email headers (like sender and recipient) be visible in the attached .eml file?

Yes, all the original email headers (From, To, Subject, Date, etc.) are preserved within the .eml file. When the recipient opens the file, their email client will display these headers.

12. Can I convert an .eml file back into a regular Gmail email?

You can open the .eml file in Gmail. From there, you can forward it (which will essentially re-create it as a “regular” email) or copy and paste the contents into a new email. However, be aware that forwarding the .eml file from Gmail will attach the .eml file as well as display its content in the body of the new email.

By mastering the art of sending Gmail emails as attachments, you gain greater control over your email management, archiving, and collaboration.