Have you ever found yourself opening an email, selecting all the text, copying it, and pasting it into a new email — just because you wanted to attach the email itself? There’s a much better way. Outlook lets you attach emails as file attachments (.msg format) so recipients get the full original email including its attachments, formatting, and headers. This guide shows you every method for attaching Outlook emails as files instead of copy-pasting their contents.
Why Attach Emails as Files?
Attaching an email as a file (rather than copy-pasting or forwarding) preserves everything: the original sender, date, all recipients, formatting, attachments within the email, and email headers. This is particularly valuable for: escalating issues to managers (they see the full original conversation), providing evidence in disputes, archiving documentation for projects, submitting support tickets with complete email context, and sharing email conversations with people not in the original thread.
Method 1: Drag and Drop (Easiest)
This is the fastest method. Open a new email compose window. In the Outlook sidebar, navigate to the email you want to attach. Click and drag the email from the message list into the body of your new compose window. The email is attached as a .msg file. You’ll see it appear as an attachment with the original email’s subject line as the filename. This method works for attaching multiple emails simultaneously — just select multiple emails with Ctrl+Click or Shift+Click and drag them all at once.
Method 2: Attach Item from the Ribbon
In a compose window, go to the Insert tab → Attach Item → Outlook Item. A dialog opens showing your Outlook folders. Navigate to the folder containing the email you want to attach, select it, and click OK. The email is attached as a .msg file. This method is useful when you can’t easily drag-and-drop (on laptops with small screens or when windows are maximized).
Method 3: Forward as Attachment
Right-click any email → More → Forward as Attachment. This opens a new compose window with the original email already attached as a .msg file. Add your recipients, write any introduction, and send. This is the most direct method when you want to send exactly one email as an attachment with a brief cover note. In Outlook 365, you may find this option under Home → More → Forward as Attachment.
Method 4: Save Email as File, Then Attach
If you need to send the email through a different channel (not Outlook), save it as a file first. Open the email → File → Save As → choose .msg or .html format → save to your desktop. Then attach the saved file to any email, Teams message, or support ticket like any other file attachment. The .msg format preserves everything and can be opened by Outlook on the recipient’s end.
Attaching Multiple Emails at Once
To attach multiple emails as files simultaneously: In the message list, hold Ctrl and click each email you want to attach. Then drag all selected emails into the compose window at once. All selected emails will be attached as individual .msg files. Alternatively, select multiple emails and use File → Save As to save them all — then attach the saved files. This is useful for sending a collection of related emails as supporting documentation.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can the recipient open .msg files without Outlook?
The .msg format is a Microsoft-proprietary format that opens natively in Outlook. Recipients without Outlook can open .msg files using free tools like MSGViewer Pro or by converting them online. If you’re attaching emails for recipients who may not have Outlook, consider saving as HTML instead (.htm) — this is universally viewable in any web browser and preserves formatting and embedded images.
Why forward as attachment instead of regular forward?
Regular forwarding makes you part of the email chain and all of your text is visible in the forwarded message. Forwarding as attachment keeps the original email separate and intact as a file, with your cover message as a clean separate email. This is more professional when escalating issues, preserves the original email’s integrity, and makes it clearer to the recipient what is your comment versus what is the original conversation.
Have a specific use case for attaching emails as files? Leave a comment and our team at Fixing IT Issues Simplified will show you the most efficient method for your situation.