How to Attach an Email in Gmail

Ever needed to share an email thread exactly as it is, without losing attachments, formatting, or context? Attaching emails allows you to send one or multiple messages as standalone files, preserving everything in its original form.

From collaborating with colleagues and keeping formal records to sharing information across platforms, Gmail provides several ways to attach emails efficiently.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the main methods, including drag and drop, forwarding as an attachment, downloading and sending, and printing to PDF, so you can choose the right approach for any situation.

Key Takeaways

• Attaching emails keeps formatting, headers, and attachments intact.

• Main methods: drag and drop, forward as attachment, download and send, print to PDF.

• Most features work on Gmail web; mobile options are limited.

• Large files over 25 MB are sent via Google Drive automatically.

Why You Might Want to Attach an Email

Attaching an email means sending one or more messages as a separate file within a new email, rather than embedding the content directly in the body. This preserves the original formatting, headers, timestamps, and attachments, allowing the recipient to view the message exactly as it appeared in your inbox.

For example, if you received an important conversation with multiple attachments regarding a project update. Instead of copying the messages or forwarding them individually, you can attach the entire email to a new message and send it to your manager. This ensures they see the thread in full context and receive all attachments without missing anything.

Difference Between Attaching and Forwarding an Email

While forwarding an email and attaching an email may seem similar, they are different, and they have different use cases.

Attaching emails is ideal when you want to maintain the integrity of the original messages, while forwarding is simpler for quick, one-off messages.

How to Attach an Email in Gmail

Gmail offers several ways to attach emails to a new message, each suited for different scenarios. The four main methods are:

1. Drag and Drop

2. Forward as Attachment

3. Download and Send

4. Print and Send as PDF

Most of these options are only available when using Gmail on a web browser. While Gmail’s mobile app allows forwarding and attaching files in general, it doesn’t yet support features like dragging emails or forwarding them as attachments directly.

In the following sections, we’ll explore each method step by step, with tips to make the process smooth and efficient.

Method 1: Drag and Drop

Dragging and dropping emails is one of the quickest ways to attach messages in Gmail. It’s especially useful when you want to send multiple emails at once, preserving all formatting and attachments.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Open Gmail in your web browser and go to your inbox.

2. Select the email(s) you want to attach. To select multiple emails, hold down the Ctrl key (Windows) or Cmd key (Mac) while clicking each message.

3. Click and hold the selected email(s) and drag them into the Compose window.

4. Release the mouse button to drop the email(s) into the new message. They will appear as attached .eml files.

5. Add your recipient, subject, and any additional message, then click Send.

You can attach multiple emails at once, but keep an eye on the total file size to avoid exceeding Gmail’s attachment limit. Dragging emails works only on the web version of Gmail, not in the mobile app.

Tip: The attached email shows up as a .eml file, automatically named after the original email’s subject for easy identification.

If you want to see a visual demonstration of dragging and dropping emails in Gmail, check out the step-by-step video guide.

Method 2: Forward as Attachment

Gmail’s Forward as Attachment feature allows you to send one or more emails as separate attachments within a new message. This method preserves the original formatting, headers, and attachments, making it ideal for sharing full conversations.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Open Gmail in a web browser and select the email(s) you want to forward.

2. Click the More (three-dot) menu at the top of the inbox.

3. Choose Forward as attachment. A new compose window will open with the selected email(s) attached as .eml files.

4. Add your recipient, subject, and any additional message.

5. Click Send.

Tips:

• You can attach multiple emails in one go by selecting them before using Forward as attachment.

• This method works only in Gmail’s web version, not in the mobile app.

Method 3: Download and Send

Downloading emails lets you save a message to your computer just like any other file or document. Once saved, you can attach it to a new email and send it, preserving the original formatting and attachments.

This method is useful for offline storage or sharing emails outside of Gmail.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. On your computer, open Gmail and navigate to the email you want to download.

2. Click the More (three-dot) menu at the top of the email.

3. Select Download message. The email will be saved as a .eml file on your computer.

Important: To open the downloaded .eml file, you need a desktop email client like Outlook or Thunderbird.

Attaching & Sending the Downloaded Email:

1. Click Compose to start a new message.

2. At the bottom of the compose window, click Attach files.

3. Select the downloaded .eml file and click Open.

4. Add recipients, a subject, and any additional message, then click Send.

Tip: If your .eml file is larger than 25 MB, Gmail will automatically attach it via Google Drive.

Reply with an Attached Email

You can also attach an email while replying, similar to attaching any file or document.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. On your computer, open Gmail and navigate to the email you want to reply to.

2. Click Reply.

3. At the top right of the reply window, click Open in a pop-up.

4. From your inbox, select the email you want to attach.

5. Drag the selected email into the body of your reply message.

6. Add any additional message if needed, then click Send.

Tip: This method is handy for referencing specific emails while keeping the conversation thread intact.

Method 4: Print and Send as PDF

Sometimes, you may want to share an email as a PDF, similar to sending any other document. Printing to PDF preserves the email’s layout, formatting, and attachments in a convenient, universally accessible format.

Step-by-Step Guide (Desktop)

1. Open Gmail on your computer and navigate to the email you want to share.

2. Click the Print icon at the top of the email.

3. In the print dialog, select Save as PDF (instead of printing to a printer).

4. Click Save and choose a location on your computer.

5. Open Gmail, click Compose, and attach the PDF file like any other document.

6. Add recipients, subject, and any message, then click Send.

Step-by-Step Guide (Mobile)

1. Open the Gmail app on your phone.

2. Open the email you want to save.

3. Tap the More (three-dot) menu and select Print.

4. Choose Save as PDF from the printer options.

5. Save the PDF to your device.

6. Compose a new email and attach the PDF from your device storage.

7. Add recipients, subject, and message, then send.

Attaching emails in Gmail helps you share messages while preserving their original formatting and attachments. Most methods work best on the web, though mobile options like PDF saving are available. Next, we’ll cover the limitations of attaching an email in Gmail, so that you can use the feature with coaution.

Limitations of Attaching Emails in Gmail

While attaching emails is a powerful way to preserve formatting and share full conversations, it’s important to understand the practical limitations. Awareness of these constraints ensures you choose the right method for your workflow and avoid potential issues with file size, compatibility, or mobile access.

• Web-Only Features: Methods like drag-and-drop and forward as attachment are only available on Gmail’s web version, not the mobile app.

• File Size Restrictions: Gmail limits attachments to 25 MB; larger .eml or PDF files must go through Google Drive.

• Multiple Email Management: Attaching very large threads or many emails at once can be cumbersome and may slow down your browser.

• Compatibility Issues: Recipients using non-standard email clients may have trouble opening .eml files.

• Limited Mobile Support: Mobile apps don’t support all attachment methods, so you may need a desktop to use some features.

  

Conclusion

Attaching emails in Gmail can streamline communication and preserve important message details, but understanding the limitations helps you work more efficiently. To take email management a step further, NewMail AI can help you triage your inbox, prioritize important messages, and keep your workflow organized. So you spend less time digging through emails and more time on what matters. Start for Free.

1. Can you write one email and attach other emails as attachments?

Yes. In Gmail, you can compose a new message and attach one or multiple emails as .eml files. This preserves the original messages’ formatting, headers, and attachments, making it easy to share full conversations in a single email.

2. Can you attach multiple emails at once in Gmail?

Yes. On the Gmail web version, you can select multiple emails and attach them either by dragging and dropping or using the “Forward as attachment” feature.

3. Does forwarding as an attachment preserve the original formatting?

Yes. Forwarding as an attachment sends the email as a .eml file, keeping the original formatting, headers, timestamps, and attachments intact.

4. Can I attach emails from other providers to Gmail?

Yes. If the email is saved as a compatible file format, like .eml or PDF, you can attach it to a Gmail message.

5. How do I send large email attachments?

Gmail limits attachments to 25 MB. Larger files are automatically uploaded via Google Drive, ensuring they can still be shared.

6. Are there security concerns when sending emails as attachments?

As with any attachment, avoid sharing sensitive information with untrusted recipients. Using Gmail’s built-in security and encryption helps maintain privacy.