How to Forward Emails as Attachments in Gmail

When collaborating with colleagues, resolving technical support queries, or escalating customer correspondence, simply forwarding an email inline can be messy and counterproductive. Standard forwarding strips or modifies crucial technical routing metadata, mixes previous conversation blocks, and often bloats the ongoing thread with nested quotes. To resolve this, Gmail includes a built-in feature that allows you to forward emails as standalone attachments in standard .eml format.

Attaching emails directly preserves the original RFC 822 email headers, routing hops, digital signatures (DKIM and SPF), and original attachments exactly as received. Recipients can double-click each attached message to inspect it in a dedicated viewing window without cluttering the active dialogue. Here is how to forward single or multiple emails as attachments in Gmail across desktop browsers.

Why Forward Emails as Attachments Instead of Standard Forwarding?

Forwarding messages as file attachments offers distinct operational and investigative advantages:

• Complete Header Preservation: Standard forwarding only copies the sender name, date, subject, and body text. Forwarding as an attachment encapsulates raw transit headers, authentication logs, and IP path records essential for IT security audits.
• Batch Message Delivery: Rather than sending five or ten separate forwarded emails into someone’s inbox, you can bundle multiple related communications into a single outbound email.
• Unmodified File Attachments: Any attachments originally included within the forwarded emails remain intact inside the encapsulated .eml files.
• Clean Conversation Threading: Your active email thread maintains a tidy, professional appearance without confusing inline reply markers or fragmented text quoting.

Method 1: Forward Multiple Emails as Attachments from the Inbox View

The fastest way to bundle several emails together is directly from your main inbox, archive, or search results list:

1. Open your desktop web browser and navigate to Gmail.
2. Locate the messages you wish to bundle. You can use Gmail’s search bar to filter relevant threads quickly (for advanced query syntax, see our guide on how to use search operators in Gmail to find any email fast).
3. Tick the selection checkbox situated to the left of each email you want to forward.
4. Once your target emails are ticked, click the More options icon (three vertical dots) in the top action toolbar above your message list.
5. Select Forward as attachment from the dropdown menu.
6. Gmail automatically opens a new compose window at the bottom right. Each selected conversation is converted into an individual .eml file and listed in the attachment area.
7. Enter the recipient’s email address, supply a descriptive subject line, compose your cover message, and click Send.

Method 2: Drag and Drop Emails Directly into a Compose Window

If you have already started drafting an email or want an intuitive visual workflow, you can drag and drop messages directly into the compose frame:

1. Click the Compose button in the top-left corner of Gmail to start a new draft.
2. In your message list (inbox, sent items, or custom label view), find the email you wish to attach.
3. Click and hold the email row with your mouse cursor.
4. Drag the row across the screen into your open compose window until the compose area highlights with a prompt indicating Drop files here.
5. Release the mouse button. The message is instantly transformed into a .eml file attachment.
6. Repeat this action for any additional messages or tick multiple rows and drag them simultaneously.

Method 3: Forward an Individual Message as an Attachment from Within a Thread

When reviewing an existing, lengthy conversation thread and you only need to forward a specific individual message rather than the entire thread:

1. Open the conversation containing the specific message.
2. Locate the specific reply or message block you want to export.
3. Click the More menu (three vertical dots) located on the right-hand side of that individual message header (next to the reply arrow, not the top toolbar).
4. Select Forward as attachment.
5. A new compose window opens with that specific message neatly attached as a standalone .eml document, leaving earlier and later thread replies excluded.
6. Add your recipient details and instructions, then click Send.

How Recipients Open and View Attached Emails

When your recipient receives an email containing attached .eml files, viewing them is straightforward regardless of their email client:

• Inside Gmail Web: Clicking on the attached email opens a secure, dedicated preview overlay displaying the full message, internal attachments, and header details without leaving the tab.
• In Desktop Email Clients (Microsoft Outlook, Apple Mail, Thunderbird): Double-clicking the .eml attachment opens the file natively in a dedicated message inspector window, allowing full inspection and verification.
• Direct Download: Recipients can click the download icon on any attached .eml file to archive it locally for compliance, record-keeping, or forensic evaluation.

Practical Tips for Managing Email Attachments

Keep these technical considerations in mind when attaching messages:

• Total Size Limit: Gmail enforces a standard 25 MB limit per outbound email. Because .eml attachments contain full message bodies and any files nested within them, ensure your cumulative bundle remains under this threshold.
• Spam Filter Sensitivity: Some corporate spam scanners scrutinise attached email files closely. Always include clear explanatory context in the email body so security filters and recipients recognise the legitimate nature of the transmission.
• Workflow Efficiency: If you frequently process incoming support tickets or client requests, pair this technique with automated inbox settings (such as learning how to enable auto-advance in Gmail to process emails faster) to streamline your daily workflow.