There are times when saving individual email messages as separate files can be useful. You might need to send an email in its original format, transfer a message between email programs, or save it for troubleshooting purposes. The .eml format is ideal for these situations because it’s a standardized format that retains the email’s full content, including message headers, in a simple text file.
Most email clients support saving emails in .eml format, but note that Outlook for Windows does not provide this option.
How to Save Emails as .eml Files by Email Program
Thunderbird
- Highlight the message you want to save in the message list.
- Go to File (or click the Menu icon) > Save As > File.
- Enter a name for the file or keep the default.
- Click Save—your email will be saved with a .eml extension, including the message headers.
Apple Mail
- Highlight the email you want to save.
- Go to File > Save As.
- Enter a name or use the default.
- Select Raw message source to include the full message, including headers.
- Click Save to save the email as a .eml file.
Outlook for Mac
- Select the message you want to save.
- Go to File > Save As.
- Enter a file name or leave it as is.
- Choose Email message as the file format.
- Click Save to export the email as a .eml file.
eM Client
- Highlight the message you want to save.
- Go to Menu > File > Save As.
- Enter a name or use the default provided.
- Click Save—your message will be stored in .eml format with all headers included.
Using the .eml format makes it easy to share, transfer, or troubleshoot emails while preserving the original formatting and data.
