The fastest way: drag and drop from your inbox

Open the email you want to send to someone else. Click and hold on that email in your inbox list, then drag it into a new message window. Outlook converts the whole email — subject line, body, attachments, and all — into a single file that you can send as an attachment. This works in Outlook on Windows, Mac, and the web version.

If you do not have a message window open yet, you can drag the email onto the "New Email" button instead, and Outlook will create a new message with that email already attached. The original email becomes a .msg file (Outlook's native format) that the recipient can open by double-clicking it.

Key Takeaways

  • Dragging an email into a new message is the quickest method and works across all Outlook versions.
  • Outlook saves forwarded emails as .msg files, which recipients can open by double-clicking them in Outlook or compatible email programs.
  • The "Forward as Attachment" button appears in some Outlook versions but not others — drag and drop works everywhere.
  • If you need to send the email in a different format, export it as a PDF or print it to PDF instead of using the attachment method.

Using the Forward as Attachment button (Outlook desktop only)

In Outlook on Windows and Mac, open the email you want to forward. Look for the "Forward" button in the ribbon or toolbar at the top. Click the small arrow next to it to see more options. Some versions of Outlook show "Forward as Attachment" directly in this menu.

If you see that option, click it. Outlook opens a new message with the email already attached as a .msg file. You can then type a message, add other recipients, and send it. This method is identical to drag and drop in the result — the recipient gets the original email as an attachment they can open — but it takes one extra click.

Why Outlook uses .msg format and what recipients see

When you attach an email in Outlook, it saves as a .msg file. This format preserves everything: the original sender's name, the date it was sent, all the body text, and any attachments that were in the original email. A recipient using Outlook, Thunderbird, or most other email programs can double-click the .msg file and read it as if it were a normal email.

Some email programs (like Gmail or Apple Mail) do not open .msg files natively. If your recipient uses one of these, they will see the .msg file as an attachment they cannot open directly. In that case, you have two options: ask them to read a free .msg reader, or use the PDF method instead (see below).

Sending an email as a PDF instead

If the person you are sending to does not use Outlook or a compatible program, convert the email to PDF. Open the email, then press Ctrl+P (Windows) or Command+P (Mac) to open the print dialog. In the printer dropdown, select "Print to PDF" or "Save as PDF" depending on your operating system.

Outlook will save the email as a PDF file that anyone can open and read, even if they do not have Outlook installed. The PDF includes the sender, date, subject, body text, and any images that were in the original email. Attachments from the original email do not come through in the PDF — only the email itself.

Attaching multiple emails at once

If you need to send several emails to someone, select them all in your inbox first. Hold Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac) and click each email you want to include. Then drag the entire selection into a new message window. Outlook attaches all of them as separate .msg files in a single email.

The recipient will see multiple attachments in the message, each one a separate email they can open individually. This is faster than sending multiple emails one at a time, and it keeps the whole conversation together in one message thread.

Troubleshooting when drag and drop does not work

If dragging an email does not create an attachment, check that you are dragging from the email list (the inbox view) into the message body, not into the subject line or header area. Some Outlook windows are too narrow for drag and drop to work smoothly — try resizing the window or using the Forward as Attachment button instead.

If you are using Outlook on the web (Outlook.com or Office 365), drag and drop may not work in all browsers. Try using Chrome, Edge, or Firefox. If the problem persists, use the Forward button and select "Forward as Attachment" from the menu, or switch to the desktop version of Outlook.

When to use each method

Use drag and drop when you want the fastest route and the recipient uses Outlook or Thunderbird. Use the Forward as Attachment button if you prefer clicking a menu over dragging. Use PDF when the recipient does not have Outlook installed or when you want to make sure they cannot accidentally edit the email. Use multiple attachments when you need to send several related emails in one message.

The .msg format is best for keeping the original email intact — the recipient sees exactly what you received, with all the original formatting and metadata. The PDF method is best for sharing with people outside your organization or for creating a permanent record that cannot be changed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I attach an email to an email in Outlook on my phone?

Outlook on iPhone and Android does not support attaching emails directly. You can forward the email normally (which sends it as a new message), or take a screenshot and attach that image instead. For a cleaner result, use the web version of Outlook on your phone's browser.

What happens to attachments in the original email when I attach it?

When you attach an email as a .msg file, any attachments that were in the original email stay inside the .msg file. The recipient opens the .msg file and sees those attachments inside it. They do not appear as separate files in the outer email.

Is there a size limit for attaching emails?

Outlook limits email size to around 20 to 25 MB depending on your provider. A single email as a .msg file is usually small (under 1 MB), so size is rarely a problem. If the original email had large attachments, the .msg file will be larger.

Can I attach an email from Gmail or another email program to an Outlook message?

Not directly — Outlook can only attach emails that are already in Outlook. If you want to send an email from another program, forward it to your Outlook inbox first, then attach it from there. Alternatively, export it as a PDF and attach that instead.