How to Save Email as EML File? Complete Step-by-Step Guide

Overview: Learn “How to Save Email as EML File?” To convert email into EML format, there are a few ways, like using Outlook New, Thunderbird, or via the Save Option of the email client. Though these methods help download an email as an .eml file, using a dedicated Email to EML is the best way. Here, we have also discussed the exact steps for saving emails and attachments as .eml file in bulk using both the manual method and the advanced tools.

What is EML File in Email?

An EML file is a single file used to store a complete email message, including the header, body, attachments, and metadata.

An EML(Electronic Mail) follows MIME RFC 822 / RFC 2822 standards, and it can be opened by most cloud and desktop email clients like Outlook New, Thunderbird, Apple Mail, and Web Browsers.

Many users prefer to convert email to EML as it is a universally accepted format. Also, the EML format is one such format that preserves all the components of an email message, making it highly reliable for multiple purposes.

Your reason can be anything. In this guide, we will cover how you can save an email from any email client.

Why Convert Email to EML Format?

You get various benefits when you save email as EML. Here is why you should consider saving emails in EML format:

• Preserves Metadata: Downloading email as EML format preserves metadata like headers, To, From, CC, BCC, Message ID, Subject, etc. This is why people prefer to save email as EML vs msg
• Email Migration: Often, users need to migrate emails between accounts. EML is the universally accepted format to transfer emails. This is why users need to convert emails into EML.
• Long-Term Archiving: Users need to safeguard their email data against cyber attacks or due to legal compliance. Thus, they archive email into EML format.
• Technical Analysis: Many IT professionals and cyber forensic experts convert email into EML to detect phishing attempts beforehand with the help of information stored in the header.

These are the generic reasons why people export emails as EML files. There are other reasons, like making emails portable & shareable, for troubleshooting, and many more.

How To Save Email As EML File?

There are various manual methods that you can use to export email as EML. These methods differ based on the email clients you are using and even the devices.

But the manual method has limitations for saving emails and attachments as .eml file. Which is why users consider using a reliable Email to EML Converter as the best way to export an email message in EML format. 

Let us have a look at how you can save emails from any email client one by one.

How To Convert Email to EML in Webmail (Gmail, Yahoo & Others)

Most webmail services have this option to “Download Message” or “Show in Original” and then Download to save email as EML file. When you use this option to convert and download emails, by default, it saves them in EML format free of cost. This manual method to save email messages from any email client is effective when you have a limited number of emails. Steps to download email as EML in Webmail (Gmail, Hotmail, Outlook web, and others):

1. Navigate to the email you need to download as EML.
2. Look for a three-dot menu and press the icon.
3. Hit the Download Message option.

The desired email will be saved in the EML format on your device in the downloads folder. You can use this manual method across devices, whether on Windows, Mac, iPhone, or Android.

This method is free and works well if you are trying to figure out “How to export one single email as .eml file?”

Using Outlook New to Save an Email as an EML File?

You can save email as EML via Outlook New using the drag-and-drop method. Follow the steps to convert emails to EML in Outlook:

Note: Ensure you have your email account configured in Outlook beforehand to complete the process smoothly. You can only use this method if you have Outlook New (Microsoft 365, Outlook 2021, 2019, etc.)

1. Launch your Outlook New and File Explorer side by side.
2. Now select the email message from the configured account in Outlook that you want to download as EML.
3. Simply drag and drop them to the required folder in the file explorer.

To save an email as a file using Outlook for Mac, you can alternatively follow these steps.

1. Open the email message you need to convert into EML format.
2. Click on three dots (more options).
3. Choose the Save As option.
4. Choose EML as the file format.
5. Browse the destination and press Save.

By default, Outlook New saves all these emails in EML format only. This method helps you save emails as EML to any desired location on your desktop.

Using Outlook New is a better way to import Email in EML file format, as it gives you the flexibility to name the file and save it at the desired location.

Using Thunderbird Save Email As EML

The manual method to save an email with attachments as EML using Outlook is actually restricted to the  Outlook New version.

This is why using Mozilla Thunderbird can be a great alternative to downloading email into EML format, as it is an open-source desktop client available to users free of cost.

Before we discuss the follow-along steps of this method, make sure you already have your email account configured in Mozilla Thunderbird.

Step-by-step guide to save email as EML file using Thunderbird:

1. Once set up, go to your email account on Thunderbird.
2. For selecting all emails, you can use Ctrl+A for Windows and Cmd+A for Mac. You can also use the Shift key to make bulk easier in a controlled way.
   
3. After selecting emails. Right-Click>> Save As.
   
   Thunderbird also has EML as its default file saving option.
4. Hit Save the Selected Messages>> EML format.
   

Using Mozilla Thunderbird to export the email message in EML format is better than Outlook as it enables you to Bulk Convert Email as EML. .

Limitations of Manually Downloading Email as EML

While the manual methods to save email to EML are very effective and get the work done but they come with a few key drawbacks:

• Using the built-in Download Message feature is only useful when you limited number of emails to save as EML. It can be very time-consuming if used for downloading emails in bulk.
• When you try to save multiple emails as EML using  Thunderbird. There is a high chance that you will lose the initial folder structure.
• None of the manual methods offers you the liberty to choose the file naming option. This can make the final organization and location of files difficult.
• The configuration of the email in desktop clients like Outlook and Thunderbird requires technical knowledge and is prone to failure.
• Despite all this, this method is not foolproof; there is a risk of “Data Loss” due to human error.
• Using Thunderbird to save emails as EML files in bulk is not secure, as it is an open-source platform that crashes very often.

Advanced Tool to Save Email as EML in Bulk

We know that you are looking for a way to save email as EML without losing the format. A method that allows you to download emails as EML in bulk, which is also quick and, most importantly, secure. For this, check out our Email to EML Converter Tool. It allows you to convert an email from any service provider into EML within minutes. Give our Email Backup Software a try today. It is compatible with both Windows and Mac. A free trial version is also available to check out its amazing features before purchase.

Step-by-Step Guide to Save Email as EML

Let us learn how using the tool makes the Email to EML conversion process simpler than ever.

1. Once you have downloaded the tool, run the application on your PC.
   
2. From the “Email Source” panel on the left-hand side, choose your email source.
   
3. Enter the credentials, like email address and password, to log into the account.
   
4. All the email folders will appear on the left. You can select folders and email under them using a checkbox.
   
5. Now you have to choose “File Saving Option”. Choose EML here to save email as EML.
   
6. If you want to sort emails by date, sender, or subject, you can use “Advanced Filter Options”.
   
7. Choose where you want to save the file and the file naming option.
   
8. Hit Backup.

You have successfully downloaded multiple required emails from any email account in EML format.

Key Benefits of the Advanced Tool to Save Email as EML

Using the advanced tool to convert email into EML makes the task easier. Let us look at how:

• The tool processes email data in a streamlined way; thus, there is no risk of data breach.
• Our advanced Email to EML converter allows you to convert email from 200+ Cloud and Webmail Services.
• Using the Email to EML converter is 100% secure it guarantees to keep your data local.
• Saving emails into EML selectively becomes easier using the advanced filter option.
• Convert emails from multiple email accounts at once using the “Batch Convert Option.”
• Using this tool is simple, as it does not require any technical knowledge to set up or operate.

All these benefits of the tool make this advanced tool the best way to save emails with attachments as EML.

FAQs: How to save email as EML?

Q1: How to save Yahoo email as EML?

Save Yahoo Mail as EML. Go to the email you need to download as EML. Look for a three-dot menu. Select the Download message option. You can use our advanced tool to make the process easier for saving in bulk.

Q2: How to save email as EML Gmail?

Go to the email message you want to download as EML. Click on the three dots on the right. Hit the download message. Your email will be downloaded in EML format.

Q3: Does downloading an email in EML preserve metadata and attachments?

Yes, EML is a universally accepted format. It preserves entire email content like header, metadata, attachments, hyperlink, and the body content completely. This feature makes EML an excellent choice to save emails.

Q4: Does the advanced tool support all the email sources?

This advanced tool allows you to convert email to EML from 200+ email sources. Even if you have a custom domain, you can use an IMAP server as an email source to download emails in EML format.

Q5: How to Save a mail into an .eml-file with Outlook?

You can download an email message as an EML file only using Outlook New. To do so, simply open the Email in Outlook New >> Click on the More option >> Save As >> Save as EML.
Note that Outlook Classic can only save emails as MSG, not EML, and Outlook Express is discontinued

Q6: How do I create an EML file?

To create an EML file, you can either export Email as EML using Webmail’s in-built save option, or you can also export a desktop client like Thunderbird or Outlook New to download email in .eml format. However, the most secure and efficient way is by using an Email to EML converter.

Conclusion

We hope you now understand “How to save email as EML” while preserving the format and the structure. There are multiple manual ways to save an email as an EML file, like using Outlook or the built-in download message feature. These methods work absolutely well when you have a limited no. of emails. But you need to bulk download the email as EML using an advanced tool like Email to EML converter is the ultimate way.