Forward as an Attachment: A Whole Thread in One Email

A classic email forward produces a copy of the text — and over a longer thread it turns into an unreadable noodle of quoted replies, where it gets lost who wrote what and when. Gmail can actually forward a message as an attachment: the recipient gets the original email as an .eml file, which they open in their mail client exactly as it arrived for you — sender, timestamps, attachments, and technical headers all included. And here's the best part: this way you can send ten messages at once, in a single email.

How to do it

1. Open the message and, in the top-right corner, click the three dots → Forward as attachment. A new message opens with the original email attached as an .eml file.
2. Want to send several messages at once? In the conversation list, check the boxes next to them, click the three dots in the top bar, and choose Forward as attachment — they all get bundled into a single email.
3. Drag-and-drop works too: start a new message and just drag emails from the list straight into it — they attach as .eml files.
4. The recipient opens the file with a double-click in Gmail, Outlook, or most other clients and sees the message in its original form.
5. Write your own cover note in the body of the new message — a couple of sentences about what you're attaching and what the recipient should do with it. For multiple attachments, a descriptive subject like "Claim documentation — 8 original emails" also helps the recipient get oriented right away.

A typical scenario

Marek is handing off an in-progress deal to a colleague. A classic forward would send her one long chain of quoted text, with attachments from half the messages lost along the way. Instead, he selects eight key emails from the thread, forwards them as attachments, and adds two sentences of summary. His colleague opens each message separately, with original dates and attachments intact, and can reply directly.

A second typical use: IT wants to investigate a suspicious email. A regular forward loses the technical headers that reveal the actual sender — an .eml attachment doesn't. That's exactly why administrators often ask for this specific format.

What you get out of it

Handing off a project, escalating a complaint, or reporting phishing gets done in one email instead of a chain of forwards. The recipient gets full originals to work with — nothing gets shortened or lost along the way. And your own message stays clean: your comment up top, attachments below, no endless quote chain.

Pro tip

An .eml file can also be saved on its own: with a message open, choose the three dots → Download message. Handy for archiving important correspondence tied to a contract outside your inbox — say, into a project folder where even a colleague without access to your mailbox can find it. And it works in reverse too: a downloaded .eml file can be attached to a new message anytime like any regular attachment.