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.eml

Email Message

Email & Calendar

EML stores one email and may include headers and attachments. Viewing the message differs from opening its links or attachments; a displayed sender name is not proof of authenticity.

What it is used for
Storage of one email with headers, body and attachments
What the file contains
Text
All sections, questions and sources

Content reviewed： · Editor：Kai

First: choose for your purpose

An EML stores one email message. Decide whether you need its body, attachments or original message record. Long strings in a text editor may be encoded content rather than corruption. Keep a copy and inspect it with a trusted mail application.

Opening steps

Choose your environment or purpose to see its steps.

Windows: read in Outlook

Try opening from the application before changing associations.

  1. Open new Outlook and locate the saved EML in File Explorer.
  2. Drag the EML to the reading pane, or choose Outlook through Open with.
  3. Check sender, date and body. Save required attachments separately and consider whether remote images need loading.
Mac: inspect with a mail application

Distinguish viewing a message from importing a mailbox.

  1. Save a copy in Finder and use Open With to choose a compatible mail application.
  2. Inspect the subject, character encoding, inline images and attachment list.
  3. If unsupported, ask for a fresh EML or a body PDF. For mailbox migration, check the application’s import requirements.
Mobile / records: keep attachments and original

A mobile preview may not expose every part.

  1. Save the EML in Files and share it with a compatible viewer. Avoid public conversion sites for private mail.
  2. If attachments are absent, inspect the same message in a desktop mail application.
  3. Store the reading PDF, attachments and original EML separately with identifiable names.

Menu labels and support vary by app, OS and version. Preserve the original before making changes.

Troubleshooting by symptom

  • Encoded-looking text: use a mail client to decode the body/attachments.
  • Missing attachment: inspect message structure/completeness; a download link is not an embedded attachment.
  • Bulk import fails: check new Outlook’s import workflow and folder requirements.
  • Body appears as long alphanumeric strings: you may be viewing encoded data. Use a mail application rather than deleting the strings.
  • Attachments missing from a PDF: printing preserves the displayed message, not necessarily the attachments. Save them separately and retain the EML.
  • Familiar sender name but suspicious request: verify the address and request independently. EML storage does not make a message trustworthy.

EML → PDF / save the message body

  1. Open in a mail client and print to PDF; inspect subject, date, sender and body.
  2. Save needed attachments separately and retain the EML.
  3. Compare the PDF’s final page and attachments against the original. Distinguish file timestamps from the message’s sent date.

PDF does not necessarily preserve all headers or attachment data.

Body, attachments and headers are different

An EML may contain headers, alternative HTML/plain-text bodies and attachments. Applications present these parts differently. For record keeping, retain the original alongside a reading PDF.

Images can be embedded message parts or remote resources. Investigate attachments and remote-image settings separately when pictures are missing.

Source for these steps：IETF / RFC Editor · RFC 5322 — Internet Message Format

Viewing one message versus migrating mail

Viewing one EML is different from importing thousands into a mailbox. Test a few messages first and check destination folders, duplicates and read-status behavior.

PDF is useful for sharing a readable body; preserve EML and attachments for later reuse. Process confidential messages in an environment with understood storage policies.

Source for these steps：Microsoft · Open .eml, .msg, and .oft files in new Outlook

Related-format differences

Related-format differences
Format / choicePurpose and preserved information
EMLOne structured message, potentially with attachments; viewed in mail software.
MSGOutlook message format; changing the extension is not conversion.
PDFReadable / printable body; not an equivalent archive of all message parts.

Handling and security

Review links, attachments and remote images. Check recipients, headers, conversation history and private attachment data before sharing.

Questions and answers

Does EML contain only the body?

It may also include headers and attachments.

Does PDF preserve attachments?

Normally save attachment files separately.

Does the sender display prove authenticity?

No; a name/header alone is insufficient.

Can I import EML by dragging it into Gmail?

Outlook viewing instructions are not Gmail import instructions. Check the service’s supported method for viewing versus mailbox migration.

Can renaming EML to TXT make it readable?

A text editor can inspect its structure, but renaming does not decode attachments or bodies. Keep the original extension and use a mail application.

Format facts: name, steward and MIME type
Formal name
Internet email message
Steward / specification
IETF (Internet Message Format / MIME)
MIME type
message/rfc822

Primary and official sources