SharePoint Document Issues

Fix Cannot Drag Email Attachment into SharePoint Folder

Emma Brown Sep 29, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user is unable to drag and drop email attachments directly from their email client into a SharePoint folder.

Why You Cannot Drag an Email Attachment into a SharePoint Folder

Product: SharePoint Online / Microsoft Outlook
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Attempting to quickly save email attachments by dragging them from an email client into a SharePoint folder open in a web browser.
Observed behavior: The drag-and-drop action fails, producing errors or no response due to email client limitations, browser restrictions, or permission issues.

Before you start

Verify that your web browser is up to date and that you have the necessary Edit or Contribute permissions for the destination SharePoint folder.

Solution 1Recommended

Switch to Outlook Classic or Use the SharePoint Upload Button

The New Outlook does not support dragging files directly to browser windows. Reverting to Outlook Classic or using the manual upload button bypasses this limitation.

Dragging attachments from the New Outlook app directly to a browser window is currently unsupported. To resolve this, you must either use an older version of Outlook or manually download and upload the files.

Switch to Outlook Classic

If you are using the New Outlook, locate the toggle in the top-right corner of the app and switch it off to revert to Outlook Classic.

Save attachments locally

If you prefer to stay on the New Outlook, right-click the email attachment and select 'Save As' to download it to your local computer first.

Upload via the browser

Open your SharePoint folder in the web browser, click the 'Upload' button at the top menu, select 'Files', and choose the downloaded attachment.

Switch to Outlook Classic or Use the SharePoint Upload Button

Permission Check: If the 'Upload' button is greyed out in SharePoint, contact your administrator to request file upload permissions for that specific folder.

Solution 2

Use OneDrive for Business Sync Client

Syncing your SharePoint folder locally allows you to drag and drop files directly into your computer's native file explorer.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does drag and drop work in older Outlook versions but not the new one?

The New Outlook is built on a different web-based architecture that currently lacks support for dragging files directly from the application interface into external web browser windows.

How can I tell if I have permission to upload to a SharePoint folder?

Try clicking the 'Upload' button inside the SharePoint folder. If the option is missing, greyed out, or you receive an 'access denied' error when selecting a file, you lack the required contributor permissions.

Can I drag and drop entire folders containing email attachments into SharePoint?

Yes, but only if you are using a modern web browser like Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome. Attempting this on unsupported browsers or with restricted file types might cause the upload to fail.

Document & File Issues