Attachment Issues

Fix Unable to Send Word Document on Mac Sonoma

John Wilson Oct 14, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user is unable to use the native Share and Send Document feature to email a Word file from macOS Sonoma.

How to Fix Unable to Send a Word Document on Mac Sonoma

Product: Microsoft Word for Mac
Device & OS: macOS Sonoma
Scenario: Attempting to send a Word document directly via email using the built-in share feature on a Mac computer.
Observed behavior: The document fails to attach to an email or the send feature does not respond, often caused by incorrect default email app settings, unsupported formats, or file size limits.

Before you start

Before troubleshooting, ensure your Mac has a stable internet connection and save a local copy of your Word document to prevent any data loss.

Solution 1Recommended

Set Microsoft Outlook as the Default Email Application

macOS requires a properly configured default email reader to process the 'Send Document' command directly from Word.

The built-in Share and Send Document feature relies heavily on macOS system preferences to determine which application should handle the email attachment. If this is unconfigured or corrupted in macOS Sonoma, Word cannot generate the draft message.

Open Apple Mail

Launch the native Apple Mail application from your Mac's Dock or Launchpad.

Access Mail Settings

Click on 'Mail' in the top menu bar and select 'Settings' (or 'Preferences').

Change Default Reader

Under the 'General' tab, locate the 'Default email reader' dropdown and change it from the current selection to Microsoft Outlook or your preferred email client.

Restart Word

Close and reopen Microsoft Word, then attempt to use the Share > Send Document feature again.

Set Microsoft Outlook as the Default Email Application

Settings Applied: Once the default email reader is correctly registered by macOS Sonoma, Word will automatically route shared documents to your chosen email app.

Solution 2

Verify File Size and Email Provider Limits

Large documents may exceed your email provider's attachment size limit, preventing the document from being sent.

Solution 3

Save the Document in an Alternative Format

If the native Word format is causing compatibility issues, converting the file to PDF, RTF, or HTML can help it send properly.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Try WPS Office for Seamless Document Sharing on Mac

If Microsoft Word's sharing features are constantly failing on macOS Sonoma, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, highly compatible alternative for viewing, editing, and sharing documents without hassle.

1. Download WPS Office: Install WPS Office for Mac from the official website or the Mac App Store.
2. Open Your Document: Launch WPS Writer and open your existing Word document.
3. Share Easily: Click the Share button on the top right toolbar to quickly send your document via email or generate a shareable link.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx), Excel, and PowerPoint formats.Built-in, seamless email sharing and cloud collaboration features.Lightweight and fully optimized for macOS, including macOS Sonoma.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the Send Document option greyed out in Word for Mac?

This usually happens when a default email client is not recognized by macOS. Opening Apple Mail and explicitly setting your default email reader to Outlook or Apple Mail typically resolves this.

What is the maximum attachment size for sending Word documents via email?

Most standard email providers limit attachments to 20MB or 25MB. If your document exceeds this size due to high-resolution images or media, you will need to compress the file or share it via a cloud storage link.

Can I send a Word document as a PDF directly from my Mac?

Yes. You can use the 'File' > 'Share' > 'Send PDF' option directly within Word, or you can manually save the document as a PDF using the 'Save As' menu and attach it to an email.

Outlook & Email Problems