How to Move Emails to SharePoint While Preserving Attachments
Question details
The user wants to upload email messages to SharePoint but needs the email attachments to be automatically extracted and saved as easily accessible separate files.
- Product
- Microsoft SharePoint
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Uploading archived or important email files into a SharePoint document library so team members can access both the email contents and their attachments.
- Observed behavior
- SharePoint uploads the email as a single unified file. It does not automatically extract or display the internal attachments as separate files, requiring users to download the entire email to access the attached documents locally.
Ensure you have Edit permissions for the target SharePoint document library. If you plan to use an automated workflow, verify that your Microsoft 365 account has an active Power Automate license.
Manually Separate Emails and Attachments Before Uploading
Since SharePoint lacks built-in extraction, the most reliable method for immediate accessibility is to separate the attachments from the email locally before uploading them to your document library.
By manually saving the attachments, you ensure that team members can preview and open the files directly in the SharePoint web interface without needing to download the parent email file first.
Double-click the email file on your computer to open it in your default desktop email client, such as Microsoft Outlook.
Right-click the attachment(s) inside the email body or header, select 'Save As' or 'Save All Attachments', and choose a dedicated folder on your local drive.
Open your SharePoint document library in your web browser. Click the 'Upload' button at the top menu, select 'Files', and choose both the original email file and the newly saved attachment files to upload them side-by-side.
Automate Attachment Extraction Using Microsoft Power Automate
For bulk processing of new emails, you can build a workflow in Microsoft Power Automate that automatically intercepts emails and saves their attachments as separate files in SharePoint.
Easily View and Manage Downloaded Attachments with WPS Office
If you are downloading emails and extracting attachments from SharePoint, you need a reliable office suite to view those files locally. WPS Office is a lightweight, fully featured, and completely free alternative to Microsoft Office that handles all your document needs.
- 1. Download and Install: Visit the official WPS website to download and install WPS Office for free on your PC or Mac.
- 2. Locate Extracted Attachments: Find the attachments you downloaded or extracted from your SharePoint document library.
- 3. Open with WPS Office: Double-click the files to instantly open, read, or edit your Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or PDF attachments in WPS Office.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can't I see email attachments directly in the SharePoint online viewer?
SharePoint treats uploaded email files (like .msg or .eml) as a single, standard file item. Its built-in web viewer parses the text of the email but does not automatically unpack or display embedded attachments, meaning you must download the file to view them.
Is there a native SharePoint feature to extract attachments from existing uploaded emails?
No, SharePoint currently does not have a built-in feature to automatically extract and store attachments from email files that have already been uploaded. You must rely on manual separation or third-party automated workflows.
Can I open .msg files with attachments directly in my browser?
Generally, no. While some browser extensions exist, SharePoint's default behavior often forces you to download the .msg file and open it in a local desktop application like Outlook to access the attachments securely.
