How to Attach an Email in Outlook to Another Message

Sometimes forwarding isn't enough. You want to send the original email itself, intact, so the person receiving it can open it with the sender, date and any attachments exactly as they arrived. It's handy for passing a complaint to a manager, sending a dodgy-looking message to whoever handles IT, or bundling several supplier emails into one note for your bookkeeper.

Outlook lets you attach one email to another in every version, but the method changes: new Outlook and the web version use drag and drop, while classic Outlook has a menu option. Here's each, according to Microsoft's help.

Attaching an email to a message in new Outlook

1. Start a new email, a reply or a forward. You can also start a calendar event.
2. In your message list, find the email you want to attach.
3. Drag it across into the message you're writing.
4. When you see the Drop messages here hint, let go.
5. Add your recipients and a note, then send.

The attached email shows up as a file in your message. One limit worth knowing: Microsoft says attaching calendar information isn't supported in new Outlook, so you can't drop a calendar entry in the same way.

Attaching an email as an item in classic Outlook

1. Open a new email, or a reply or forward.
2. On the Message tab, select Attach File.
3. Choose Attach Item.
4. Browse your folders and select the email you want. You can pick more than one.
5. Select Insert.

Because you can pick from any of your email folders, including archived ones, this is the easiest way to attach something buried in an old folder without hunting through your inbox first.

Attaching an email in Outlook on the web

The browser version also uses drag and drop, but the trick is getting both things on screen at once:

1. Start a new email, a reply or a forward.
2. Select Open in new window so the message pops out.
3. Arrange the two windows side by side so you can see your message list and the new message.
4. Select the email or emails you want to attach.
5. Drag them into the body of your new message until Drop messages here appears, then release.

Forward as attachment in classic Outlook

If you only want to send one email on as an attachment, there's a faster route. Select the email in your message list, then on the main ribbon open More Respond Actions and choose Forward as Attachment. Outlook creates a new message with the original already attached, ready for you to address.

To send several emails at once, select the first one, hold Ctrl and select each of the others, then select Forward. Microsoft says the selected messages are included as attachments in the new message.

Attaching versus forwarding an Outlook email

	Attach the email	Forward it normally
What the recipient gets	The original email as a file they can open	A new email with the old text quoted below
Several emails at once	Yes, in one message	One at a time
Good for	Records, complaints, IT checks, passing on evidence	Quick hand-offs where context is enough

For everyday hand-offs, a normal forward is usually fine, and my guide to forwarding emails in Outlook covers the options. Attaching comes into its own when the exact original matters.

When attaching an Outlook email helps a small business

• Passing a customer complaint to a manager or partner with the original wording untouched.
• Sending a group of supplier emails to your accountant in one go.
• Showing your web designer or IT person a suspicious email so they can look at it safely.
• Keeping a record of an agreement by attaching the client's confirmation to an internal note.

Once the email has been passed on, you may want it out of your inbox but still on file. My walkthrough on archiving in Outlook handles that without deleting anything.

If you can't attach an email in Outlook

• In new Outlook or on the web, make sure you're dragging onto the message you're writing and wait for the Drop messages here hint before letting go.
• On the web, select Open in new window first, as it's hard to drag between parts of one browser window.
• In classic Outlook, look for Attach Item under Attach File on the Message tab.
• If Forward as Attachment is missing, check under More Respond Actions on the main ribbon, not inside an open message.
• Remember calendar entries can't be attached this way in new Outlook.

A quick word on privacy when attaching emails

An attached email carries everything in the original, including the sender's address, anyone copied in, and any files they sent. Before you pass one on, think about whether the recipient needs all of that. If the email contains customer details, share it only with people who need to see it.

It's also worth adding a line of context in your own message. Something as simple as "Here's the original email from the client about the delivery date" saves the other person opening the attachment just to work out why you sent it, and makes the thread easier to search later.

Frequently asked questions

How do I attach an email in new Outlook?

Start a new message, reply or forward, then drag the email you want from your message list into it and release when the Drop messages here hint appears.

Where is Attach Item in classic Outlook?

In a new message, go to the Message tab, select Attach File, then Attach Item, choose the email and select Insert.

Can I attach several emails at once in Outlook?

Yes. In classic Outlook, select the first email, hold Ctrl, select the others and select Forward. Microsoft says they're included as attachments.

How do I forward an email as an attachment in Outlook?

In classic Outlook, select the email, open More Respond Actions on the main ribbon and choose Forward as Attachment.

Can I attach a calendar event in new Outlook?

No. Microsoft says attaching calendar information isn't supported in new Outlook.