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How to forward messages as attachments in Outlook?

Author: Kelly Last Modified: 2024-09-10

Normally when you forward an email message in Outlook, the original message text is added into the message body automatically, and which is editable. However, if you want to forward an incoming email to someone and let them know you haven't edited the message, or you want to forward multiple emails at once, you will have to forward them as attachments. In this article, we will show you some tricks about forwarding email messages as attachments in Microsoft Outlook.

Forward an email message as an attachment in Outlook

Forward an email message as an attachment with custom template in Outlook

Forward multiple email messages as attachments in Outlook

Automatically forward messages as attachments in Outlook 2010 and later versions

Automatically forward messages as attachments in Outlook 2007


Forward an email message as an attachment in Outlook

Microsoft Outlook’s Forward as Attachment feature can help us forward a single email message as an attachment easily.

1. Open a mail folder in the Navigation Pane, and click to select the email message that you will forward later.

2. Forward it as an attachment:
A. In Outlook 2010 or later versions, please click the More > Forward as Attachment in the Respond group on the Home tab;
B. In Outlook 2007, please click the Actions > Forward as Attachment.

doc forward as attachment 1

3. Compose the forwarding message, and click the Send button.


Forward an email message as an attachment with custom template in Outlook

If you always need to add a boilerplate text when you forward a message as an attachment, Microsoft Outlook’s Quick Steps feature can do you a favor.

1. In the Mail view, on the Home tab, click Create New in the Quick Steps box.

doc forward as attachment

2. Click Choose an Action to open the drop-down list of multiple actions. Then select Forward message as an attachment.

doc forward as attachment

3. Click on Show Options below the selected Forward message as an attachment action to type in your custom information:

  • To: Add recipients of forwarded messages here if you always want to add someone when you apply this action.
  • Subject: <subject> will automatically be replaced with the original subject of the message. You can custom the subject such as Forwarded message: <subject>.
  • Flag: Add a flag or not for the message you send with this action. What does a flag mean?
  • Importance: You can set the default level of importance of the message you send.
  • Text: Type in your boilerplate text you want Outlook to automatically add to the message body when you forward a message as an attachment with this action. Note: You don’t need to type your signature if you already created one.
doc forward as attachment

4. As you can see below, the name and icon of the action is updated automatically, you can change them if you want. Also, you can set a shortcut key for this action (here I set CTRL+SHIFT+9 as the shortcut key), or edit the tooltip text. Then click Finish.

doc forward as attachment

5. In your Inbox, click on the message that you want to forward as an attachment. And then click on the newly created action.

doc forward as attachment

6. A message window pops up with your custom information filled in corresponding area. Now please add recipients. Once finished, click Send.

doc forward as attachment

Forward multiple email messages as attachments in Outlook

By default, if you select multiple email messages and then click the Forward button on the Home tab (or Actions > Forward in Outlook 2007), these email messages will be added as attachments in the forwarding message automatically. See screenshot:

doc forward as attachment 2

Automatically forward messages as attachments in Outlook 2010 or later versions

This section will guide you to forward original email messages as attachments automatically in Microsoft Outlook 2010 or later versions.

1. Click File > Options.

2. In the Outlook Options dialog box, click Mail in the left bar.

3. Scroll down to the Replies and forwards section, click the drop-down arrow beside When forwarding a message:, and then select the Attach original message from the drop-down list. See screenshot:

doc forward as attachment 3

4. Click the OK button to exit this dialog box.

From now on, when you forward an email message in Outlook 2010 or later versions, the original message will be added as an attachment automatically.


Automatically forward messages as attachments in Outlook 2007

To forward email messages as attachments in Microsoft Outlook 2007 automatically, you can do as following:

1. Click the Tools > Options.

2. In the Options dialog box, click the E-mail Options button on the Preferences tab.

doc forward as attachment 4

3. In the E-mail Options dialog box, go to the On replies and forwards section, click the When forwarding a message box, and click to select the Attach original message from the drop down list. See screenshot:

doc forward as attachment 5

4. Click both OK buttons in two dialog boxes.

Henceforth, an email message will be attached as an attachment automatically if you forward it in Outlook 2007.


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