How to automatically download/save attachments from Outlook to a certain folder?

Author: Kelly Last Modified: 2025-04-15

While saving all attachments from a single email in Outlook is straightforward using the "Attachments" > "Save All Attachments" option, managing attachments from multiple emails, especially in large quantities, can be more challenging. This article introduces two effective solutions for automatically downloading attachments from Outlook emails to a specific folder. These methods are particularly useful when dealing with numerous emails and attachments, simplifying the process and saving time.

Automatically download Outlook attachments to a folder with VBA and rule (11 steps)
Automatically download Outlook attachments to a folder with Kutools for Outlook (2 steps)

Automatically download Outlook attachments to a folder with VBA and rule

This approach involves using a VBA script, which, when executed with a specific rule, will automatically download and save attachments from Outlook emails to a designated folder. Please proceed with the following steps:

Press "Alt + F11" to open the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window.
Click "Insert" > "Module", and then paste below VBA script into the newly opened Module window.

"VBA: Auto Save Outlook Attachments into a certain folder"

Public Sub SaveAttachmentsToDisk(MItem As Outlook.MailItem)
Dim oAttachment As Outlook.Attachment
Dim sSaveFolder As String
sSaveFolder = "C:\Users\DT168\Documents\outlook-attachments\"
For Each oAttachment In MItem.Attachments
oAttachment.SaveAsFile sSaveFolder & oAttachment.DisplayName
Next
End Sub

Note: Please locate the line sSaveFolder = "C:\Users\DT168\Documents\outlook-attachments\", and replace it with the path of your desired destination folder.

Save the VBA script and close the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window.
Go to the Mail view, and click "Home" > "Rules" > "Manage Rules & Alerts".
In the opening Rules and Alerts dialog box, click the "New Rule" button on the E-mail Rules tab.
In the Rules Wizard dialog box that appears, select the "Apply rule on messages I receive" option, and click the "Next" button.
In the Rules Wizard (Which condition(s) do you want to check?) dialog box, click the "Next" button without selecting any options. Then click the "Yes" button in the pop-up Microsoft Outlook dialog box.
In the Rules Wizard (What do you want to do with the message?) dialog box:
1. Check the "run a script" option. Tip: If you do not see the option, please go to this tutorial on enabling the "run a script" option in Outlook.
2. Click the blue underlined "a script" text to open the Select Script dialog box. Choose the script added in Step 2 and click "OK".
3. Click the "Next" button to proceed.
In the Rules Wizard (Are there any exceptions?) dialog box, click the "Next" button.
In the final Rules Wizard dialog box, name the rule in Step 1, check needed options in Step 2, and click the "Finish" button.
Close the Rules and Alerts dialog box.

Result

Now, if you select the "Run this rule now on messages already in the inbox" option, all attachments from your email account will be downloaded and stored in the specified destination folder. Additionally, if you checked the "Turn on this rule" option, all attachments from incoming emails will be automatically downloaded and saved into the designated folder.

Automatically download Outlook attachments to a folder with Kutools for Outlook

With "Kutools for Outlook" installed on your computer, its "Auto Detach" function empowers you to automatically download all or specific Outlook attachments based on your set conditions, conveniently directing them to a chosen folder. Additionally, this feature offers the flexibility to create subfolders. It provides two alternatives for naming these subfolders: you can select from one of the formats, such as [message folder]-[message subject], or opt to append a custom text string as a suffix to your chosen format. This capability greatly improves the organization and accessibility of your attachments.

Click "Kutools" > "Auto Detach" to open the feature dialog.
In the "Auto Detach Attachments" dialog, select the "Auto detach all received attachments" option, and configure as follows:
1. Click the browse button to specify the destination folder to save automatically detached attachments.
2. (Optional) Check the "Detach attachments in below style" option if you wish to create subfolders for storing the attachments.
  - "Create subfolders in below style": Name the subfolders in one of the predefined formats, like [message folder]-[message subject].
  - "Rename the saved attachments in below style": Name the subfolders using one of the predefined formats and add a custom text string as a suffix.
3. (Optional) Check the "Attachment icon is still remained in the emails" option to keep a visual indicator in the emails that had attachments.
4. Click "Ok".

Result

Starting now, all attachments will be automatically saved to the specified folder upon the receipt of emails.

Tip: If you want to set up automatic detachment of attachments based on specific rules, enable the "Auto detach attachments by rules" option in the "Auto Detach Attachments" dialog. After that, click the "New" button to define your filter conditions and desired save settings.
doc-auto-download-attachments-to-folder-3

Notes:

Want to access the "Auto Detach" feature? Download Kutools for Outlook now! Beyond this, Kutools boasts a myriad of 100+ other features and offers a 30-day free trial. Don't wait, give it a try today!
If you wish to detach or download existing attachments from multiple/all received emails in Outlook, apply Kutools for Outlook’s Detach All (Attachments) or Save All (Attachments) feature.