How to forward an email without original attachments in Outlook?

Author: Kelly Last Modified: 2025-04-17

When forwarding an email in Outlook, attachments are included by default. However, you may sometimes need to forward only the email content without the attachments to avoid cluttering or reduce email size. While you can manually remove attachments before forwarding, this process can be tedious, especially for multiple emails. Kutools for Outlook provides a more efficient solution by automatically replacing attachments with hyperlinks, making it easier to forward emails without manually deleting files.

Forward an Email Without Original Attachments by Removing All Attachments (Manual & Time-consuming)

Forward Multiple Emails Without Attachments Using Kutools for Outlook 👍 (Fast & Automated)

Forward an Email Without Original Attachments by Removing All Attachments

If you only need to forward a single email without its attachments, you can manually remove the attachments before sending the email.

1. In "Mail" view, select the email you want to forward and click "Home" > "Forward".

screenshot of the Forward button

2. In the forwarding message window, go to the "Attached" section, click any attachment, then click "Select All" > "Remove Attachment" under the "Attachments" tab.

screenshot of the Remove Attachments button

3. Now all attachments are removed. Compose your message and click "Send".

Limitations of this Method:

❌ Manual Process: Requires removing attachments one by one each time.
❌ Not Ideal for Bulk Emails: Repeating these steps for multiple emails can be time-consuming.
❌ Doesn’t Reduce Mailbox Size: The original email still contains attachments, taking up storage space.

📂 Effortlessly Save Attachments from Multiple Emails

Tired of saving attachments one email at a time in Outlook? Streamline your workflow with Kutools for Outlook! The powerful Save All (Attachments) feature lets you save attachments from multiple emails or entire folders in just a few clicks. Say goodbye to tedious manual processes and take control of your inbox effortlessly.

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Forward Multiple Emails Without Attachments Using Kutools for Outlook 👍

For users who need to forward multiple emails without attachments, manually removing files from each email is inefficient. "Kutools for Outlook" simplifies the process by automatically replacing attachments with hyperlinks, allowing you to forward emails without manually deleting files.

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Step 1: Detach all attachments from emails

In the "Mail" view, select the emails containing the attachments you want to remove. Then click "Kutools Plus" > "Attachment Tools" > "Detach All".

shot of the Detach All button

💡 Shortcut tip: Hold "Ctrl" to select multiple non-adjacent emails or the "Shift" to select a range of adjacent emails.

Step 2: Set detachment settings

In the "Detach All" dialog, click the "Browse" icon to choose a destination folder for saving the attachments.
(Optional) Adjust the detachment style.
(Optional) Keep the attachment icon as a visual reference in the emails.
Click "OK" to confirm.
Click "Yes" to confirm.

Step 3: Forward emails without attachments

Keep the emails selected and click "Home" > "Forward". Compose the email and click "Send". All forwarded emails now contain no attachments, only hyperlinks!