How to Attach a Folder to an Email: 3 Easy Ways to Email Folder Attachments

Attaching a folder to an email may seem complicated at first glance, especially if you’re trying to send multiple files or an entire project’s documents to a colleague or client.

Whether it’s for professional purposes, sharing memories with family and friends, or submitting assignments for school, knowing how to efficiently attach an entire folder to an email is an invaluable skill.

With a mix of inbuilt functions across various operating systems and smart workarounds, this guide will assist you in simplifying the process.

Let’s dive into easy methods that will have you sending folders via email like a pro.

Key Points

There are 3 methods you can do to send a folder via email. These are:

1. Compress Method to Create a Zip File
   • Right-click on the desired folder, select “Compress” or “Send to > Compressed (zipped) folder” to make a zip file, which can then be attached to your email. You can also use third-party software like WinRAR to zip your files.
2. Email Services With Built-In Cloud Integration
   • Use built-in cloud integration features within email services (like Gmail’s integration with Google Drive or Outlook’s with OneDrive) to attach a folder directly from your cloud storage without compressing it. 
3. Splitting Up Larger Folders Into Multiple Emails
   • Divide your folder into smaller, compressed zip files that are within your email’s attachment size limit and send them over multiple emails. 

Attaching folders to your emails is a highly useful practice in various situations, enabling efficient and organized data sharing. 

However, you must remember that phishing attacks commonly use attachments as a primary method to deliver malicious payloads, exploiting recipients’ trust. 

These attachments often appear as legitimate files, enticing users to open them, which then triggers harmful software or malware. As seen in various phishing simulations, many recipients fail to recognize these threats, leading to a high rate of compromise. Proper awareness and caution when handling email attachments are critical in reducing the success rate of such attacks.

Method 1: Using the Compress Method to Create a Zip File of Your Folder

The most straightforward way to attach files or even an entire folder to an email is by compressing it into a zip file.

This method reduces the size of the folder, making it easier and faster to send while also circumventing most email clients’ attachment size limits.

Here’s how to convert your folder into a zip folder:

• Locate the folder you want to send on your PC

• Right-click on the folder, and select the “Compress” or “Send to > Compressed (zipped) folder option from the context menu.

• This will create a new, compressed version of your folder that can be easily attached as a single file.

After compression, you can simply open your email service, whether it’s Microsoft Outlook, Gmail, or another provider, and attach the newly created zip file to your email draft. With this, your email is ready to go!

Your recipient will receive your email with the folder you need to send, in the form of a zip file. Don’t forget to inform them to unzip the file in order to browse all the files within the folder.

What Software Can I Use to Manage Zip Files?

There are various third-party tools that you can use to convert your folders into zip files. These tools also let you access and edit your zip files. Here are some of our picks:

For Windows

WinRAR

WinRAR is a popular file archiver utility for Windows, known for its robust feature set and simple interface. It supports a wide range of compression formats, including RAR, ZIP, and others.

Key Features:

• Create, manage, and extract archive files in various formats.
• Offers advanced features like password protection and encryption.
• Ability to repair damaged archives.

7-Zip

7-Zip is an open-source file archiver with a high compression ratio. It integrates well with Windows Shell and supports various formats, including its native .7z format in addition to ZIP.

Key Features:

• High compression ratio in 7z format with LZMA and LZMA2 compression.
• Strong AES-256 encryption in 7z and ZIP formats.
• Plugin for the FAR Manager.

For MacOS

The Unarchiver

The Unarchiver is a preferred tool for Mac users due to its ability to handle many different archive formats beyond just RAR and ZIP. It seamlessly integrates into the MacOS system.

Key Features:

• Supports more file types than the native MacOS utility.
• Easy-to-use interface; works largely in the background.
• Automatically detects and selects the appropriate encoding for the filenames in archives.

Keka

Keka is a free archive utility for MacOS, with support for multiple compression formats. The app allows users to easily compress files or extract archived content.

Key Features:

• Support for several compression standards like 7z, Zip, Tar, Gzip, Bzip2, DMG, and ISO.
• Can create compressed files split into parts for easier sharing.
• Password protection and encryption available for created archives.

Cross-Platform

PeaZip

PeaZip is a free and open-source file archiving utility that offers broad support for various archive formats across different platforms, including Windows and Linux.

Key Features:

• Wide range of supported formats, including RAR, ZIPX, TAR, and more.
• Secure deletion, strong encryption, and two-factor authentication options.
• Portable version available that doesn’t require installation.

Bandizip

Bandizip is an incredibly fast archiving application with an easy-to-use interface that supports multiple platforms, including Windows and MacOS.

Key Features:

• Fast compression/decompression speed with multi-core support.
• Encryption of archives with ZipCrypto and AES256.
• Supports creating self-extracting (.EXE) archives and multi-volume (split) archives.

Method 2: Email Services With Built-In Cloud Integration: Gmail to Google Drive and Outlook to OneDrive

Some modern email services offer built-in cloud integration, allowing you to attach folders directly from services like Google Drive without having to compress them first.

This is particularly useful when dealing with folders too large for your email service’s attachment size limit or when sending multiple folders at once.

Here’s what you need to do to use this feature:

• Compose a new email and look for an icon or option related to cloud attachments – this could be Google Drive in Gmail or OneDrive in Outlook.

• Once you select the cloud service icon, you’ll likely be prompted to log into your respective cloud storage account.

• After gaining access, simply navigate through your stored folders and files to locate the folder you want to send. If the folder is on your local computer, you have to upload it to the drive first.

• Select it and choose the option to insert or link it to your email. 

A Handy Guide to Sending Large Files Via Email – 4 Easy Methods You Can Try 

It’s important to note that with this method, you’re not actually attaching the folder but rather sending a link that gives the recipient access to view or download it directly from the cloud.

Method 3: Splitting Up Larger Folders Into Multiple Emails

When dealing with exceptionally large folders or facing stringent size limits from your email client, another workaround is splitting the original folder into smaller chunks and sending them over multiple emails.

Here’s some tips you can follow to do this method:

• First, determine the total size of your folder and compare it with your email service’s maximum permitted attachment size.

• Divide your folder accordingly, either by categorizing files into smaller groups or using file-splitting tools available for both Windows and Mac.

• For each subdivided portion of your original folder, repeat the process of compressing it into a zip file and attaching it to individual emails.

• Make sure to label each email clearly in the subject line – for example, “Project XYZ Part 1 of 4” – so that the recipient knows there are multiple parts to look out for.

Although this method requires more effort, it ensures that all parts of your large folder reach their destination unscathed. Don’t forget to add clear instructions to each of your emails to avoid confusing your recipient.

Why Would You Need to Attach a Folder to an Email?

Attaching a folder as an email attachment is a common practice in both personal and professional contexts. 

Below are some of the key reasons why you might need to attach your folder to an email:

Efficient Bulk File Transfer

Attaching one file at a time can be inefficient and takes a lot of time when you need to send several at once. 

Putting all the files into one folder and attaching it to an email speeds up the process and makes it easier for you and the other person to handle.

Project Collaboration

Attaching a folder with all the project materials makes it easier for everyone to work together because everyone has access to the same materials and can stay on the same page.

Submission of Work or Assignments

It is common to turn in more than one document or piece of work when you are in school or professional training. 

Putting all of these files into one folder and then emailing it is a neat, organized way to turn in work that makes it easy for teachers or graders to find.

Distributing Software or Media Collections

It is useful to put all of your software packages, media collections (like photo albums or music libraries), or bundled documents into one folder before sending them out. 

This ensures that the collection gets to the right person in the right way and that it has the proper structure and organization.

Backing up Important Files

As a backup, you can email a compressed folder of important files to yourself or someone you trust. 

Should anything happen to your local copies, having these files stored in an email ensures you have an accessible copy saved remotely.

Sharing Templates or Configuration Files

A lot of the time, professionals need to share templates, configuration files, or standard documents with each other. 

You can make sure that the people you send these templates get the whole set at once by sending them a folder with them. This makes it easier to be consistent across documents or systems.

A Helpful Overview

Understanding how to attach a folder to an email combines knowledge of file compression with leveraging features specific to different email clients and services.

Turning folders into zip files, using cloud services for direct links, breaking up large packets into manageable pieces, or using advanced compression tools will boost your productivity and improve your personal and professional communication. 

If you follow this guide, setting up email folders should be easy and not cause problems.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the attachment icon in Gmail?

The attachment icon in Gmail is typically found at the bottom of the email compose window, represented by a paperclip symbol.

Did Gmail remove folders?

No, Gmail did not remove folders. They refer to them as “labels” but they function similarly to folders.

Why is Gmail deleting emails?

Gmail might be deleting emails due to settings for automatically clearing spam or trash after 30 days, or due to filters set up to delete certain emails. Another possibility is reaching the storage limit, although Google would usually warn users before taking such action. Read more about Gmail blocking your emails.

Why have my email folders disappeared?

Email folders (or labels in Gmail) may seem to disappear due to account sync issues, changes in the settings, or accidentally deleting or hiding the label. It’s rarely a case of actual deletion without user action.

How do I create folders for my emails?

In Gmail, you can create a folder (label) by clicking the gear icon for settings, selecting “See all settings,” going to the “Labels” tab, and then clicking “Create new label.”

How do I restore my email folders?

If the email folders were deleted or are missing, check the trash or “Bin” for any recoverable emails. If they were just removed from view, you could go into the settings under the “Labels” tab to make them visible again. For actual data loss, you might need to contact support if the platform offers a recovery option.