Save Emails to Google Drive Automatically: Complete Archive Guide (2026)

Email archiving shouldn't be complicated. Whether you need to comply with regulations, back up important communications, or simply keep a complete record of your emails, storing them in Google Drive offers a simple, searchable solution.

This guide shows you how to automatically save emails to Google Drive as individual files. Perfect for email archiving, compliance requirements, and creating a permanent backup of important communications.

Related: If you need structured data, check our Google Sheets guide or Notion integration.

Why Save Emails to Google Drive?

Google Drive provides reliable, searchable storage for email archives. Here's why professionals use Drive for email backup:

The Problem

Email providers have storage limits and deleted emails are often gone forever. Critical business communications live in fragile email systems that can be accidentally deleted or lost during account transitions. Compliance requirements demand email retention, but manually downloading and organizing emails is impractical at scale. Team members need access to historical communications, but forwarding or CC'ing everyone clutters inboxes.

The Solution

When you automatically save emails to Google Drive, each message becomes a permanent file with full content and attachments preserved. Your email archive lives in Google Drive's reliable storage with 15GB free (or more with paid plans). You get instant search across all archived emails using Drive's search functionality, and complete email preservation with all headers, formatting, and attachments intact. Drive's familiar interface makes finding old emails simple, and you can share specific folders with team members while keeping everything centrally organized.

What You Need

You'll need a Google account with access to Google Drive and an email account (Gmail, Outlook, or any provider that supports forwarding). The setup process is quick, and we'll create the Drive folder automatically for you.

Step 1: Connect Google Account to Mailsink

Here's where we set up automated email archiving:

Sign up at mailsink.app.
Click "Connect Google" from the dashboard.
Authorize Mailsink to access Google Drive.
- Google will show you the permissions Mailsink needs.
- Mailsink requests access to create and write files to Drive.
- Click "Allow" to authorize the connection.
Your Google account is now connected and ready to receive emails.

This authorization lets Mailsink create a dedicated folder in your Google Drive and save email files automatically.

Step 2: Create Your Google Drive Email Inbox

Now we'll create the inbox that archives emails to Drive:

Navigate to the Inboxes tab in Mailsink.
Click "Create Inbox" and select the Google Drive option.
Choose your connected Google account from the dropdown.
Name your email folder (optional):
- Default: Mailsink - [inbox-key]
- Example: Mailsink - Client Emails or Email Archive
Click "Create Inbox".
- Mailsink creates a new folder in your Google Drive root.
- Each incoming email will be saved as a .eml file in this folder.
- Files are named with date, time, and subject for easy identification.
- You receive a unique inbox address like abc123@in.mailsink.app.
Copy the generated inbox address — you'll use this for email forwarding.
Open your new Drive folder from the provided link to see the structure.

The folder is now ready to receive emails. Each forwarded message will appear as a separate .eml file that you can open with email clients or view in Drive.

Step 3: Forward Emails to Google Drive

Now configure your email provider to archive to Google Drive.

From Gmail

Set up Gmail filters to archive specific emails:

Open Gmail → Click the search bar → "Show search options" (filter icon).
Set filter criteria:
- From: Specific senders (e.g., contracts@client.com)
- To: Specific recipients (e.g., legal@yourcompany.com)
- Subject: Keywords to match (e.g., "invoice" or "contract")
- Has attachment: Check this if you only want emails with files
Click "Create filter".
Check "Forward it to" → Enter your Mailsink address.
Optional: Add labels or mark as read.
Click "Create filter".

Example filters:

Archive all emails from legal@company.com → Legal email archive
Archive emails with "contract" in subject → Contract archive
Archive emails with attachments to documents@company.com → Document archive

Need detailed help? Our Gmail to Notion guide has comprehensive Gmail filter instructions.

From Outlook

Create Outlook forwarding rules for archiving:

Open Outlook settings (gear icon → "View all Outlook settings").
Navigate to "Mail" → "Rules".
Click "Add new rule".
Name your rule (e.g., "Archive to Drive").
Set conditions:
- From specific senders
- Contains specific words in subject
- Has attachments
- Sent to specific addresses
Action: "Forward to" → Enter your Mailsink address.
Save rule.

More details: Check our Outlook integration guide for screenshots and troubleshooting.

From Any Email Provider

Most email services support forwarding. Look for:

"Forwarding" or "Auto-forward" in email settings
"Rules", "Filters", or "Automation" sections
"Forward messages to" options

Simply set the forward address to your Mailsink inbox address.

Step 4: Test Your Email Archive

Verify everything works correctly:

Send a test email to the address you configured forwarding for.
- Include a subject line and some body text.
- Optional: Add an attachment to test full archiving.
Wait a few moments for processing.
Open your Google Drive folder and refresh if needed.
Verify your email appears as a .eml file:
- ✅ Filename includes date, time, and subject
- ✅ File type is .eml (email message format)
- ✅ You can preview the email in Drive
- ✅ Attachments are preserved within the email file
Double-click the file to preview or download.

Troubleshooting:

Email not appearing? Check your forwarding rule is active and the Mailsink address is correct.
Can't open .eml file? Download it and open with your email client (Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, Thunderbird).
Missing attachment? Attachments are embedded in the .eml file—open it with an email client to access them.
Connection error? Verify your Google connection is active in the Mailsink dashboard.

Understanding .EML Files

What is an .EML File?

.eml is the standard email message format (RFC 822). It's a text file containing the complete email including:

All email headers (From, To, Date, Subject, Message-ID, etc.)
Full email body (both plain text and HTML versions)
All attachments (encoded within the file)
Original formatting and structure

How to Open .EML Files

Google Drive Preview: Click the file in Drive to preview (basic view).

Download and Open with Email Client:

Gmail: Upload the .eml file as an attachment, then click it to view.
Outlook: Double-click the downloaded .eml file to open in Outlook.
Apple Mail: Double-click on Mac to open in Mail app.
Thunderbird: File → Open Saved Message.

Convert to PDF: Use online converters or email clients to export as PDF for easier sharing.

Searching .EML Files in Drive

Google Drive indexes the content of .eml files:

Search by subject: Type keywords from the email subject
Search by sender: Use "from:sender@domain.com" in Drive search
Search by content: Drive can search the text within email bodies
Search by date: Use Drive's date filters

Real-World Use Cases

1. Legal and Compliance Archiving

Setup: Forward all company communications to a compliance Drive folder. Use case: Meet regulatory requirements for email retention (GDPR, HIPAA, SOX, etc.). Structure:

Main folder: "Email Archive 2026"
Subfolders by month or department (organize manually or use Drive features)
All emails permanently stored as .eml files Benefit: Complete, immutable email archive for audits and legal discovery.

2. Client Communication Backup

Setup: Archive all client emails to a dedicated Drive folder. Use case: Preserve all client communications for reference and protection. Workflow:

Create folder per client (manually organize after archiving)
Archive every email from client domains
Share client-specific folders with account managers
Reference old conversations instantly Benefit: Never lose important client communication history.

3. Contract and Agreement Storage

Setup: Archive emails containing contracts, agreements, and legal documents. Use case: Preserve signed agreements sent via email with timestamps. Filter strategy: Forward emails with "contract", "agreement", "signed" in subject. Benefit: Complete audit trail of contract communications with original timestamps.

4. Invoice and Receipt Archive

Setup: Archive receipt and invoice emails to a financial records folder. Use case: Maintain complete financial documentation for accounting and taxes. Workflow:

Forward all receipt and invoice emails
.eml files preserve PDF/image attachments
Organize by year for tax filing
Share with accountant or bookkeeper Tax time: Complete financial record archive with all supporting documentation.

5. Support Email Backup

Setup: Archive all support emails sent to support@yourcompany.com. Use case: Maintain permanent record of customer support interactions. Benefit:

Complete support history beyond CRM retention limits
Evidence for disputes or escalations
Training data for support team improvements
Long-term customer communication records

6. Team Member Offboarding

Setup: Archive departing team member's emails before account closure. Use case: Preserve institutional knowledge and communication history. Workflow:

Forward all emails from departing employee's account
Create folder: "Archive - [Employee Name]"
Preserve all client communications, project discussions, etc.
Share with manager or replacement Benefit: Don't lose important context when team members leave.

Advanced Organization Tips

Organizing Your Email Archive

Folder structure options:

Email Archive/
├── 2026/
│   ├── January/
│   ├── February/
│   └── ...
├── Clients/
│   ├── Client A/
│   ├── Client B/
│   └── ...
└── Legal/
    ├── Contracts/
    ├── Compliance/
    └── ...

Note: Mailsink creates a flat folder. You can manually organize emails into subfolders after archiving using Google Drive's interface or automation tools.

Using Google Drive Search

Master Drive search to find archived emails:

// Find emails from specific sender
from:sender@domain.com

// Find emails with specific subject keywords
subject:"contract" OR subject:"agreement"

// Find emails in date range
after:2026-01-01 before:2026-12-31

// Find emails with attachments over certain size
size:>5MB

// Combine criteria
type:eml from:client@company.com after:2026-01-01

Automation with Google Apps Script

For advanced users, automate further:

Auto-organize emails into date-based folders
Rename files based on sender or subject patterns
Create summary reports of archived emails
Set up notifications when important emails are archived

Sharing and Permissions

Control access to your email archive:

View only: Team members can read archived emails
Comment: Allow adding notes without modifying files
Edit: Full access (be careful with this)
Folder-level sharing: Share specific folders with specific teams

Best practices:

Share client folders only with relevant account managers
Keep compliance folders restricted to legal/compliance team
Use view-only permissions for most users

Common Questions

Q: Can I open .eml files on mobile? A: Yes, download the file and open with your mobile email app (Gmail, Outlook, etc.). Most email apps recognize .eml format.

Q: Are attachments preserved in .eml files? A: Yes! Attachments are encoded within the .eml file. Open the email with an email client to access attachments.

Q: How much storage do I need? A: Email file sizes vary. Google Drive offers free storage with paid upgrades available through Google One if needed.

Q: Can I archive multiple email accounts to one Drive folder? A: Yes! Create one Mailsink inbox and set up forwarding from multiple email accounts. Or create separate Drive folders for each account.

Q: Can I delete archived emails? A: Yes, you have full control. Delete individual .eml files or entire folders as needed. Consider retention policies before deleting.

Q: How do I share archived emails with my team? A: Right-click the Drive folder → Share → Add team members with appropriate permissions (view, comment, or edit).

Q: Does this work with Google Workspace (G Suite)? A: Absolutely. Works with both personal Gmail and Google Workspace accounts.

Q: What if I need to forward an archived email? A: Download the .eml file, open it with your email client, then forward it like any email.

Q: Can I search inside archived emails? A: Yes! Google Drive indexes .eml file contents. Use Drive search to find emails by sender, subject, or content keywords.

Q: How is this different from Gmail's archive feature? A: Gmail's archive just hides emails from inbox. This creates permanent, downloadable .eml files in Drive that persist regardless of Gmail account status.

Q: Can I convert .eml files to PDF? A: Yes, open the .eml file in an email client and print/export to PDF, or use online .eml to PDF converters.

Next Steps

You now have automated email archiving to Google Drive! Consider:

Set up additional forwarding rules for different email types
Create folder organization that matches your needs
Share specific folders with relevant team members
Document your retention policy for compliance
Set up backup procedures for critical archives

Also explore:

How to save emails to Google Sheets - For structured email data analysis
Gmail to Notion integration - For rich email management
Email to Airtable - For email-powered workflows

Ready to start archiving emails? Try Mailsink free →

Last updated: January 17, 2026