How to Export Gmail Emails to CSV Format? Complete Guide

Published By Jamie Kaler

Approved By Rollins Duke

Published On September 18th, 2026

Reading Time 6 Min Read

If you are looking for a solution to export Gmail emails to CSV, then you are on the right page. Gmail does not offer a direct option to export complete mailbox in CSV format, which makes it difficult to save and handle large amounts of email data.

CSV file (Comma-Separated Values) is an easy-to-use spreadsheet format that holds structured information in rows and columns. Gmail email data exported to CSV can include details like sender, recipient, subject and date, which can be opened in Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.

In this guide, we will explore manual and automated methods to save Gmail emails as CSV. The solutions we are going to discuss here will be accessible on both Windows and Mac. By the end of article, users can easily select the method that suits their requirements.

Reasons to Export Emails from Gmail to CSV Format

There are following reasons why uses save Gmail email as CSV.

Guarantees your data security by providing a reliable local backup.
Enables the storage of messages outside Gmail, thus saving valuable space in your cloud storage account.
Makes the analysis, tracking of growth, and processing of data using spreadsheets such as Excel and other substitutes as increasingly smooth.
Makes it possible to order and categorize email data and present them in neat tables.

How to Export Gmail Emails to CSV Manually?

In this manual method, we will learn how to complete the Gmail to Excel process by using the Thunderbird email client.

Export Emails from Gmail to CSV using Thunderbird

You have to complete this method into two phases. Firstly, we will connect both accounts and then export Gmail emails to Excel format. Below are the steps for this method.

Step 1: Connect Gmail to Thunderbird

Open a Thunderbird account.
Click on Gear icon (setting).
Click Account Setting > Add Account > Mail Account.
Enter your name and Gmail email address.
Select IMAP/POP3 and click Continue.

After a successful connection, now we will export emails in CSV format. Follow the step 2.

Step 2: Export Gmail Emails to CSV/Excel

Restart the Thunderbird account.
Right-click on the connected folders of Gmail.
Choose ImportExportTools NG >> Export All Messages in the Folder >> Spreadsheet CSV options.
Browse the location to save this file.

Limitations of the Manual Method

There are following limitation of this methods to export Gmail emails to CSV are:

Users need to install and configure Thunderbird before exporting Gmail emails.
You need to add ImportExportTools NG extension in CSV export option.
using this method you may required to configure IMAP/POP3 settings and complete Google authentication.
Exporting multiple number of Gmail emails can take a lot of time.
Separate export may be required for individual Gmail folder.
CSV mainly holds email details and does not keep original email formatting, attachments or folder structure like dedicated email formats like EML or MBOX.

Professional Tool to Export Emails from Gmail to CSV Format in Bulk Automatically

You need a method that can work according to your exporting needs and goals RecoveryTools Gmail Backup Wizard that you must use to get best results for this problem. This is a solution to export emails from Gmail to Excel in bulk. This tool is being designed with user-friendly algorithms that work as per the needs and requirements of the users. With this solution, users can download large amounts of Gmail emails without any kind of data loss or disruption. The solution can easily export Gmail emails (along with the attachments) to CSV format. It ensures you the perfect export procedure with the original formatting of your email data easily. Below are the steps to use this tool as per your convenience.

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Export Gmail Emails to CSV Format Automatically: Step-by-Step

Firstly, download and install the given tool on your system.
login to your account using proper login credentials and hit on the Login button. This requires an app password and it is significant to note that app password requires 2-step verification to be enabled via the Google security settings.
Choose the required files and folders from the software panel.
Select the Saving option as CSV from the list of formats.
Apply the advanced filters as per your choice from Filter Options.
Select the desired location using the Browse button.
Lastly, click on the Backup button to export Gmail emails to CSV format.

Advanced and Prime Features of the Tool

Selected & Bulk Gmail Export: Users can export specific Gmail folder or complete mailbox. the tool handle multiple emails and accounts at the same time which makes it suitable for individual and organizational needs.
Export Gmail Data with Attachments: Using the software user can easily preserve email attachment during the process including PDFs, documents, images and videos. Users can include or exclude attachments based on their storage requirements and ensure that important files are protected
Preserves Folder Structure & Components: The application maintains original Gmail folder hierarchy and all email components including formatting, images, and metadata
Google OAuth Authentication: Using Google OAuth Authentication credential are never stored and ensure maximum account security and simplified login process. It eliminates the need for app-specific passwords.
Advanced Filter Options: Users can filter email based on date range, sender/recipient, subject and keywords. There is options to exclude folders, filter attachments if needed.

Conclusion

Exporting Gmail email to CSV offers simple ways to handle & organize email data in structured format. However, manual method like Thunderbird require extra setup and can be time-consuming for large exports. Users looking to export large number of emails can use an automation solution to smoothly perform the complete task and reduce manual effort to export Gmail emails to CSV. It offers convenient way to export Gmail in bulk and email properties in their original form

FAQs

Q1: Is it possible for the tool to transfer multiple numbers of emails and files into CSV?

Yes, in its pro version it does transfer an multiple number of emails and files, including other supporting documents into a single CSV file while also ensuring the integrity of whole data.

Q2: Is the original folder hierarchy preserved during migration?

Yes, the entire file and folder hierarchy is effectively preserved during the process.

Q3: Is filtering of certain emails possible while selecting the folder location for output files?

Yes, users can select specific outputs of emails or pick any location for their output files as per their convenience and take advantage of some filtering options provided in the software.