Import EML to Outlook New, Web and Classic in 2025

Published By Jamie Kaler

Approved By Rollins Duke

Published On September 26th, 2025

Reading Time 12 Min Read

Summary: In this informative article, we are going to learn about how to import EML to Outlook easily. This blog will explain in detail how to open EML file in Outlook using different methods and know about their pros & cons to choose the best for your data.

Can I import EML files into Outlook? This is one of the most common questions asked by the user, as many individuals, professionals, or businesses need to move from email clients like Thunderbird, WLM, Apple Mail, to Outlook. Because Outlook does not support EML files directly, user finds a way to import multiple EML to Outlook. There are multiple manual and automated ways to import EML to Outlook, and by the end of this article, you will know how to import EML files into Outlook, Outlook Web, Outlook Classic, and New Outlook.

How to Open EML File in New Outlook? Direct Answer

There are two ways to import EML to Outlook: you can either use the manual method to import EML files into New Outlook, Outlook Web, and Outlook Classic, via drag & drop, WLM, Thunderbird + IMAP ways, or you can directly use the automated tool. You will have to follow different manual steps to import EML files into different Outlook applications. On the other hand, a tool will help you to open EML file in Outlook by using the same steps easily in bulk with all the important elements and original file structure intact. Let’s learn about the various methods to import EML files to Outlook briefly in the blog.

Why a User Should Import EML Files Into Outlook?

Saving EML files in Outlook helps users to store all the data in one place instead of different platforms, and gives users quick access in an organized manner, which makes the work efficient.
A user should import EML to Outlook, as it is widely used in businesses and professional work, which makes it usable anywhere. Imported EML files into Outlook are compatible with Office 365, IMAP, and other services.
The most important reason to open EML file in Outlook is its advanced security. It offers various features like encryption options, junk mail filters, etc. The imported EML files are protected under strong security, which is much safer than raw EMLs.
You can open your EML files without internet connectivity, as it allows you to view and search all the data files offline, which is useful for professionals who may need to check their files anywhere.
Importing EML files into Outlook ensures that there is no data loss while moving between different clients like Apple Mail, Thunderbird, WLM, etc, as most organizations use Outlook for their professional work and communication, it helps them bring all the data into one professional environment.

Quick Prep Before Manually Importing EML Files Into Outlook

Back up your data files to import EML to Outlook safely.
Make small batch test folders in Outlook.
You should know your account type (Exchange, IMAP, or POP) to open EML file in Outlook.
And work in small batches of 10-50 files to scale up, avoid errors, and data loss to open EML file in Outlook easily.

How to Import EML files to Outlook Manually?

Here we will explain how to open EML file in new Outlook, Classic, and Web using different manual methods.

(A) Import EML to Outlook Classic for Free

Method 1: Use “Drag & Drop” or “Open With” Option to Import

(Recommended when you have a few .eml files)

Locate the EML files, select one, and right-click on it.
Click on Open With and select Outlook.
It will automatically launch Outlook and view the email along with all attributes.
To import a file, click on Move from the ribbon bar and select the Outlook folder.
You can also use the “drag & drop” method. First, open your Outlook Classic, and the desktop file explorer on the other hand.
Browse your EML files on the file explorer, and also resize the windows to see both Outlook and File Explorer together.
Now select your EML files and start dragging and dropping them into the desired Outlook folder to import EML to Outlook.

Note: This is not suitable for large EML files, as you will have to drag and open each file one by one and then import. If you want to import multiple EML to Outlook. In Classic Outlook, drag & drop does not work properly, and in Outlook web and new, this method is not supported.

Method 2: Thunderbird + IMAP (Best for a large batch of EML files)

Firstly, install Thunderbird for free and run it.
In Thunderbird, go to settings icon > Account Settings > New Account > Mail Account > enter credentials and wait till it syncs.
Now, click on the Tools option above > Add-ons > Search ImportExportTools NG to install the add-on.
Now go to the local folders and right-click on the folder you want to import into > ImportExportTools NG > Import EML messages > All EML messages from a directory and subdirectories.
Browse desired folders/files to import EML to Outlook, and Ok. It will load all the messages.
Now Ctrl+A and drop all the files into your destination folder you want your files in. All the files will appear once syncing is completed.

Note: You may import EML files to Outlook using Thunderbird in bulk, but there is a high chance that attachments may not display or get corrupted after importing the files. There may be broken embedded images, links, or formatting after import.

(B) Import EML Files to New Outlook in 2025

First, open your updated New Outlook version.
Go to Settings Gear > Files > Import > Start Import.
Then, browse & select your data files and desired destination.
Lastly, hit the Import button and wait for the Import EML to Outlook process.

Note: The major drawback to import EML to new Outlook is that only the EML folders will be imported, and .eml files inside the subfolders will be ignored automatically. Also, it has a file size limitation of 14 MB.

(C) Methods to Import EML File to Outlook Web

Method 1: Import EML to Outlook Web via Drag & Drop

First, follow the Drag & Drop method of import EML files to Outlook Classic and sign in to the same account as Outlook Classic.
After that, wait for the Outlook Classic to process and go to Outlook Web and click on the same folder where the imported EML files should appear.

Note: Saving EML files in Outlook one by one can consume a lot of time & effort. It may lead to data corruption or permanent data loss if hundreds or thousands of files are imported altogether.

Method 2: Open EML File in Outlook Web Using Thunderbird

In the same way we did in the method of importing to Outlook Classic using Thunderbird, we have to follow the same steps. Just the email account should be the same in both Outlook Classic and Web. And after the process completion, you have to check that the files in Outlook Web appear.

Note: It is not advisable for non-technical users to use the manual way to import EML to Outlook, as users may get confused and create chaos, which may lead to human errors. And there are chances that some EML files created by a non-Microsoft client may not open correctly in Outlook or create duplicates.

Smart Solution to Import EML Files Into Outlook Perfectly

After knowing all the possible methods in different Outlook applications, we can see that it comes with major limitations. But you can still import EML to Outlook easily without any long steps & procedures using the expert EML Converter. Whereas the manual method consumes a lot of time, disturbs the formatting, leads to data loss or corruption, etc, on the other hand, the Eml to Outlook converter helps to overcome the limitations of the manual method. Let’s see how we can open EML file in Outlook using the professional utility in just a few minutes.

Just download the Free Demo Version of EML to Outlook migrator to import EML files into Outlook (only 25 items per folder for trial).

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Import EML Files to New Outlook, Classic & Web Automatically – Step-by-Step Guide

Download the software on your system and install it.
Upload the single and multiple EML files/folders using the Select Files and Select Folders options.
All the data will appear on the screen, check the required folders and subfolders from the screen, and hit the Next button.
Hit on the Select Saving Option and choose PST from the saving list. You can also select other 35+ file formats to import EML to Office 365, or you can convert EML to PDF, etc.
Click on the Filter Options and enable the advanced filter to import EML to Outlook selectively.
Lastly, browse the location to save the resultant data, select the file saving option, and click on the Convert button to transfer EML files to Outlook 2021, 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, and all previous and new versions.

Upload the Resultant File into Outlook to Import EML to Outlook

Run Outlook on your Windows PC.
Select the File >> Open & Export >> Import/Export option.
Choose Import from another program or file and click Next.
Select the Outlook Data File and then click on the Next button.
Browse for the Outlook data file and then select the option Replace duplicate with items imported.
Choose the folders to import selective data and then click on the Finish button.

Advanced Features & Benefits of EML to Outlook Converter

The software has a very simple and easy-to-use interface for all technical and non-technical users. You can easily import EML to Outlook using the UI/UX interface of this software without any technical training.
Provides dual options to load the .eml and .emlx files, either by selecting files or by selecting folders.
Provides complete data security as it does not save the data in its environment and does not make any changes in the original files.
This EML migration tool supports all types of EML files to directly load on the panel, whether they are corrupted, damaged, orphaned, or other .eml files.
It maintains all the EML properties and metadata information. It manages the email headers and other metadata properties such as To, Cc, Bcc, Subject, Date, etc. All the important elements of the files are preserved.
It maintains the original hierarchy and folder structure of the files. You can open EML file in Outlook in bulk without disturbing the formatting.
Also, it is a self-sustainable solution that does not need any kind of technical guidance and can run without any extra installation. It does not require any tools, third-party software, or plugins to import. Even though it is an offline utility where you can access your data file anywhere without internet.
This software supports all types of EML files exported from any email client, including Windows Live Mail, Thunderbird, Apple Mail, Entourage, etc.

Final Thoughts

As we come to an end, we can conclude by saying that Outlook is the most used application for users who want to manage their crucial EML files on a secure platform. Manual methods exist, which we discussed above in the blog, but they are highly risky, especially when you have huge amounts of data to import EML to Outlook in bulk.

And as we discussed, the safest and most efficient way to import EML files is by using an automated solution, which saves your time, keeps data safe from corruption & loss, and does not disturb the original formatting and structure of the data files. So, whether you need to import EML to new Outlook, Outlook Web, or Outlook Classic, you should choose the best for your data. In short, we learned the best ways possible to open EML file in Outlook in this article.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Why is Outlook not opening EML files?
There are multiple reasons, such as:

Maybe your EML file is corrupted.

Or your Outlook profile is not working.

It also happens when the Outlook version is not compatible with the EML file, so make sure you are using the right version.

Q2. What is the difference between PST and EML?
PST: This file format is created by an Outlook account, which contains complete data of Outlook, including emails, contacts, calendar, notes, journals, tasks, etc.
EML: Stands for Electronic Mail Format, which contains only single email data, including email header data and body data

Q3. Does MS Outlook support EML files?
No, MS Outlook doesn’t support EML file directly.

Q4. Can I import EML files into Outlook directly?

No, you can not import directly as Outlook does not support EML data files directly; however, you can do that by drag & drop, IMAP, or EML to Outlook converter software.

Q5. Is it possible to import EML file to Outlook Web directly?

No, you may not be able to import EML to Outlook Web, but you can first import them into Outlook Classic using “drag & drop” or the “open with” method and then sync it with Outlook Web.