How to send PDF to email: attach or link
How to send PDF to email: open a new message, click the paperclip (Attach), choose the PDF and send; Gmail takes attachments up to about 25 MB and Outlook.com about 20 MB, beyond which both switch to a cloud link. The same page covers the reverse: sending an email as a PDF, which means saving the message as PDF first and attaching it.
How to attach a PDF to an email in each client
Attaching is the same everywhere; only the button moves. If a drag-and-drop works, it is the fastest: drop the PDF onto the compose window.
| Client | Attach | Size limit (approximate) | Over the limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gmail | Paperclip at the bottom of the compose window | 25 MB per message | Gmail uploads to Google Drive and inserts a link |
| Outlook.com / Outlook on the web | Attach, Browse this computer | 20 MB | Offers to upload to OneDrive and share |
| Outlook desktop (Microsoft 365) | Insert, Attach File | Set by your organization; often 20 to 25 MB | Message bounces or Outlook suggests OneDrive |
| Apple Mail | Paperclip in the toolbar, or drag into the message | Set by your provider | Mail Drop sends a temporary iCloud link |
| iPhone Mail | Tap in the body, arrow, Attach File | Provider limit | Mail Drop |
| Yahoo Mail | Paperclip, Attach files | 25 MB | Share via a cloud link |
Limits are set by the providers and change occasionally; the receiving server has its own limit too, so a 24 MB file can still bounce from a corporate address.
Have the email as a file (EML, MSG, MBOX)? Convert it to PDF in your browser: nothing is uploaded.
How to send PDF to email step by step
- Check the file size. Right-click, Properties (Windows) or Get Info (Mac). Under 10 MB sends anywhere; 10 to 20 MB usually; above the limits in the table, use a link.
- Start a new message and enter the recipient and a subject that names the document, for example
Signed lease - Smith - PDF attached. - Click the paperclip or Attach, select the PDF, and wait for the progress bar to finish before sending. Sending early is the usual cause of "the attachment was missing".
- Write one line saying what the attachment is and whether a reply is needed.
- Send. Check the Sent folder: the paperclip icon confirms the file went with it.
Several PDFs can go in one message as long as the total stays under the limit. If they belong together, zip them so the recipient downloads once.
Attach or link, and how to shrink a PDF
A link is better when the file is large, when it will be updated, or when many people need it; an attachment is better for records, because the recipient keeps a copy that does not disappear when you change the share settings. Court filings, HR files and invoices should be attachments.
To get a large PDF under the limit:
- If you made the PDF from a web page or email, print it again at a lower scale or with Background graphics off; images are the bulk of the size.
- On a Mac, open the PDF in Preview, File, Export, Quartz Filter, Reduce File Size.
- Split it: most PDF apps can extract a page range, and two 12 MB messages beat one bounce.
- Scanned documents: rescan at 150 dpi in grayscale instead of 300 dpi color.
Zipping a PDF rarely helps; the images inside are already compressed.
How to embed a PDF in an email body
Email clients cannot embed a working PDF viewer in a message; what the reader sees is HTML and images. "Embedding" therefore means one of three things:
- A picture of the first page pasted into the body, with the PDF attached. Take a screenshot of page one or export it as PNG, paste, then attach. Works in every client.
- Outlook desktop's Insert, Object places the PDF as an icon or an image of the first page inside the body; recipients outside Outlook often see only the image.
- A link to the PDF in Drive, OneDrive or Dropbox, with a one-line description.
For anything that must be read in full, attach the file. Phones and preview panes show attachments consistently; embedded objects do not.
How to send an email as a PDF
The flip side of this topic: you need to forward an email to someone as a document rather than as a forwarded message, for a client file, an auditor or a court.
- Save the email as a PDF: open it, Ctrl+P or Cmd+P, Save as PDF. Client-specific steps are on save an email as a PDF.
- If the email exists as an .eml or .msg file, drop it on the SaveMail converter instead. It renders in your browser with From, To, Cc, Date, Subject and Message-ID, the body, and the attachment list with sizes; press Save as PDF. Nothing is uploaded, and the attachments can be downloaded one by one or as a ZIP to send alongside.
- Compose a new message, attach the PDF (and the attachments, or the original .eml so the recipient has everything in one container), and send.
Forwarding keeps the message editable and drops some headers; a PDF plus the original file is what someone verifying the record wants. Why the Message-ID matters is explained on what is an EML file and in the email archiving guide.
Frequently asked questions
How do I send a PDF file by email?
Open a new message, click the paperclip or Attach, select the PDF, wait for the upload to finish and send.
How do I attach a PDF to an email in Gmail?
Click the paperclip at the bottom of the compose window, choose the file, and send. Files over about 25 MB are sent as a Google Drive link automatically.
How do I embed a PDF in an email?
You cannot embed a live PDF. Paste an image of the first page into the body and attach the PDF, or send a link.
What is the maximum PDF size I can email?
About 25 MB in Gmail and Yahoo, about 20 MB in Outlook.com; corporate servers may be lower. Use a cloud link above that.
How do I send an email as a PDF?
Save the email as a PDF through the print dialog, or convert the .eml or .msg file in SaveMail, then attach the PDF to a new message.
Why did my PDF attachment not go through?
Usually size: it exceeded your limit or the recipient's. Shrink the PDF, split it, or send a link.