3 Quick Ways to Add a Folder as an Attachment in an Email

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A beginner's guide to sending an entire folder by email

Co-authored by Luigi Oppido and Rain Kengly

Last Updated: April 25, 2024 Fact Checked

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Using Windows

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Using Mac

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Using Google Drive

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Expert Q&A

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Warnings

Most email providers don't allow you to attach a normal folder, but there's an easy workaround. Compressing (zipping) the folder will turn it into a single file and shrink it to avoid maximum attachment size limits. If you don't want to use zipping, you can use Google Drive to share a folder in Gmail. Here's how to add a folder as an attachment using your Windows or Mac computer.

Sending a Folder as an Email Attachment

To send an entire folder via email, you'll need to compress the folder into a ZIP file first. To do this, right-click (or control-click) the file and select the option to compress it. Then, attach the zipped file to your email.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Using Windows

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Before you can add a folder as an email attachment, you'll need to zip (compress) the file. This allows the files to be condensed into a single unit that the recipient can later unzip.
This is in the pop-up menu.

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Click Compressed (zipped) folder. A new zipped folder will be created in the same location as the original.^{[1]
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- If desired, right-click the file again and click Rename to give it a new name.
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Attach the file to your email. If you don't already have your inbox open in a web browser, do so now. Start a new email.
- On most email interfaces, you can click the paperclip icon to add an attachment. Select the file from the pop-up window.
- Some providers allow drag-and-drop. In this case, drag the compressed file from your computer and drop it into the email's body field.
- When you're finished, send the email. The recipient should be able to unzip the file by downloading to their device and double-clicking it.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Using Mac

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Control-click the folder you want to send. You'll need to zip (compress) the file to add it as an email attachment. The recipient will be able to unzip it on their device later.
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Click Compress. This is in the pop-up menu.
- A new zipped folder will be created in the same location as the original.^{[2]
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Attach the file to your email. If you don't already have your inbox open in a web browser, do so now. Start a new email.
- On most email interfaces, you can click the paperclip icon to add an attachment. Select the file from the pop-up window.
- Some providers allow drag-and-drop. In this case, drag the compressed file from your computer and drop it into the email's body field.
- When you're finished, send the email. The recipient should be able to unzip the file by downloading to their device and double-clicking it.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Using Google Drive

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1
Go to https://drive.google.com/ in a web browser. If you aren't already logged into your Google account, do so now.
- You can use Google Drive to share folders with other users.
On the home page, click + New in the top-right corner and select Folder upload. Double-click your folder to upload it.^{[3]
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This is in the left panel. You should see your newly uploaded folder in this section.
A pop-up menu will open.
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Add the recipient. Use the field to enter the recipient's name, and then assign them as a Viewer, Commenter, or Editor.
- Make sure the Notify people box is checked. This will send an email to the recipient.
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Click Send. Your folder will be shared with the recipient.
- If you need to remove sharing permissions at any time, open the Share settings and click the X by their email.

Expert Q&A

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Question

How do I share a folder?

Luigi Oppido
Computer & Tech Specialist
Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.

Luigi Oppido

Computer & Tech Specialist

Expert Answer

Upload it to a server like Google Drive, Dropbox, or your own personal server. Then, email the person the link. That way, you can see if they make any changes to it, and you can revoke access if you need to.

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How do I rename a folder?

Community Answer

Right-click on the folder. A dialogue box will appear. Click on "rename." Type the name you want.

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Tips

Note that there are multiple compressed file extensions. The most common ones are .zip, .rar, and .tar.gz. "Zip" files are by far the most common. Different software may be required to handle different extensions.

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Compression works by eliminating redundant data, replacing it with shorter instructions to restore it later. Many common file types such as JPEG or MP3 have already been compressed, and won't get much smaller (if at all) with a second compression.

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Warnings

If you add encrypted files to a compressed folder, they may be unencrypted when extracted. If you need to protect sensitive information, do not compress encrypted files.

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