Import Emails into Outlook & Bring All Old Data to New Platform

Everyone is aware of all the superb features of Microsoft’s official email service so it is not a surprise that many people want to import emails into Outlook. The main problem is that there doesn’t seem to be a clear-cut guide on how to transfer external email data into an Outlook environment. So to address this issue we present this write-up which takes into consideration all the various scenarios a user might face. Without further ado let’s start with the first step which is to figure out what your endpoints are. 

Identify the Pathway to Import Emails into Outlook

Here is a tree map of all the various endpoints 

Email source 

• Email accounts Gmail, Yahoo, Other IMAP accounts
• Email File Formats PST, MBOX, EML, etc 

 

Outlook Destination type 

• Outlook Web
• Outlook Client 
  • Classic 
  • New

Use this to determine which of the following prerequisites you need to complete prior to the actual import.

Preparation for Importing Old Emails into an Outlook Platform

If you are a web-only Outlook user then there is bad news. While the Outlook web version has a dedicated export mailbox mechanism, there is no way to add email files. Moreover, Microsoft removed the ability to connect new third-party accounts a few years back. So no Gmail, Yahoo, or any other email ID. 

The only way out is to set up an Outlook client, most modern Windows machines have an Outlook client pre-installed. So you have your work cut short. However, if you are using a Mac first you have to set up an Outlook Desktop application on your own. 

Incase you operate a Linux machine then unfortunately there is no official Outlook app, you must use a VM (With a Windows that has Outlook) or switch away from Outlook permanently.

Nowadays every Outlook account has a reverse sync with the cloud, so even when you use a desktop client the emails are still present in Microsoft Servers. 

That’s why it becomes important to check that your current plan has enough storage space before you import emails into Outlook and still retain functionality. 

Depending on the amount of data you might have to upgrade your plan. If your storage fills up after or during the import, Microsft will freeze all incoming and outgoing facilities for your Outlook account. So you risk losing out on essential information.

To check the total available storage on the Outlook web:

Click on Settings  Cog > Go to the General tab > Select the Storage section.

There you can either get more storage or clear out unnecessary data. So we got to know that we have to rely on the desktop clients. Nevertheless, even here the solution is not straightforward. Let’s see why.

Use Outlook Clients to Add Old Emails 

Out of all the Outlook versions, the classic edition boasts the most robust import feature. That’s why, for email file formats, we have no other option but to use it. However, a major hurdle is that Outlook Classic is no longer pre-installed on most new Windows machines, so you must manually add it.

After the client is ready to use follow these steps:

• Select File > Add Account.
• Enter your email address and click Connect.
• If prompted, enter the password and select OK > Finish.

For Email File Format

First and foremost you need to convert emails to PST, as there are no reliable manual methods for this a tool is the best choice.

Once done the import procedure is quite simple.

• Select File > Open & Export > Import/Export.
• Choose Import from another program or file > Next.
• Select Outlook Data File (.pst) > Next.
• Browse to the .pst file, choose import options, and select Next.
• Enter the password (if required) and select OK.
• Choose the import location (Microsoft 365 mailbox or current folder).

Those who are reluctant to add another Outlook client and wish for a workaround with the new version must know that they can only link an email account. Here are the steps:

• Hit the cog at the top right to open settings > Accounts > Email accounts.
• Click Add Account, select from dropdown or enter email address, and click Continue.

Secondary Tactics to Import

Note that the following are not true imports; rather, they allow some email data to be visible on the Outlook platform. Moreover, in most of these, only the actual content of the email would become visible. 

This means you will lose access to the metadata. If that is something you wish to preserve, we suggest you use the previously mentioned strategies.

Enough buildup of the alternative approach is forwarding the emails from source accounts to Outlook accounts. Or add the email file formats as attachments and mail them to your account. 

You can define rules in Outlook so that these emails go directly into a subfolder and dont disturb your regular mailbox. 

Behavior varies across formats. Like for example EML and MSG show up in the preview while PST and MBOX do not. So choose this method only if you have the specific email format.

Also, keep in mind that the email files are now in the form of a attachment they occupy the space in OneDrive rather than your mailbox.

Bulk Importing of Old Emails to Outlook Accounts in Professional Setting

Whenever there is a merger/acquisition, or there is a bulk restructuring within the organization admins usually have to add a lot of old emails to live accounts. When the company uses Outlook this usually means that data needs to be deposited in the M365. For that, the best way is to use the SysTools Microsoft Office 365 Import tool. 

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It can process multiple different emails like MBOX, EML, PST, etc, and put them in the Outlook mailbox of specific users. With date filtering, priority marking, multi-mapping options, and end-result reports. This tool is a complete package. If your starting location is an email account then you can use another sister tool which is the IMAP migrator. 

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we provided readers with tips on what they can do if they need to import emails into Outlook. We showed how different scenarios require different strategies, as the techniques that work for email accounts can’t be used for file formats.

Moreover, for professional business end-users, we provided a clear-cut tool that can help import different files into Outlook (M365 edition). Others who still possess email data in an IMAP account can rely on the automated IMAP migration software instead.