How to send a folder by email
Email can’t attach a folder and many files hit the size limit. How to zip a folder, what zipping doesn’t shrink and what to do when it is still too big.
You want to send someone a folder of photos, a set of documents for an application or a project’s files and your email app has no way to attach a folder. The answer is to pack the folder into a single zip file, which every computer and phone can open.
Zipping a folder
Create zip takes individual files or a whole folder, keeps the folder structure inside the archive and gives you one .zip to attach. It runs in your browser, so the files are packed on your device rather than uploaded and sent back.
Windows and macOS can also zip from the right-click menu: Send to, Compressed folder on Windows and Compress on a Mac. Both work well; the browser tool is handy on a computer you don’t control or on a Chromebook.
What zipping doesn’t shrink
A zip compresses files, but photos, videos, most PDFs and anything already compressed barely get smaller. A 30MB folder of phone photos makes a zip of roughly 30MB. Create zip notices those files and stores them as they’re, which is faster and gives the same size.
To actually reduce the size of photos, compress them first with the image compressor, which is covered in detail in your photo is too large to email. For large PDFs, compress PDF shrinks the images inside them.
When it is still too big
Email providers limit a message to roughly 20 to 25MB in total and the recipient’s server may accept less. Beyond that, split the files across several emails or upload the zip to cloud storage and send a link. For important files, include a checksum so the recipient can confirm nothing was corrupted, as described in how to verify a file checksum.
Opening a zip you received
Double-clicking opens a zip on Windows and Mac. On a Chromebook, a work computer with restrictions or a phone, unzip opens it in the browser, shows every file and lets you download individual ones or all of them, checking each against its stored checksum as it goes.
Common questions
Why can I not attach a folder to an email?
Email attachments are individual files. A folder is a container on your disk, not a file, so it has to be packed into one first. A zip archive is the standard way and every computer and phone can open one.
Will zipping make my photos smaller?
Barely. JPG photos, videos and most PDFs are already compressed, so zipping them saves little or nothing. Zipping shrinks text, spreadsheets and documents well. To make photos smaller, compress or resize the photos themselves.
What is the attachment size limit?
It varies by provider. Major email services allow roughly 20 to 25MB per message in total and the recipient's server may accept less. Larger files are better shared through a cloud storage link.
Why was my zip blocked?
Some email services block archives containing program files, such as .exe files, because malware is often sent that way and some block password-protected zips because they can’t be scanned.