How to Export Outlook Emails to Plain Text Without Hassle?

Ritu Roy | How to's Outlook Technology | 9 minutes read | Modified on: 13-03-2026

Summary: Using Microsoft Outlook to manage emails, contacts, and calendar events is common for both individuals and businesses. However, there are situations where users prefer their emails in plain text format instead of HTML or rich text. If you are looking for a way to export Outlook emails to plain text, this blog will guide you through simple and secure methods to do it. By following the tested solutions explained here, you can easily change Outlook messages into plain text format.

In many cases, converting emails to plain text becomes necessary for better security, compatibility, and storage management. Plain text removes all formatting elements such as images, fonts, colors, hyperlinks, and embedded objects. As a result, the email becomes lighter, easier to read, and compatible with almost every email platform or device.

Microsoft Outlook is widely used for professional communication across organizations. However, HTML-based emails sometimes include hidden scripts, tracking elements, or suspicious links that may pose security threats. These elements can expose users to risks like phishing attempts or malware attacks. By converting Outlook emails to plain text, all unnecessary components, such as images, videos, and embedded links, are removed, making the message safer to open and read.

Because of these security concerns, many businesses prefer plain-text emails as a safer alternative. This format helps reduce the chances of cyber threats while ensuring that important information remains accessible without extra formatting.

In this blog, we will also discuss the main reasons why users choose to export Outlook emails to plain text. Along with that, we will explain both manual and automated solutions that can help you perform the conversion smoothly. If you want a quick, secure, and efficient way to complete this task, continue reading the blog until the end.

Before moving on to the solutions, let’s first understand the common reasons why users prefer converting their Outlook emails to plain text format.

Reasons to Export Outlook Email to Plain Text

There are several situations where users choose to convert Outlook emails into plain text format. Plain text emails remove complex formatting and focus only on the actual message content. This makes emails simpler, safer, and easier to read across different platforms. Because of these benefits, many users and organizations prefer plain text emails to improve communication and overall productivity. Below are some common reasons why this conversion becomes necessary.

Resending Individual Emails: At times, users may need to resend an email they previously received, but in a plain text format. This can happen when the recipient prefers simple email content without formatting or when the original email contains elements that do not display correctly. In such cases, converting the message to plain text before sending ensures that the recipient can read the content without any issues.
Safe Reading of Incoming Emails: HTML emails can contain tracking pixels, malicious links, or hidden scripts that may create security risks. By viewing emails in plain text, these potentially harmful elements are removed. This helps users avoid threats such as phishing attempts, malware, or other security vulnerabilities.
Improved Compatibility Across Devices: Plain text emails are supported by almost every email client and device. Whether someone is accessing their email through a smartphone, web browser, or desktop application, plain text messages display consistently without formatting problems.
Faster Loading and Lower Data Usage: Since plain text emails do not include images, multimedia files, or heavy formatting, they are much smaller in size. This allows them to load faster and consume less internet data, which is especially helpful for users with slow internet connections.

These are some of the key reasons why many users prefer converting Outlook emails into plain text format. Now that you understand the importance of this conversion, let’s move on to the available solutions that can help you perform this task effectively.

How to Convert Outlook Messages to Plain Text Manually?

If you want to export Outlook emails to plain text without using any third-party tools, you can do it manually with a few simple methods. These approaches are easy to follow and do not require any additional software. Below is one of the basic techniques you can use to change Outlook messages into plain text format.

Solution 1: Using the Copy and Paste Method

One of the simplest ways to convert an Outlook email into plain text is by copying the email content and pasting it into a basic text editor such as Notepad. This process removes all formatting elements like fonts, images, and hyperlinks, leaving only the raw text content.

Follow the steps below to complete the process:

Launch the Outlook application on your computer.
Navigate to your Inbox or the folder where the email is stored.
Locate the email you want to convert and open it by double-clicking on the message.
Once the email opens, select the entire content of the message. You can do this by pressing Ctrl + A.
After selecting the content, copy it by pressing Ctrl + C on your keyboard.
Next, open Notepad or any basic text editor available on your Windows system.
Paste the copied content into Notepad by pressing Ctrl + V.
Go to the File menu and choose Save As, or simply press Ctrl + S.
Enter a file name, select the .TXT format, and click the Save button.

After completing these steps, your Outlook email content will be saved as a plain text file. This method is useful when you need to convert a small number of emails quickly and do not require advanced conversion features.

In the next section, we will explore additional methods that can help you convert Outlook emails to plain text more efficiently.

Solution 2: Convert Emails Directly from Outlook

Another way to convert Outlook emails into plain text is by saving the message directly from Outlook in TXT format. This method allows you to store the email content as a text file without using external applications.

Follow the steps below to perform the conversion:

Start Microsoft Outlook on your Windows computer.
Go to your Inbox or the folder that contains the email you want to convert.
Select the email message and open it by double-clicking on it.
Once the email window opens, click on the File option in the menu.
From the available options, select Save As, or you can press the shortcut Ctrl + S on your keyboard.
In the Save As window, choose TXT (Plain Text) as the file format.
Enter a suitable name for the file and choose the location where you want to save it.
Finally, click the Save button to complete the process.

After completing these steps, the selected Outlook email will be saved as a plain text (.txt) file on your system.

The manual methods explained above are simple and helpful when you need to convert only a few emails. However, they may not always be practical in certain situations. For example, they can be time-consuming when dealing with multiple emails and may not preserve some important information. Because of these limitations, it is important to understand the drawbacks of manual solutions before relying on them.

Limitations of Manually Converting Outlook Messages to Plain Text

Although manual methods can help convert Outlook emails to plain text, they come with several drawbacks. These approaches may work for a small number of emails, but they are not always practical when dealing with large amounts of data. Before relying on these methods, it’s important to understand their limitations.

Not Suitable for Bulk Conversion: Manual techniques are mainly designed for converting one email at a time. If you need to convert hundreds or thousands of messages, repeating the same steps for each email can become extremely inefficient.
Time-Consuming Process: Because each email must be opened and saved individually, the overall process can take a significant amount of time. This makes manual methods impractical when quick results are required.
Possibility of Duplicate Files: When saving emails manually, users may accidentally create multiple TXT files for the same message. This can lead to confusion and unnecessary storage usage.
Not Beginner-Friendly: While the steps may appear simple, they can still be challenging for users who are not familiar with technical procedures. Non-technical users may find it difficult to follow the process correctly.
Risk to Data Accuracy: Manual copying or saving sometimes affects the structure or content of the email. Important details may be altered or lost during the conversion process, which can affect data integrity.
Storage and Performance Issues: Creating a large number of separate TXT files can take up considerable storage space. Over time, this may slow down the system or make file management more complicated.

These limitations show that manual solutions are not always the best choice, especially when dealing with a large number of emails.

How to Convert Outlook Emails to Plain Text Automatically

While manual methods can be helpful in certain cases, their limitations make them less reliable for regular or large-scale conversions. To simplify the process and avoid these issues, using an automated solution can be a better option.

One such solution is the CubexSoft PST Converter Software, which allows users to convert PST files into TXT format quickly and securely. The tool is designed to handle bulk email conversion without creating duplicate files. It also ensures that the original data remains intact throughout the process.

With this software, users can convert multiple Outlook emails into plain text format in a single operation. It maintains data accuracy during the entire conversion process and produces properly structured TXT files without requiring complex steps or manual effort.

Benefits of Using an Automatic Solution

Using an automated tool for converting Outlook emails to plain text offers several advantages compared to manual methods. These tools are designed to simplify the process, save time, and ensure accurate results. Below are some of the key benefits of using an automatic solution.

Bulk Email Conversion: One of the major advantages of automated tools is the ability to convert multiple emails at once. Instead of processing each email individually, users can convert large volumes of Outlook messages into plain text format in a single operation.
Preview and Selective Conversion: Many automated tools include a preview feature that allows users to view their email data before starting the conversion. This option helps users select specific folders or emails they want to convert, preventing unnecessary data from being exported.
Support for Multiple File Formats: In addition to converting emails to plain text, these tools often support several other file formats, such as TXT, PDF, EML, and many more. This flexibility allows users to export Outlook data in the format that best suits their needs.
Device Compatibility: The TXT files created through automated conversion can be accessed easily on different devices and platforms. Because plain text files are simple and lightweight, they open smoothly without compatibility issues or security warnings.
Preservation of Email Structure: A reliable conversion tool maintains important email details during the process. This includes metadata such as sender, recipient, subject, and date, as well as the original folder hierarchy. As a result, users can keep their email data organized even after the conversion.

Pros and Cons of Manual and Automatic Methods

Before choosing a method, it is helpful to understand the strengths and limitations of both manual and automated solutions.

Pros

Plain text files are widely supported and can be opened on almost any device without security alerts.
Automated solutions maintain the original email structure, including metadata and folder hierarchy.
Preview and selective export features help users convert only the required emails, keeping storage organized.
Bulk conversion capabilities allow multiple emails to be processed at once, saving time and effort.
Many automated tools support exporting Outlook data to several formats, not just TXT.

Cons

Manual processes may create duplicate TXT files if the user is not careful during saving.
Converting a large number of emails manually can be extremely time-consuming.
Manual approaches may not be reliable in complex situations or when handling large datasets.
Some manual steps may be confusing for non-technical users who are unfamiliar with the process.
There is also a chance that the folder structure or formatting of emails may not be preserved when using manual techniques.

Final Thoughts

After reviewing all the methods discussed in this blog, it becomes clear that manual solutions are useful only for basic tasks, such as converting a few emails into plain text format. However, when users need to process a large number of messages, manual methods can become slow and inefficient.

In comparison, an automated solution provides a faster and more reliable way to convert Outlook emails to plain text. It can handle bulk data, maintain the original email structure, and complete the conversion without risking data loss. For users who regularly manage large Outlook mailboxes, choosing an automated tool can be a more practical and efficient approach.