Forwarding email as an attachment

The process of forwarding email as an attachment can vary depending on several factors, including what email service you are using, whether you access your email via a website or an email client, and if you are using a desktop computer or mobile device. Below is some general guidance on how to forward an email as an attachment for the most common email platforms used at the UW, however you may need to search online for specific instructions for the device and service you use. Forwarding email as an attachment keeps the original email headers intact, which provides important information about spam and phishing attempts.

• Microsoft Outlook Client on Windows
• Microsoft Outlook on macOS
• Outlook on the web (aka OWA)
• Gmail
• Outlook Quick Step Instructions

Microsoft Outlook Client on Windows

1. Locate the message you wish to forward, and either highlight it in the reading pane by clicking once, or open it in its own window by double clicking.
2. In the ribbon controls at the top, locate the “Home” tab (called the  “Message” tab if you’ve opened the email in its own window).
3. Locate the “Respond” section in the ribbon, which is where options for Reply, Reply All, Forward, etc., should appear.
4. Select the “More” dropdown option, and select the Forward as Attachment option.

Microsoft Outlook Client on macOS

1. Locate the message you wish to forward, and highlight it in the reading pane.
2. On the ribbon, locate the section that contains buttons for reply, reply all, forward etc.
3. Locate and click on the button to the right side of that section that says “attachment” next to an icon of a paperclip and the forwarding arrow.

Outlook on the web (aka OWA)

1. Log into Outlook on the web
   
2. Click the “New Message” button to start a new email.
3. Click on the “open in new window” button in the upper right corner.
4. Locate the email that you wish to forward as an attachment.
5. Click and hold the email you wish to forward as an attachment, and drag it into the body of the new email.

Gmail

1. Log into UW Gmail.
2. Open the email you wish to forward as an attachment.
3. In the upper-right section of the message, next to the date and the reply button, locate and click on the the descending dots.
4. Select “Download message” from the options displayed and save it to a location on your computer you will remember.
5. Click “Compose” to start a new email.
6. Locate and click on the paperclip icon.
7. Select the downloaded message from the location you saved it on your computer.

Outlook Quick Step Instructions

1. Click “Create New” in Quick Steps
2. Label step and add the following actions:
   1. “Forward message as an attachment” to reportedspam@cac.washington.edu
      1. Click Show Options to change the Subject and enable Auto Send after a 1 min delay.
   2. Move to Folder -> Junk E-mail
   3. Mark as read
   4. (You can optionally assign a keyboard shortcut hotkey)* After that, when the Quick Step is clicked while a message is highlighted, Outlook will automatically process all three steps.For Phishing emails, follow the same steps, but add help@uw.edu to the To: recipients and change the subject to “Suspected Phishing Email attached”