If you’re here, you may have wondered on Google “Can you send or email folders in Gmail”? The answer is “Yes “. So don’t assume that you’re the only person who doesn’t know how to email a folder in Gmail?
Email is among the most convenient ways to stay in contact with people across the globe without cost. Although it wasn’t initially intended to send files, however, email service providers such as Gmail, Yahoo, Mail, and others actually allow you to send a collection of images and other files.
You’re probably familiar with what to do to include and forward one file via emails. However, what should you do when you have several files and images in one folder and would like to share them with your contacts via email?
I know It can be quite frustrating when you have to email a folder in Gmail and instead, the contents of the folder open. Gmail doesn’t allow you to upload attachments for folders. It is necessary to open the folder first and then add these files to Gmail. It can be extremely annoying in the event that the folder contains a lot of subfolders and files, and you must send all of them. In this situation, there are many ways to forward an email folder in Gmail.
In this post, Learn 2 best methods to email a folder in Gmail:
1. In the first method, learn to compress the folder and attach it to Gmail.
2. In the second method Sending the folder using Google Drive.
The article instructions are applicable for Windows 10, 8, and
Method 1: How To Email A Folder In Gmail Using ZIP File:
There’s another method that is more efficient. you can email a folder in Gmail first by zipping it up on your computer and then connecting the file that contains it to the email you are sending. This is the most efficient method of sending the folder through Gmail. This method allows you to transfer multiple folders at one time, and no other services are needed. Another reason for creating the zip file is to make one file that can back your most important files such as photographs, documents, etc…
Nearly all operating systems include an internal function for compressing files and folders and, thankfully, Gmail supports compressed folders including Zip, RAR, and 7z.
If you’ve made the decision to use this method, here’s how to compress the folder, and then simply attach it to the mail you’re planning to send…
Here’s how to do it:
Before I begin I’ll give you a quick intro…I’m a Windows user, therefore this guide can be regarded as Windows users. However, if you’re a Mac user, look up this article, and If you’re a Linux user, then check out this article for information on how to compress a folder within the appropriate OS. LET’S GET STARTED.
Compressing Folder:
- Step 1: The first step, you need to make a fresh new one. You can do this by opening your context menu and right click on the blank screen. Then choose “New” and then select “Folder”.
- Step 2: Copy and move all files to a single location you wish to forward an email. If you have multiple folders , transfer them all to the same folder.
- Step 3: When all files have been moved into the new folder you wish to zip, then right-click the folder you want to zip, then place your mouse over the “Send To” option and select the “Compressed (zipped)” directory option. This feature allows you to combine all your files into one folder is known as an archive.

- Step 4: Then, wait while the new folder is made in the exact location as the initial folder. The new folder has the same name as the first and has “.zip” added to the end. It is possible to change or keep what the file’s name is.

NOTE:
You can also make use of an app from a third party like 7-Zip for compressing folders. If you use a third-party application you’ll have more compression options, as well as additional features like encryption.
Related: Learn 4 ways, How To Attach An Email In Gmail on desktop and mobile?
Sending Folder:
- Step 5: Then, log in to Gmail and click Compose to create the email message. Select “Attach files” and browse your computer for the folder that has been compressed. Choose the ZIP folder that is compressed, Be sure to choose the folder that has its .zip extension. Click on the “Open” button to attach the message to it. Then wait for it to upload, simply forward the email to a recipient.

How to Decompress The ZIP Folder(For Reciever):
Here’s a tip to do for the receiver. The receiver needs to uncompress the folder before viewing the file. Just receiver has to do right click on the .zip folder and select “Extract Here” or “Extract All“.

Important Note:
Before you send the folder using any mail provider, ensure that the file’s size does not exceed 25MB since the majority of mail services don’t allow large file sizes.
To determine what size the compressed folder has simply right-clicked the folder and select properties. There you’ll be able to determine the exact size of the compressed folder.

Don’t you worry if the file size is larger than 25 MB? All you have to do is switch to the next method.
Related: How To Send Secure Email Attachments In Gmail
Method 2: Email A Folder In Gmail Using Goggle Drive:
Nearly all email service providers have a file size limit that you can send. There is a Gmail attachment limitation of 25MB which means you are not able to send large files in an attachment to your email. It is the most annoying thing that you send a file larger than the limit of 25MB.
If you receive an error message because of the size limit, you don’t have to worry as there are many choices available to you. Google Drive actually lets users to send large folders or files that can reach 10GB, and even more importantly it is integrated with Gmail which means you can send a folder to Gmail using Google Drive.
But you will also get to see some drawbacks by using Google Drive, which you can see in this table:
Pros
- It allows you to share large folders of up to 10GB.
- All kinds of files contained in the folder are accepted which includes executable files.
- The receiver can browse and download the contents of the folder without decompressing them.
Cons
- It is time taking process, involves an additional online service as well as additional steps, which makes it a slow procedure.
- Uploading and sending multiple folders can be difficult.
- The receiver is only able to download the folder if it’s saved to Google Drive of the sender. Google Drive of the sender
How to Upload Folder To Google Drive?
To forward the folder via Gmail it is first necessary to transfer the file to a Google Drive account. For normal files, it’s possible to upload them directly in your Gmail compose window. For folders, you’ll need to upload via Google Drive. Google Drive web interface. Here’s how to do it:
- Step 1: The first step is to visit the Google Drive web interface and sign in using your email address and password. After logging in, click on the “NEW” button located in the upper left corner.

- Step 2: Then from drop down menu choose your “Folder Upload” option.

- Step 2: Then select the folder in the Explorer window (that automatically opens) and then click “OK” to upload it. Remember that you can only upload the one file at a time, If you wish to upload more folders, repeat the procedure.
Related: How to unsend an email in Gmail
If your internet connection speed is high, the file will be transferred quickly. If not, you can hold off until it uploads.
After the folder has been uploaded, follow the following instructions:
How to Email Folder in Gmail Using Google Drive?
Check that your folder has been transferred into Google Drive from the web interface since you are unable to transfer it using the Gmail compose feature.
- Step 1: Log into Gmail and then open the “Compose” screen. Then, select “Insert Files by Using the Drive” option that is at the bottom.

- Step 2: Then select the folder you wish to transfer to and click the “Isert” button located at the bottom.

If you are planning to send multiple folders, press the “CTRL” key to select several folders. The folder will be linked to your email in the form of a Google Drive link.
- Step 3: When you click the button to Send, a new screen will pop up asking permission for sharing, such as “Share With One Person” or “Turn Link Sharing On (anyone who has access to the link will be able to see your folder)

You can choose the permission that you require and make sure to switch it to the view to editable only.
Make sure you must give the proper permissions before sending the email, then click the Share and Send button to email a folder in Gmail.
It doesn’t matter that the person you share your file with does not have an account on Gmail, they’ll be able to access and download your file.
Conclusion:
These are the two most effective methods known to anyone who wants to create an email with a folder in Gmail.
So which of these methods did you like better, you must share your opinion. Well, both the methods have their own drawbacks. But about me, I will personally recommend the first one, because I have never needed to send such a large file size till now. So I would also recommend you people to the first one because it will save your time and it is easy and fast too.