How to Save a Gmail Email as PDF

Updated October 2026 · v1.0.4

Gmail does not offer a Save as PDF button on the message. Chrome can still print that message to a PDF file.

Attachly adds Save PDF on the Gmail toolbar so you can save selected messages without opening Chrome’s print dialog for each one. Free covers the everyday export. Premium is for larger batches.

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Print one message to PDF

This needs no extension. It is the right method for a single email.

Open the message. In Gmail on the web, open the conversation you need.
Choose Print. Use Gmail’s print control on that message. Chrome’s print dialog opens.
Pick Save as PDF. In the destination list, choose Save as PDF, then save the file. Check that the thread you wanted is the one on the page.

Save selected messages with Attachly

Attachly’s Save PDF action works from the Gmail toolbar on the messages you select. It does not read a mailbox you have not opened in this browser.

Install Attachly. Add it from the Chrome Web Store link on the Attachly page, then reload Gmail.
Select the emails. Tick the conversations in the list, the same way you select mail for Gmail’s own bulk actions.
Choose Save PDF. Use Attachly’s Save PDF action. Save the file Chrome downloads. Premium raises the batch size; the product page lists the current Free limits.

What the PDF contains

You get the message as Gmail renders it for print, not a separate legal certificate.
Attachments are files on the message. Save PDF is not the same as downloading every attachment. Use the attachment guide for that.
A shared computer should be signed into the right Google account before you export.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Gmail have a built-in Save as PDF?

Not as a named command. Print, then choose Save as PDF in Chrome, is the built-in path.

Can I save a whole label in one click on Free?

Free is for everyday exports. Large label-wide packs are a Premium job. Check the current limits on the Attachly page before you start a long run.

Are the PDFs uploaded to Pick Ads?

The export runs from your Gmail tab. Attachly’s privacy policy describes account and billing data for Premium, not a copy of your mailbox stored for the export.