Save Gmail Attachments to OneDrive: 5 Ways (2026)

Gmail has no built-in way to save attachments to OneDrive. Its Add to Drive button only knows about Google Drive. To get a file from Gmail into OneDrive you have three real options: download it and upload it, send it through your phone's share sheet, or connect the two accounts with an automation tool.

Which one fits depends on how many files you have and whether they're already in your inbox or still to come. A rule that watches for new email won't copy the attachments you already have, and a one-off export won't catch next week's invoice. Most people need both, so this guide covers each.

Using Google Drive instead? Follow the Google Drive guide. For Dropbox, see how to save Gmail attachments to Dropbox.

Quick comparison#

Method 1: Download from Gmail, upload to OneDrive#

This is the fastest route for a few files. It works for any email, however old.

1. Open the email in Gmail on your computer.
2. Hover over the attachment and click the Download icon. If the email has several attachments, use Download all, which saves them as a single zip.
3. Open onedrive.live.com (or OneDrive for Business through Microsoft 365) and go to the destination folder.
4. Click Upload > Files and choose the downloaded file. You can also drag it into a folder that the OneDrive desktop app syncs.
5. Open the uploaded file in OneDrive to confirm it arrived intact.

Tip: If you downloaded a zip, extract it before you upload. Otherwise OneDrive stores one archive instead of searchable individual files.

Can't find the email? Gmail search operators like has:attachment filename:pdf from:[email protected] narrow it down fast. See how to search Gmail attachments.

Method 2: Use the share sheet on iPhone or Android#

If the OneDrive app is on your phone, you can skip the download-and-upload step.

iPhone and iPad

1. In the Gmail app, open the email and tap the attachment to preview it.
2. Tap the Share icon.
3. Choose Save to Files, pick OneDrive under Locations, select a folder, and tap Save. If OneDrive isn't listed, open the Files app, tap More (…) > Edit, and turn OneDrive on.

Android

1. In the Gmail app, open the attachment.
2. Tap the More (⋮) menu, then Share or Open with (the wording varies by phone and Gmail version).
3. Choose OneDrive, pick a folder, and confirm the upload.

This handles one file at a time. For more on mobile, see downloading Gmail attachments on iPhone.

Method 3: New Outlook's "Save to OneDrive"#

Microsoft's own apps have a Save to OneDrive option in the attachment menu. If you already read your Gmail inside the new Outlook for Windows or Outlook on the web, open the email, click the arrow next to the attachment, and look for Save to OneDrive. By default Microsoft saves these files to an Email attachments folder in OneDrive. Use Save as if you want to pick another location.

Whether the option appears for a connected Gmail account depends on your Outlook version and account type. If you only see Download, fall back to Method 1. Either way it's still a one-at-a-time action.

Method 4: Automate new attachments with Power Automate#

Power Automate is Microsoft's automation service. It's the native choice if you already pay for Microsoft 365 and want Microsoft to run the automation.

1. In Power Automate, create an Automated cloud flow with the trigger Gmail: When a new email arrives.
2. Sign in to Google. Under advanced options, set Has Attachments and Include Attachments to Yes, and add label or sender filters if you want only some emails.
3. Add an Apply to each step over the trigger's Attachments output.
4. Inside it, add OneDrive: Create file for a personal account or OneDrive for Business: Create file for work. Choose a folder, then map File Name to the attachment Name and File Content to ContentBytes.
5. Save the flow, send yourself a test email with an attachment, and check that the file opens in OneDrive.

Know the limits before relying on this:

• New mail only. The trigger fires on incoming email. It doesn't touch the attachments you already have.
• Polling and file-size caps depend on your Power Automate plan, so very large attachments can fail.
• Consumer Gmail restrictions. Microsoft limits which services a personal @gmail.com connection can be combined with in one flow. Check the Gmail connector documentation, and your organization's data policies if you use a work tenant.

Method 5: Bulk-save old attachments and auto-file new ones with Dioveo#

Dioveo connects Gmail to OneDrive directly, so it covers both jobs: the backlog in your mailbox and the files that keep arriving. Both personal OneDrive and Microsoft 365 work accounts are supported. Files move from Gmail to OneDrive without being downloaded to your device first.

Step 1: Connect both accounts. Sign in with Google, let Dioveo index your mailbox, then link OneDrive through a Microsoft sign-in.

Step 2: Move the backlog. Search your attachments by sender, file type, keyword, or date. For example, filter for every PDF from your accounting firm since 2023. Select the results, choose OneDrive and a destination folder, and start the upload. Try a small batch first and open a few files in OneDrive to check them.

Step 3: Create a workflow for new mail. Set a rule such as "invoice PDFs from suppliers go to OneDrive/Finance". From then on, matching attachments are saved to that folder as the email arrives. Workflow uploads are tracked, so the same rule doesn't save the same attachment twice.

Step 4: Test it. Send yourself an email that matches the rule, then check the workflow result and the file in OneDrive.

What's free and what's Pro. The Free plan includes 50 files a month across downloads and manual cloud saves, plus one active workflow with 10 automatic cloud saves a month. Folder sync to Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive is included. Pro removes the download and cloud-save caps and allows up to 10 workflows ($99/year, or $11.99 billed monthly). Moving a large backlog in one go usually needs Pro. Current limits are on the pricing page.

Try it on the Free plan. Start free with Dioveo (no credit card), link OneDrive, and save your first batch. Want the details first? See how the Gmail to OneDrive integration works.

You can connect Google Drive and Dropbox alongside OneDrive and pick a destination per upload or per workflow. For more ways to route files with rules, see automatically organizing email attachments with workflows.

Pick a OneDrive folder structure before you start#

A flat folder of 2,000 attachments is barely better than leaving them in Gmail. Decide on a structure first:

• By purpose: Attachments/Invoices, Attachments/Contracts, Attachments/Receipts
• By sender or client: Clients/Acme, Clients/Globex
• By year: Invoices/2025, Invoices/2026

Match each workflow to one folder, and keep personal and work files in separate OneDrive accounts if your company requires it.

Saving to OneDrive doesn't free up Gmail storage#

Copying an attachment to OneDrive leaves the original email in Gmail, still counting toward your 15 GB of Google storage. If space is the real goal, back up first, open a few copies to confirm they're intact, and only then delete the heavy emails. The guide to freeing up Gmail space walks through it safely, and Gmail storage full but no emails explains where the space usually goes.

Frequently Asked Questions#

How do I save Gmail attachments to OneDrive?

For a few files, download the attachment from Gmail and upload it to a OneDrive folder, or use your phone's share sheet to send it straight to the OneDrive app. For many files, or to save new attachments automatically, connect Gmail to OneDrive with an automation tool such as Power Automate or Dioveo.

Is there a Gmail OneDrive integration?

Not from Google or Microsoft as a built-in button. Gmail's Add to Drive only targets Google Drive. Integrations come from automation services: Power Automate has Gmail and OneDrive connectors, and Dioveo's Gmail to OneDrive integration moves existing attachments in bulk and files new ones by rule.

Can Gmail save attachments to OneDrive automatically?

Gmail can't do it on its own, but a workflow can. With Power Automate you build a flow triggered by new email. With Dioveo you set a rule by sender, file type, or keyword, and matching attachments land in your chosen OneDrive folder as mail arrives. Free includes one workflow and 10 automatic saves a month.

Can I link Gmail to my Microsoft account for Office and OneDrive?

You can use a Gmail address as the sign-in for a Microsoft account, and you can add a Gmail account to Outlook. Neither moves your Gmail attachments into OneDrive on its own. You still need one of the methods above to copy the files.

Does saving attachments to OneDrive delete them from Gmail?

No. Every method here makes a copy. The original email and attachment stay in Gmail, and keep using Google storage, until you delete them yourself.

Can I save Gmail attachments to OneDrive and Google Drive at the same time?

Yes. Download-and-upload works for any destination. In Dioveo you can connect Google Drive, OneDrive, and Dropbox together and choose the destination per upload or per workflow.

Get your Gmail attachments into OneDrive, old and new. Start free with Dioveo: the Free plan needs no credit card. Or read how Gmail to OneDrive works first.