File several emails at once from Outlook

When a batch of project emails needs filing, such as a week of submittal back-and-forth or a set of meeting minutes, you can select them together in Outlook and file them all to one Part3 project, and one folder, in a single step. ✨

In this article we'll cover:

• What to do before you start
• How to select the emails
• Choose the project and folder
• Follow the progress
• Check the results
• File the rest, or choose another project
• Good to knows
• Troubleshooting

Before you start

• Your version of Outlook. Filing several emails at once works in Outlook on the web, the new Outlook for Windows, and classic Outlook for Windows (Microsoft 365, version 2412 or later). Outlook for Mac files one email at a time for now.
• Up to 100 emails at a time. That's Outlook's limit for a selection.
• The same rules as filing one email. You can file to projects your firm owns, that you're on, and that take emails. See File emails to Part3 from Outlook for the basics.

Select the emails

Step 1: In your Outlook message list, select the emails you want to file. Hold Ctrl (Cmd on a Mac) and click each one, or click the first and hold Shift while you click the last.

Step 2: Select File to Part3. If you've pinned the Part3 pane, it updates on its own.

The pane shows File N emails to Part3, with the first three subjects and how many more are selected.

If nothing is selected, the pane reminds you how selection works:

Choose the project and folder

Step 1: Check the Suggested project. Part3 suggests one from the first email you selected. To pick a different project, select Change and search for it.

Step 2: If the project has folders, choose a Folder. It starts on the folder you last used in that project. Every selected email goes to the same folder. Choose No folder to file them outside any folder.

Step 3: Select File N emails.

Follow the progress

The pane files the emails one at a time, with a progress bar and a status on each row: Waiting, Filing…, then the result. Each filed email gets the green Filed to Part3 category in Outlook.

To stop part-way, select Stop after this email. The email being filed finishes; the rest are left unfiled.

Check the results

When it's done, a summary line counts the results, for example 3 filed · 1 already filed · 1 in other projects · 1 not filed. Each row says what happened to that email:

• Filed: filed to the project. If some of its attachments didn't upload, the row says so, for example Filed; 1 attachment not uploaded. Open that email on its own in the pane to retry them.
• Already in this project: it was filed here before. Nothing is filed twice.
• Already filed to another project: it stays where it is. To move it, open it on its own and select Move to another project.
• Not filed, with the reason, for example an email whose body is too large.

Select Open in Part3 to see the emails on the project's Emails page.

File the rest, or choose another project

• File the rest tries again for the emails that weren't filed, including any the run didn't reach.
• Choose another project or folder files the remaining emails somewhere else. Emails already filed stay where they are; their rows then name the project they went to.

Some problems would repeat for every email, so filing stops at the first one and the pane says why, for example Filing stopped: You're filing too quickly. Wait a minute, then try again. This happens when you're signed out, filing too quickly, don't have access to the project, filing is turned off for the project, or the folder was deleted. Fix the cause, then select File the rest.

Good to know

• One project and one folder per batch. To file emails to different projects, select and file them in separate batches.
• Each email is filed in full, with its attachments, exactly as if you'd filed it on its own.
• The pane checks your selection before filing. Outlook doesn't always tell the pane when your selection changes. If it changed, the pane shows the new selection and doesn't file anything until you check it and file again.
• Hourly limit. You can file up to 150 emails an hour.

Troubleshooting

Q: I selected several emails, but the pane still shows one.

If the pane isn't pinned, close it and select File to Part3 again after selecting the emails. If it still shows one email, your IT admin may need to update the add-in. See Updates in Deploy the Part3 add-in for Outlook (IT admins).

Q: It says "Filing several emails at once needs a newer version of Outlook."

Your Outlook can't file several emails at once (for example, Outlook for Mac, or an older classic Outlook for Windows). Use Outlook on the web or the new Outlook for Windows, or file the emails one at a time.

Q: The pane counts more emails than I meant to select.

You selected a collapsed conversation, which selects every email in it. Expand the conversation and select the emails you want, or file the conversation's emails on their own.

Q: I can't select an email in an open conversation together with other emails.

Outlook doesn't allow it. Collapse the conversation and select it as a whole, or file those emails separately.

Q: It says "Your selection changed. Check the emails below and file again."

Your selection in Outlook changed after the pane last read it. Nothing was filed. Check the list and select File N emails again.

Q: A row says "Not filed".

The reason follows on the same row. The reasons are the same as when filing one email; see the Troubleshooting section of File emails to Part3 from Outlook.