MSG is Outlook's saved-email format: an OLE compound file holding headers, the HTML/plain body, recipients and attachments. It only opens properly inside Outlook — everywhere else it is a black box.
Typical use: Convert MSG to HTML/TXT to read correspondence anywhere, or to EML for every other mail client.
About the MSG format
A .msg file is Outlook's saved email: an OLE compound document that stores headers, the HTML or plain-text body, recipients, flags and attachments. It opens cleanly only inside Outlook itself — everywhere else, including most web mail tools, it is an opaque binary.
Converting MSG to HTML or TXT puts the correspondence where people can actually read it — archives, discovery tools, CRM imports. Converting to EML hands it to every other mail client, which all speak the open RFC-822 standard instead of Outlook's container.
Strengths
- ✓ Preserves Outlook-only correspondence
- ✓ Body, headers and attachment names survive
- ✓ EML output opens in Thunderbird and every client
Limitations
- ✗ Attachments are listed but not extracted here
- ✗ Outlook-specific flags and categories are lost
- ✗ Complex RTF bodies may simplify to text
- Layout
- As saved in Outlook
- Editability
- Outlook only (natively)
- Structure
- OLE compound document
- Best for
- Archived Outlook correspondence
Convert MSG to…
6 direct directions plus 1 workflows, sorted A–Z; 🔥 marks popular targets.
Cross-engine workflows
Frequently asked questions
What is a MSG file?
MSG is Outlook's saved-email format: an OLE compound file holding headers, the HTML/plain body, recipients and attachments. It only opens properly inside Outlook — everywhere else it is a black box.
How do I convert MSG files online?
Pick a target format from the "Convert MSG to…" list below, drop your file and hit convert. Everything runs in your browser — no install, no upload, no watermark, no limits.
Is it safe to convert MSG files here?
Yes. Every conversion is performed by your own device inside the browser — files never leave for a server, and the page keeps working even offline.
Which formats can MSG convert to?
This page lists all 7 directions across documents, images, audio, video, spreadsheets and archives — each one is its own free converter page.