Saving email from Outlook into folder with Python

Question

I'm trying to automate saving emails in our folders from outlook. I don't see a code for saving an email as .msg or any other type.

import win32com.client
import os
os.chdir("filepathhere")
outlook = win32com.client.Dispatch("Outlook.Application").GetNamespace("MAPI")
accounts= win32com.client.Dispatch("Outlook.Application").Session.Accounts;

Tokyo = "email from Tokyo"

inbox = outlook.GetDefaultFolder(6) 
subject = Tokyo
messages = inbox.Items
message = messages.GetFirst()

for msg in messages:
    if msg.subject == Tokyo:
        msgname = msg.subject
        msgname=str(msgname)
        print msgname
        message.saveasfile(msgname+".msg")

I get the error message: AttributeError: .saveasfile

If you want to save the message that you're on within the loop, your last line should read `msg.saveasfile()`. Does that help? I'm not familiar with the win32com package. — GetHacked, Jul 31 '18 at 20:27
I still get the error that says: AttributeError: .saveasfile — pypi34, Jul 31 '18 at 20:38
Where did you get that `saveasfile` from? Are you just guessing at what methods the object might provide and crossing your fingers? Look up the type in the MSDN docs. — abarnert, Jul 31 '18 at 20:39
saveasfile() is the method I've seen people use to save attachment from emails. I haven't been able to find the right command — pypi34, Jul 31 '18 at 20:42
First, where have you seen that? If you give us a link, we can check whether you're actually doing the same thing as them. Second, you're not trying to save an attachment, you're trying to save a message. Those are obviously going to be different types, so why are you assuming they'll have the same methods? — abarnert, Jul 31 '18 at 20:43
Have you tried just `SaveAs()`? https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/VBA/Outlook-VBA/articles/mailitem-saveas-method-outlook — GetHacked, Jul 31 '18 at 20:51
it says i don't currently have the right permissions to access to folder I'm trying to save in (separate issue) - but this seems to be working! my last line was msg.SaveAs(file_path) Thanks! — pypi34, Jul 31 '18 at 21:03
@pypi34 No problem! I added it as an answer so as not to break the "answering in comments" rule. — GetHacked, Jul 31 '18 at 21:42

score 4 · Answer 1 · answered May 03 '19 at 11:52

The below code works:

from win32com.client import Dispatch
import os
import re

outlook = Dispatch("Outlook.Application").GetNamespace("MAPI")
inbox = outlook.GetDefaultFolder(6)
print(inbox)
messages = inbox.items
message = messages.GetLast()
name = str(message.subject)
#to eliminate any special charecters in the name
name = re.sub('[^A-Za-z0-9]+', '', name)+'.msg'
#to save in the current working directory
message.SaveAs(os.getcwd()+'//'+name)

score 2 · Answer 2 · answered Jul 31 '18 at 21:41

2

SaveAsFile is a method only to be used on attachments.

For the message itself, use simply message.SaveAs().

Source: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/VBA/Outlook-VBA/articles/mailitem-saveas-method-outlook

answered Jul 31 '18 at 21:41

GetHacked

546
4
21

Dayantat · Answer 3 · 2018-09-24T00:44:10.487

I have managed to get your code to work. In line 20 I believe that you have an issue:

message.saveasfile(msgname+".msg")

This "message" should save the first email in the inbox, not the current msg you have in your for loop. I believe that it is just a typo. Anyway I think you meant to use:

msg.saveas(msgname+".msg")

Which saves a file directly to my Documents folder. I haven't managed to get your os.chdir to save the file to a specified destination.

Saving email from Outlook into folder with Python

3 Answers3

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