How to Forward Emails in Gmail: A Step-by-Step Guide for 2026

To forward an email in Gmail, open the message, click the forward arrow below the email, enter the recipient’s address, and click Send. That’s it for a single email — but Gmail also supports auto-forwarding, filter-based forwarding, and more.

This guide covers every forwarding method available in Gmail, from one-off forwards to automated rules that route messages without lifting a finger. Whether you’re consolidating inboxes, sharing emails with your team, or setting up forwarding for compliance, you’ll find step-by-step instructions below.

Quick reference: Gmail forwarding methods

• Forward a single email — Share one message quickly (instant)
• Forward an entire thread — Share a full conversation (instant)
• Auto-forwarding — Send all mail to another address (5–10 min setup)
• Filter-based forwarding — Forward only certain emails (2–3 min setup)
• Forward to multiple addresses — Distribute mail to a team (5–10 min setup)
• Forward as attachment (.eml) — Compliance, legal, preserving headers (instant)

How to forward a single email in Gmail

Forwarding a single email sends a copy of that message — including all attachments — to another email address. The recipient sees the original sender’s name and the full message content.

On desktop

1. Open the email you want to forward.
2. Click the Forward button (arrow icon) below the message body — or click the three-dot menu (⋮) and select Forward.
3. Enter the recipient’s email address in the To field.
4. Optionally add a note above the forwarded content.
5. Click Send.

All attachments are included automatically, up to Gmail’s 25 MB size limit. If you need to forward specific types of emails regularly, you might want to set up Gmail rules instead of forwarding manually each time.

On mobile (iPhone & Android)

1. Open the Gmail app and tap the email you want to forward.
2. Scroll to the bottom of the message.
3. Tap Forward (or tap the three-dot menu and select Forward).
4. Enter the recipient’s address and tap Send (the arrow icon).

Note: The Gmail mobile app only supports forwarding individual emails. To set up auto-forwarding or filter-based forwarding, you’ll need to use Gmail on a desktop browser.

How to forward an entire conversation thread in Gmail

Sometimes you need to share an entire email thread — not just the last message. Gmail makes this possible in two clicks.

1. Open the conversation you want to forward.
2. Click the three-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner of the conversation.
3. Select Forward all.
4. Gmail creates a new message containing every email in the thread, in chronological order.
5. Enter the recipient’s address and click Send.

This is useful when a colleague needs the full context of a customer conversation or project discussion. If your team regularly needs to share and collaborate on email threads, you might benefit from using multiple Gmail inboxes to keep things organized.

How to set up auto-forwarding in Gmail

Auto-forwarding sends every incoming email to another address automatically. This is the best option if you’re migrating to a new email account or want a permanent copy of all mail delivered elsewhere.

Step 1: Open Forwarding settings

In Gmail, click the gear icon → See all settings → Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.

Step 2: Add a forwarding address

Click Add a forwarding address and enter the email address you want to forward to. Click Next → Proceed → OK.

Step 3: Confirm the forwarding address

Gmail sends a verification email to the forwarding address. Open that email and click the confirmation link — or copy the confirmation code back into Gmail’s settings. This step is required for security.

Step 4: Enable forwarding

Back in the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab, select Forward a copy of incoming mail to [address]. Choose what happens to the original copy:

• Keep Gmail’s copy in the Inbox — recommended for most users
• Mark Gmail’s copy as read — useful if you’re primarily using the other account
• Archive Gmail’s copy — keeps messages but removes them from your inbox
• Delete Gmail’s copy — only use this if you’re fully migrating away

Click Save Changes. All new incoming emails will now be forwarded automatically.

If you’re setting up forwarding as part of an out-of-office workflow, you might also want to configure Gmail auto-replies so senders know what to expect.

How to disable auto-forwarding

To turn off auto-forwarding, go back to Settings → Forwarding and POP/IMAP and select Disable forwarding. Click Save Changes.

How to forward specific emails using filters

If you don’t want to forward everything, Gmail’s filters let you create rules that automatically forward only emails matching specific criteria.

Step 1: Create a new filter

Go to Settings → Filters and Blocked Addresses → Create a new filter.

Step 2: Set your criteria

You can filter by any combination of:

• From: — forward emails from a specific sender (e.g., from:client@example.com)
• To: — forward emails sent to a specific address
• Subject: — match keywords in the subject line (e.g., subject:invoice)
• Has the words: — match content in the body
• Has attachment — forward only emails with files attached (has:attachment)
• OR operator — combine criteria (e.g., from:client1@example.com OR from:client2@example.com)

Step 3: Set the forwarding action

Click Create filter, then check Forward it to and select your forwarding address. You can also check Also apply filter to matching conversations to retroactively forward existing emails that match.

Click Create filter to save.

Common filter examples for teams

• Customer support: from:@bigclient.com → forward to your support team lead
• Finance: subject:invoice OR subject:receipt → forward to accounting
• Urgent escalation: subject:urgent has:attachment → forward to your manager
• Project updates: from:notifications@jira.com → forward to the project channel

For teams that rely heavily on organizing email, sharing Gmail labels is another way to keep everyone on the same page without forwarding copies.

How to forward Gmail to multiple addresses

Gmail’s built-in auto-forwarding only supports one forwarding address. If you need to forward emails to multiple people, here are your options:

Option 1: Use multiple filters

Create separate filters with the same criteria, each forwarding to a different address. For example, create one filter for from:@bigclient.com forwarding to alice@company.com, and another identical filter forwarding to bob@company.com.

Option 2: Use a Google Group

Create a Google Group with all the recipients as members, then set your auto-forwarding address to the group’s email address. Every group member receives a copy.

Option 3: Use a shared inbox

If you’re forwarding emails to distribute work across a team — like customer support requests or sales inquiries — filters and Google Groups quickly become unmanageable. A shared mailbox is a better fit because it lets everyone see, assign, and respond to emails from one place, without creating duplicate copies or losing track of who’s handling what.

How to forward an email as an attachment (.eml)

Forwarding as an attachment sends the original email as an .eml file, preserving all headers, metadata, and formatting. This is useful for legal compliance, reporting phishing, or when the recipient needs to inspect email headers.

1. Open the email (or select it from the inbox).
2. Click the three-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner of the message.
3. Select Forward as attachment.
4. Enter the recipient’s address and click Send.

Tip: You can also select multiple emails in your inbox, right-click, and choose Forward as attachment to send several emails at once. Each one arrives as a separate .eml file. This is especially helpful for teams that need to collaborate on email while keeping an audit trail.

Google Workspace admin forwarding

If you’re a Google Workspace administrator, you can configure forwarding rules at the organizational level — without needing access to individual users’ accounts.

Routing rules in the Admin Console

• Default routing: Forward a copy of all mail for a specific user or group to another address. Go to Admin Console → Apps → Google Workspace → Gmail → Default routing.
• Compliance routing: Route emails matching specific criteria (content, headers, sender) to an archive or compliance address.
• Recipient address map: Redirect mail from one address to another without the sender knowing.

Admin-level routing is often used for onboarding (forwarding a departing employee’s mail to their replacement), compliance archiving, and email delegation across teams.

Can the original sender see if you forward their email?

No. Gmail does not notify the original sender when you forward their email. There is no read receipt, no notification, and no log entry on the sender’s side.

However, the person you forward to will see a “———- Forwarded message ———-” header that includes the original sender’s name, email address, date, and subject line. If you want to share context without revealing the original sender, copy and paste the relevant content into a new email instead.

Also keep in mind: if you forward a confidential or sensitive email, you’re responsible for ensuring the recipient is authorized to see it. Some organizations have policies that restrict forwarding certain types of messages.

Troubleshooting Gmail forwarding

If forwarding isn’t working as expected, check these common causes:

Forwarding address not verified

Gmail requires you to confirm the forwarding address before it starts working. Check the target inbox (including spam and junk folders) for the verification email from Gmail. If it’s been more than a few minutes, try adding the forwarding address again.

Workspace admin has disabled forwarding

Google Workspace administrators can restrict auto-forwarding for users in their organization. If you don’t see the forwarding option in settings, contact your IT admin to check if forwarding is enabled for your account.

Forwarded emails going to spam

When Gmail forwards an email, the receiving mail server may flag it as spam because the forwarded message appears to come from a different sender than the original. Ask the recipient to check their spam folder and mark forwarded messages as “Not spam.” Adding the forwarding address to their contacts can also help.

Forwarding stopped after a password change

Changing your Google account password or revoking app access can sometimes disable auto-forwarding. Go back to Settings → Forwarding and POP/IMAP and verify that forwarding is still enabled.

Gmail daily forwarding limits

Gmail enforces sending limits that also apply to forwarded emails. Free Gmail accounts can forward up to ~500 emails per day. Google Workspace accounts have higher limits (~2,000/day), but forwarding a very high volume may trigger temporary blocks. If you’re hitting limits, that’s a sign you might want to block unwanted emails before they get forwarded, or consider a purpose-built tool for high-volume email routing.

Does Gmail forward spam and junk emails?

No. Gmail’s auto-forwarding skips messages that land in your Spam folder. Only emails that reach your inbox (or match a filter you’ve created) get forwarded. This means you won’t flood your forwarding destination with junk — but it also means legitimate emails that are incorrectly flagged as spam won’t be forwarded either. Check your spam folder periodically if you’re expecting important messages.

When forwarding isn’t enough: shared inboxes

Email forwarding works great for personal use — consolidating accounts, sharing the occasional message, or routing notifications. But if your team is forwarding emails to distribute customer support work, you’ve outgrown forwarding.

Here’s why: forwarding creates copies, not shared visibility. Two people can respond to the same customer without knowing. There’s no way to assign emails, track status, or see who’s working on what. Filters and Google Groups add complexity without solving the core problem.

A shared inbox for Gmail lets your whole team see, assign, and respond to emails from one place — without leaving Gmail. No forwarding rules to maintain, no duplicate replies, no lost messages.

Frequently asked questions

Whether you’re forwarding a single email or setting up automated rules for your team, Gmail gives you the flexibility to route messages however you need. For personal use, the built-in tools are more than enough. For teams managing customer email, a shared inbox like Keeping is a more sustainable solution than building forwarding chains.

Try Keeping free for 14 days to see how it can replace your forwarding setup with something your whole team can use.