How to forward emails to Obsidian from Gmail, Outlook and Apple Mail

Think about how a useful email usually gets saved today. You copy the text into a note, lose the formatting, download the PDF somewhere, and promise yourself you'll link them up later. Or you leave it in your inbox and search for it in six months.

Forward is the one button every email app has, and it's all you need here. Set things up once, and from then on a client brief, receipt or booking confirmation goes from inbox to vault in a couple of taps, tagged and filed.

Before you start (one-time setup, about two minutes)

1. 1

   Step 1: Sign up

   Create a free account. No credit card needed. You get a personal ingest address.
2. 2

   Step 2: Install the plugin

   In Obsidian, go to Settings, then Community plugins, then Browse. Search for "Send Email into Vault", install it and enable it.
3. 3

   Step 3: Paste your API key

   Copy the API key from your dashboard and paste it into the plugin settings.

Your ingest address looks something like [email protected]. Save it as a contact called "Obsidian Inbox" so it autocompletes when you forward. Once you're signed in, the setup page walks you through the same steps.

Check your sender address

This is the step people skip, and it's the number one reason a forward doesn't arrive. We only accept email from your account email or a verified sender address. Anything else is ignored, which is what keeps strangers out of your vault.

If you signed up with your personal Gmail but forward from a work Outlook, Proton or iCloud address, add that address in your dashboard. You can add up to 3 extra addresses, and each one is confirmed by email.

Make the forward a better note (subject line tips)

The subject line becomes your note title, so take five seconds to tidy it before you hit Send. Two habits help most:

• Delete "Fwd:" or "FW:". We don't strip it, so if you leave it in, it ends up in the title.
• Add tags at the end. Hashtags at the end of the subject are removed from the title and added as note tags.

A few examples:

• Invoice October Acme #finance #receipts
• Kickoff notes from Dana #client-acme #meeting
• Flight to Denver #travel

One rule: always leave a subject. An email with an empty subject is rejected. For the full syntax, see how to tag notes from the subject line.

Forward from Gmail (web, iPhone, Android)

1. Open the email.
2. Choose Forward. On the web, use the forward arrow at the bottom of the message or the three-dot menu. In the app, tap the three-dot menu and pick Forward.
3. Send it to your ingest address.
4. Edit the subject: delete "Fwd:" and add any tags.
5. Send.

Attachments travel with the forward and come through as files and as embeds in the note.

Can Gmail forward to Obsidian automatically?

Not today. Gmail's automatic forwarding (filters or the forwarding setting) keeps the original sender's address in the From field, so the email doesn't pass our sender check. On top of that, Gmail asks you to confirm a new forwarding address with a code that Google sends, and that confirmation email comes from Google, not from you, so it never arrives.

Manual forwarding is the reliable route. A tip that makes it painless: use a Gmail label or a star as your "to Obsidian" queue during the day, then forward the batch when you have a minute.

Forward from Outlook (new Outlook, web, classic, mobile)

Select the message, choose Forward, enter your ingest address, tidy the subject and send. That works in every version of Outlook and on the phone, wherever you're allowed to send email to outside addresses.

Want it automatic? An Outlook rule can do it, with a big caveat about Microsoft 365 policies. See how to set up an Outlook rule (and check your M365 policy).

Forward from Apple Mail (Mac, iPhone, iPad)

On a Mac, open the message and choose Message, then Forward (or press Shift-Command-F). On iPhone or iPad, tap the reply arrow, then Forward. Check the From line before sending: the account you forward from has to be an authorized sender.

Apple Mail rules on a Mac

A Mail rule with the "Forward Message" action sends the message as you, so it can work. The catch is that Mac Mail rules only run while Mail is open on that Mac. That makes them handy for something narrow like "anything from my accountant", as long as your Mac is usually on with Mail running.

Forward from Proton Mail, Fastmail, iCloud and others

Any client's Forward button works the same way: forward to your ingest address from an authorized account.

A note for Proton and Tuta users: forwarding sends a readable copy of the message to our servers, where it's kept for up to 72 hours and then deleted. If that matters for a given email, read what happens to your email before you send it.

What happens after you forward

Your email waits on our servers for up to 72 hours. The plugin fetches it manually, on a schedule, or when your vault opens, so set a schedule or open your vault regularly to make sure it's picked up in time.

The note lands in the folder you chose, using your note template. The subject becomes the title, the body is converted with its formatting, and attachments up to 25 MB are attached and embedded.

What won't work (and what to do instead)

All four come down to the same thing: the From address has to be you. Newsletters, alerts and redirected mail arrive from someone else, so they're ignored.

Troubleshooting

Didn't arrive? Work through this list:

• Right address? Check the ingest address for typos. Saving it as a contact avoids this.
• Authorized sender? The From address must be your account email or a verified sender.
• Plugin running? Make sure it's enabled and your API key hasn't expired. Keys last 3, 5 or 12 months, depending on what you picked.
• Allowance or daily cap? Free allows 10 a day and paid plans 200 a day. Emails over the cap aren't added.
• Big attachment? Attachments can be up to 25 MB.
• Subject empty? Emails without a subject are rejected.

Still stuck? Email [email protected]. Forwarding from your phone has its own quirks, covered in forward from your phone. And if you're still weighing your options, here's every way to get email into Obsidian.