How to export and restore emails using the Proton Mail Export Tool
The Proton Mail Export Tool is available for everyone. It helps you export decrypted emails from your Proton Mail account to your device. You can then view the messages or import them into another email account or email client. This article will guide you through the process of using this tool.
Download the Proton Mail Export Tool
Minimum system requirements:
- Windows 10
- macOS 10.15 (Intel) or macOS 11.0 (Apple Silicon)
- Ubuntu 20.04 LTS
What the tool will back up
The tool will export all your emails and their metadata. They will be saved as EML and JSON files. EML messages can then be imported into email clients such as Thunderbird or Outlook.
What the tool will restore
The tool will restore emails that have been exported using the tool’s backup procedure. It is not intended to import other emails. See the FAQ below for information on how to import emails from other sources.
Preparation
Before running the Proton Mail Export Tool, please ensure that:
- Your system meets the minimal system requirements.
- You have sufficient disk space to take in the volume of emails stored in your Proton account (if you plan to perform a backup).
- You have sufficient storage space available on your account (if you plan to perform a restoration).
- You have a stable internet connection and enough time to complete the export. The export can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours on larger inboxes.
How to backup and restore your emails
1. Download and extract the Export Tool
Click the relevant download button above for your operating system. Once the download is complete, extract the contents of the archive to a folder of your choice.
2. Launch the Export Tool
Open the folder where you extracted the tool. Locate the “proton-mail-export-cli” file and double-click it to launch the export tool.
On Linux, you might need to run the application from the Terminal. To do so, first extract the archive you downloaded into a folder. Then open the terminal within the location where you see the proton-mail-export-cli file. Next, execute the file:
./proton-mail-export-cli
3. Log in to your Proton Mail account
A terminal window will open, prompting you to enter your Proton Mail username. Type in your username and hit <enter>.
You’ll now be prompted to enter your password. After you enter your password, hit <enter>. Please note that your password won’t be visible as you type it.
If you’ve enabled 2-factor authentication or use a mailbox password, you’ll be asked to enter your 2FA code or password.
4. Select an operation
You will be prompted to select one of two operations — backup or restore.
- Type B or Backup and hit <enter> to backup. Next, read the section below named Backup your emails.
- Type R or Restore and hit <enter> to restore. Next, read the section below named Restore your emails.
Backup your emails
1. Select an export location
The tool will ask if you want to use the default export location, which creates a new folder with your Proton Mail username in the folder where the tool was downloaded. Type yes, and hit <enter> to proceed with the default location.
If you prefer to specify a different export location, enter no, and you’ll be prompted to enter your preferred path for the exported data.
2. Start the backup
The backup process will now start. A progress bar will display the status of the backup, and you’ll see an Export finished message in the terminal window when it’s complete.
You can now close the terminal window. Your messages have been downloaded to the folder you selected in step 1.
Restore your emails
1. Select a backup location
The tool will ask you to indicate the location on disk of the backup you want to restore. Please indicate the path of the folder containing the .eml and .json files that were exported during the backup procedure, and press <enter>. To paste in the terminal window, you can use the right-click of your mouse.
To find the path of the folder:
- Open the folder where you exported the messages
- Copy the location from the address bar at the top
- Windows: Select the path and press CTRL + C to copy it
- macOS: Press the Option key to show the path bar momentarily, then control-click the folder in the path bar, then choose Copy “folder” as Pathname.
- Ubuntu and Fedora: Click the three dots at the end of the address bar, and choose “Copy Location”
- If your path has spaces in it, you will need to wrap it in quotes (“).
2. Start the restoration
The restoration process will start. A progress bar will display the status of the export, and you’ll see a Restore finished message in the terminal window when it’s complete, with some statistics about the operation.
Frequently asked questions
Can I pause an export and resume it later?
No, you can’t. Please ensure you have a stable internet connection and enough time to complete the export. The export can take from a few minutes up to a few hours on larger inboxes and on slow connections.
Can I export my Proton Calendar events, Drive files or Pass items?
The Proton Mail Export Tool only lets you export your Proton Mail emails.
How can I import other emails into Proton Mail?
You can use our Easy Switch tool to import emails from Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, or other providers. Emails are encrypted the moment they arrive in your Proton Mail inbox. If you have EML files, you can install Proton Mail Bridge on your computer and import the email files using the desktop email client of your choice.