Once synced, you can select all emails in a folder (Ctrl+A).

Gmail uses "Labels," not "Folders": If an email has multiple labels, it may appear multiple times in a Google Takeout export.

If your "folder" only contains a dozen emails and you need them for legal or documentation purposes, saving them as PDFs is often more useful than a data file. Open the folder (label) in Gmail. Select the emails you want to save.

Whether you are switching email providers, backing up important business correspondence, or simply cleaning out your inbox, downloading an entire Gmail folder is a essential skill. Surprisingly, Gmail does not have a single "Download Folder" button.

Google Takeout is the most reliable way to download large amounts of data directly from your account. It packages your emails into a .MBOX file, which can be opened by most desktop email clients. Go to Google Takeout (google.com).

Storage Space: Ensure your computer has enough hard drive space before downloading years of attachments.

💡 If you are downloading a folder to move it to a different Gmail account, don't download it at all. Use the "Import Mail and Contacts" feature in the settings of your new account to pull the data directly over the cloud.