Written by Jennifer Walsh. Reviewed for technical accuracy by Shubham Dixit, Independent Expert in Email Forensics and Data File Conversion.
Shubham is an independent external reviewer and not an employee of PCDOTS.
Quick answer. Hotmail is now Outlook.com, and like other webmail it has no file import. To import EML files to Hotmail, add the account to a client such as Thunderbird or Apple Mail, sign in with your Microsoft account, then drag your EML into a Hotmail folder so it syncs up. A tool can upload a large set over IMAP.
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Hotmail is Outlook.com now
First, a bit of naming that clears up a lot of confusion. Hotmail became Outlook.com years ago, and addresses ending in @hotmail.com, @live.com and @outlook.com all sit on the same Microsoft service today. So when you look for how to import EML into Hotmail, you are really working with an Outlook.com account, and the method is the Microsoft one.
Two things follow from that. The Outlook.com website has no file import, you cannot drag an EML into the inbox in your browser. And the way in is IMAP through a mail client, you connect a client to your account, bring the EML in, and move it into a Hotmail folder where it syncs up.
The mail rides in through a client, and Outlook.com opens with a Microsoft sign-in, not a typed password.
Hotmail, Live and Outlook addresses all open the same Outlook.com mailbox.
“The thing that trips people up with Hotmail today is that it is Outlook.com under the hood, and Microsoft turned off the old typed-password logins for outside apps. So if a guide tells you to enter your Hotmail password into IMAP fields, it is out of date, a modern client pops up the Microsoft sign-in window and handles it with OAuth. Once the account is connected that way, EML into Hotmail is ordinary IMAP, you drop the files in a folder and they sync up with their attachments.” Shubham Dixit, Email Migration reviewer (draft, pending approval)
The sign-in that matters
This is the part most old guides get wrong. Microsoft has retired the plain password login for third-party access to Outlook.com, so you do not type your Hotmail password into a client’s IMAP settings any more. Instead the client uses modern authentication, when you add the account, a Microsoft sign-in window opens and you approve it there.
Current versions of Thunderbird and Apple Mail do this for you, pick Outlook.com or enter your address and they show the Microsoft sign-in rather than asking for a password in the old fields. If a client ever needs the server by hand, the incoming host is imap-mail.outlook.com on port 993 with SSL, but the sign-in itself still goes through Microsoft.
Import the EML through a client
With the account connected, the rest is quick. The steps below use Thunderbird, but Apple Mail or the Outlook desktop app follow the same idea.
Add your Hotmail account. In Thunderbird, add your Hotmail or Outlook.com address as a new mail account and complete the Microsoft sign-in when it appears.
Bring the EML in. EML files can be dragged straight into a local folder. To import a whole folder at once, use the free ImportExportTools NG add-on and choose import EML files.
Move them into Hotmail. Select the imported messages, right click, choose Move to, and pick a folder under your Hotmail account. Because it is IMAP, they upload to Outlook.com as they move and appear in your Hotmail shortly after, attachments included.
The bulk way, a tool
EML is one file per message, so a large archive can be hundreds or thousands of little files, and moving those by hand gets tedious. A converter can upload them to Hotmail over IMAP in one run. The PCDOTS EML Converter loads EML files or a whole folder and sends them into your Hotmail account, keeping attachments and headers. One honest note worth checking first, because modern Outlook.com requires Microsoft’s modern sign-in, a tool needs to support that to connect, so confirm it offers a Microsoft sign-in rather than only a plain password, otherwise the client route above is the reliable one. The tool runs on Windows, and there is a free version that uploads the first ten items per folder so you can test the connection before committing.
The tool route, for a large set of EML files.
Here are the steps with the screens.
Step 1. Install and run the converter on Windows, then open the menu.
Step 2. Choose Email Data Files, EML, and add your files or folder.
Step 3. Open the Export menu and select IMAP.
Step 4. Sign in to your Hotmail account with Microsoft, then Save to upload.
For related EML tasks, see our guides to import EML to AOL Mail and import EML files to Thunderbird, and you can open a message first with a free EML file viewer.
The methods compared
Both connect with a Microsoft sign-in. Match the route to how many EML files you have.
| Method | Best for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Client, drag into Hotmail | A handful of EML, free | Microsoft sign-in, always works |
| Thunderbird with the add-on | A folder of EML, free | Import many, then move to Hotmail |
| EML Converter tool | Hundreds of EML files | Windows, needs modern sign-in |
Frequently asked questions
Can I import EML in the Hotmail website?
No. Outlook.com, which is what Hotmail is now, has no file import and does not accept dragged EML in the browser. You import through a mail client that syncs up to your account.
Do I enter my Hotmail password in the client?
No longer. Microsoft uses modern sign-in, so the client opens a Microsoft sign-in window instead of taking a typed password in the IMAP fields. Approve it there.
What are the Hotmail IMAP settings?
If a client needs them by hand, the incoming server is imap-mail.outlook.com on port 993 with SSL, though the sign-in itself still goes through Microsoft.
How do I import EML to Hotmail for free?
Add your Hotmail account to Thunderbird or Apple Mail with the Microsoft sign-in, import your EML into the client, then move it into a Hotmail folder so it uploads.
Do attachments come across?
Yes. EML files carry their attachments, and moving them over IMAP uploads the full message with attachments and headers.
Can I import a lot of EML files at once?
Yes. Thunderbird’s add-on imports a folder in one go, and a converter that supports Microsoft sign-in can upload a large batch to Hotmail over IMAP.
It is Outlook.com now, and that is fine
None of this is as fiddly as an outdated guide can make it feel. Once you know that Hotmail is simply Outlook.com, and that you sign in with your Microsoft account rather than typing an old password, the path is clear. Add the account to Thunderbird or Apple Mail, let the Microsoft window handle the sign-in, and drag your EML into a Hotmail folder to sync it up. Keep the converter in mind for when the pile of EML files is large. The name changed and the login changed, but your mail still lands exactly where you want it.
