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. Yahoo Mail has no way to upload .eml files through the web, so you bring them in over IMAP. For free, add Yahoo to Thunderbird with an app-specific password and import the EML into a Yahoo folder, and they upload. Or a tool sends a folder of EML straight into Yahoo in bulk. Either way Yahoo needs an app password.
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Why there is no upload button?
Here is the part that trips people up. If you open Yahoo Mail in your browser and look for a way to bring in .eml files, there is not one. Yahoo has no import for EML through the web at all. So the trick is not to fight the webmail, it is to go in the back way, over IMAP, which is the same protocol a mail app uses to sync with Yahoo.
Once you connect to Yahoo over IMAP, anything you put into a folder uploads to your account. That gives two routes, a free one through Thunderbird, and a tool that does the upload for you. Both need one small setup first.
The web has no import, so EML goes into Yahoo over IMAP instead.
“The reason this feels harder than it should is that Yahoo simply does not import EML from the web, there is no button to look for. Everything goes in over IMAP, and the one thing that catches people is the sign-in, Yahoo will not accept your normal password from a mail app or a tool anymore, you generate an app-specific password and use that. Get the app password right and the rest is just dropping the EML into a folder that syncs up.” Shubham Dixit, Email Migration reviewer (draft, pending approval)
The Yahoo app password
Both routes need this, so set it up first. Yahoo no longer lets a mail app or a tool sign in with your normal password, and the old less secure apps setting is gone. Instead you create an app-specific password.
Sign in to Yahoo, open account security, choose Generate app password, and make one for mail. Use that in place of your normal password wherever Yahoo asks. The Yahoo server is imap.mail.yahoo.com, port 993, with SSL.
One app-specific password and the server address are all the setup Yahoo needs.
Free, through Thunderbird
The free route uses Thunderbird as the bridge. You add your Yahoo account to it, drop the EML into a Yahoo folder, and Thunderbird syncs that folder up to your account.
Add Yahoo to Thunderbird. In Account Settings choose Add Mail Account, enter your Yahoo address and the app-specific password, and set the type to IMAP with imap.mail.yahoo.com.
Import the EML. Install the free ImportExportTools NG add-on, make a new folder under your Yahoo account, then right-click it and choose ImportExportTools NG, Import messages, and pick your .eml files. You can also simply drag .eml files into that folder. Because the folder lives under the Yahoo IMAP account, the messages upload to Yahoo and appear in your mailbox on any device.
In bulk, a tool
If you have a lot of EML, or would rather not set up Thunderbird, a tool does the upload for you. It signs in to Yahoo over IMAP and sends a folder of .eml files straight into the mailbox. The PCDOTS EML Converter loads your EML files or a whole folder and its IMAP export sends them into Yahoo in bulk, keeping attachments and headers, with a folder to hold them. It runs on Windows and uses your Yahoo app-specific password. A free version handles the first ten items per folder so you can test it first.
The tool route, for many EML files without setting up a client.
Here are the steps with the screens.
Step 1. Install and run the software 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 choose IMAP.
Step 4. Enter your Yahoo address and app-specific password, then Save to upload.
For the same job on other accounts see our guides to import EML to AOL Mail and import EML to Zoho Mail, and for a different format into Yahoo, import an MBOX file into Yahoo.
The methods compared
Match the route to how many EML files you have and whether you want to set up a client.
| Method | Best for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Thunderbird bridge | Free, any amount | App password, add the add-on |
| EML Converter tool | Bulk, no client setup | Windows, uploads over IMAP |
Frequently asked questions
Can I import EML files into Yahoo from the web?
No. Yahoo Mail has no EML import in the browser. You bring the files in over IMAP, either through Thunderbird or with a tool that uploads them.
Why will Yahoo not accept my password in Thunderbird or a tool?
Yahoo blocks your normal password from outside apps. Generate an app-specific password in your Yahoo account security and use that instead.
What are the Yahoo IMAP settings?
The incoming server is imap.mail.yahoo.com on port 993 with SSL. For sending, smtp.mail.yahoo.com on port 465 or 587 with SSL.
Can I import a whole folder of EML at once?
Yes. ImportExportTools NG imports all the EML from a directory, and the tool uploads a folder of EML into Yahoo in one run.
Do attachments and formatting survive the import?
Yes. An EML file holds the complete message, so its headers, body and attachments arrive intact in Yahoo.
Will the imported mail show on my phone?
Yes. Because it uploads to Yahoo over IMAP, the mail appears in your account on the web and on every device signed in to it.
Client or tool, which fits your EML
The one fact to hold on to is that Yahoo has no web import, so whichever way you go, the EML travels in over IMAP. For a free route, or when you are happy in a mail app, Thunderbird is the bridge, add Yahoo with an app password, drop the EML into a Yahoo folder, and it syncs up. For a lot of files, or when you would rather skip the setup, a tool uploads the folder for you. So the only real choice is this, do you want to bridge the EML in through Thunderbird, or have a tool upload them for you?
