How Can I Save MailMessage Objects to Disk as .eml or .msg Files?

Persisting MailMessage Objects as .eml or .msg Files

Frequently, developers need to save email messages represented by MailMessage objects to the file system. Unfortunately, the MailMessage class doesn't directly support saving to disk. This article presents a practical solution.

The Solution: Leveraging SmtpClient

The key is to utilize the SmtpClient class. By setting its DeliveryMethod property to SmtpDeliveryMethod.SpecifiedPickupDirectory, we redirect email message storage to a local folder, effectively bypassing network transmission.

Code Example:

using System.Net.Mail;

namespace EmailFileWriter
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            // Initialize a MailMessage object.  Content can be added as needed.
            MailMessage email = new MailMessage();

            // Configure SmtpClient for local file storage.
            SmtpClient client = new SmtpClient();
            client.DeliveryMethod = SmtpDeliveryMethod.SpecifiedPickupDirectory;
            client.PickupDirectoryLocation = @"C:\somedirectory"; // Specify your desired path

            // "Sending" the email saves it to the specified directory.
            client.Send(email);
        }
    }
}

Alternative Configuration: App.config

For enhanced flexibility, configure the SmtpClient settings within your application's configuration file (App.config):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<configuration>
  <system.net>
    <mailSettings>
      <smtp deliveryMethod="SpecifiedPickupDirectory">
        <specifiedPickupDirectory pickupDirectoryLocation="C:\somedirectory" />
      </smtp>
    </mailSettings>
  </system.net>
</configuration>

This method generates email files (.eml or .msg, depending on the email client used) in the designated directory upon calling client.Send(). These files can be processed or sent later.

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