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How to Attach a PDF to an Email for Free: Gmail, Outlook, and iPhone

· 6 min read

Quick summary: To attach a PDF to an email, open Gmail or Outlook, click the paperclip (attach) icon in the compose window, browse to your PDF, and select it. The PDF attaches instantly. On iPhone, open the PDF in Files → tap Share → tap Mail. For PDFs over 25 MB, share a link from Google Drive or OneDrive instead of attaching.

Attaching a PDF is the same as attaching any file — the difference is the file size limits email providers enforce. Gmail allows up to 25 MB per email; Outlook allows up to 20 MB. Larger PDFs need a cloud link instead. You can also upload any PDF to our free AI PDF reader to share a summarized version of the content.

How to attach a PDF in Gmail (desktop)

  1. Open Gmail and click Compose.
  2. In the compose window, click the paperclip icon (Attach files) at the bottom toolbar.
  3. Browse to your PDF in the file picker and click Open.
  4. The PDF appears as an attachment thumbnail below the compose area.
  5. Add a recipient, subject, and body text, then click Send.

Drag and drop: Drag the PDF directly from Finder (Mac) or File Explorer (Windows) into the compose window — it attaches immediately.

Size limit: Gmail rejects attachments over 25 MB. If your PDF is larger, Gmail automatically offers to share it via Google Drive instead — click the Drive button (triangle icon) in the compose toolbar to upload and insert a Drive link.

How to attach a PDF in Outlook (desktop)

Outlook on Windows or Mac

  1. Open Outlook and click New Email.
  2. In the ribbon, click Insert → Attach File.
  3. Browse to your PDF and click Insert.

Alternative: Click the paperclip icon in the message toolbar (classic Outlook) or drag the file into the compose window.

Size limit: Outlook.com and Microsoft 365 allow up to 20 MB per attachment. For larger files, Outlook inserts a OneDrive link automatically — click Upload and share when prompted.

Outlook on the web (Outlook.com)

  1. Go to outlook.com → click New mail.
  2. Click the paperclip icon in the compose toolbar.
  3. Choose Browse this device and select the PDF.

How to attach a PDF in Apple Mail (Mac)

  1. Open Mail and click New Message (Cmd+N).
  2. Drag the PDF from Finder into the message body. It embeds as an attachment.
  3. Or: use File → Attach Files (Shift+Cmd+A) and browse to the PDF.

Apple Mail shows PDFs inline (as a preview) rather than as a paperclip icon. To force it to show as an attachment icon instead of inline: right-click the embedded PDF → View as Icon.

Size limit: iCloud Mail has a 20 MB limit. For larger PDFs, use Mail Drop: Mail automatically offers Mail Drop for large attachments — it uploads to iCloud and the recipient gets a download link.

How to attach a PDF to an email on iPhone

Gmail app (iPhone)

  1. Open the Gmail app and tap Compose (pencil icon).
  2. Tap the paperclip icon in the top right of the compose screen.
  3. Tap Attach file → browse to the PDF in Files.
  4. Tap the PDF — it attaches to the email.

Apple Mail (iPhone)

From Files first:

  1. Open the Files app and find your PDF.
  2. Tap and hold the PDF → tap Share.
  3. Scroll down in the Share sheet → tap Mail.
  4. A new email opens with the PDF already attached.

From within Mail:

  1. Open Mail → tap Compose.
  2. Tap and hold in the message body until the pop-up menu appears.
  3. Tap the right arrow ”›” → tap Attach File.
  4. Browse to the PDF in Files and tap it.

Outlook app (iPhone)

  1. Open the Outlook app → tap Compose (pencil icon).
  2. Tap the paperclip icon at the bottom of the compose screen.
  3. Tap File (or Files) and browse to the PDF.

How to send a large PDF by email

When the PDF exceeds the size limit, attach a cloud link instead:

  1. Go to drive.google.com and upload the PDF.
  2. Right-click the uploaded PDF → Share.
  3. Change access to “Anyone with the link”.
  4. Click Copy link.
  5. Paste the link into your email body.
  1. Save the PDF to OneDrive.
  2. Right-click it in File Explorer → Share → Copy link.
  3. Paste the link into the email.
  1. Move the PDF to iCloud Drive.
  2. Right-click it → Share → Add People → Copy Link.
  3. Set link permissions as needed and paste the link into the email.

See how to share a PDF for free for more methods including AirDrop and messaging apps.

How to reduce PDF size before emailing

If the PDF is just slightly over the limit:

  1. Compress it: See how to compress a PDF for free — Preview’s Quartz filter and Ghostscript can reduce size significantly.
  2. Make it smaller: See how to make a PDF smaller for free — reduce image resolution and remove embedded fonts.

Most email PDFs can be reduced to well under 25 MB with basic compression.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why is my PDF not attaching in Gmail?

Common causes: (1) The PDF is over 25 MB — use the Google Drive method described above; (2) The file extension is wrong — ensure it ends in .pdf; (3) A browser extension is blocking the upload — try in incognito mode; (4) The PDF is password-protected and the mail client is rejecting it — remove the password first.

Can I attach multiple PDFs to one email?

Yes. In Gmail, click the paperclip multiple times or select multiple files at once (Shift+click or Cmd+click) in the file picker. In Outlook, use Insert → Attach File multiple times. The total attachment size across all files must stay under the limit.

How do I attach a PDF on iPhone without an email app?

Open the PDF in Files → tap Share → scroll through the share sheet to find your email app. If the app is not listed, scroll right to tap More — it may be there but not in the first row.

What is the maximum PDF size I can email?

Email providerAttachment limit
Gmail25 MB
Outlook / Microsoft 36520 MB
Apple Mail / iCloud20 MB (Mail Drop: 5 GB)
Yahoo Mail25 MB

For larger files, use cloud sharing (Drive, OneDrive, iCloud) instead.

Can the recipient open the PDF without special software?

Yes. PDF is a universal format — every modern device can open it with built-in tools (Edge, Chrome, Preview, Files, Google Drive). No special software needed.

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