eM Client to Office 365 Migration Tool to Import eM Client Mails to Office 365 Directly

eM Client is a capable desktop email client, but many organizations choose to migrate to Office 365 for centralized management, enterprise security features and Microsoft’s integrated productivity suite. Moving email history from eM Client to Office 365 requires exporting the data and importing it to Exchange Online.

This guide covers both the manual approach and the automated migration tool. The manual method requires no additional software but more steps. The automated tool is faster for large migrations.

Why Migrate eM Client to Office 365?

Common reasons organizations migrate from eM Client to Office 365 include:

• Your organization is moving all email to Microsoft 365 for centralized IT management
• You need Exchange Online features like shared calendars, eDiscovery and retention policies
• You want email accessible from any device with automatic sync rather than one desktop machine
• Microsoft 365 integration gives you seamless access to Teams, SharePoint and OneDrive
• Your IT department requires all company email on a managed Exchange Online tenant

Office 365 (now Microsoft 365) has grown to over 400 million paid seats globally. For businesses standardizing on Microsoft’s productivity suite, moving email from individual desktop clients like eM Client to the centralized Exchange Online platform is a natural step that simplifies IT management and improves security.

eM Client stores all email data locally in a SQLite database on your Windows machine. This means you have full control over your email data and can migrate it without depending on any cloud service. The migration tool reads this local data directly, making the migration independent of your email server.

Office 365 now goes by the name Microsoft 365, but the Exchange Online service at its core is the same. Both names refer to the same platform, and either the manual or automated method works regardless of whether your organization calls it Office 365 or Microsoft 365.

Method 1: Export from eM Client, Import to Office 365

This method uses eM Client’s built-in export function to create a backup file, which is then imported to Office 365 via Outlook or the Microsoft 365 admin center.

Step 1: Open eM Client Export Menu

In eM Client, click File, then Export. The export wizard opens.

Step 2: Choose Export Format

Select EML (for individual messages) or a compatible format. EML files can be imported into Outlook, which then syncs to Office 365.

Step 3: Select Folders to Export

Choose which folders to include in the export. Select all folders for a complete migration.

Step 4: Choose Export Location

Set the destination folder for the exported files and click Export. Wait for the export to complete.

After exporting, import the EML files into Outlook on a machine configured with your Office 365 account, or use the Microsoft 365 admin center’s import tool to upload a PST file.

Method 2: Direct Migration Tool

For large migrations or when you want to skip the manual steps, Turgs eM Client Converter migrates directly to Office 365 without needing intermediate export files.

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How to Use the Migration Tool

Follow these steps to migrate eM Client emails directly to Office 365.

Step 1: Launch the Migration Tool

Step 2: Select eM Client Source Files

Step 3: Select Office 365 as the Destination

Choose Office 365 from the output format options.

Step 4: Enable Admin Mode and Enter Credentials

Enable admin mode and enter your Office 365 admin credentials and tenant details. Admin mode allows the tool to import email to any mailbox in your Office 365 tenant.

Step 5: Migrate

Click Start. The tool imports all selected eM Client emails to the specified Office 365 mailbox.

Limitations to Know

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I migrate eM Client to Office 365 without admin credentials?

Without admin credentials, you can still migrate your own mailbox by exporting from eM Client to EML or PST format and then importing to your own Office 365 mailbox via Outlook. Admin credentials are only needed if you’re importing to other users’ mailboxes or want to use the direct migration tool in admin mode.

How long does an eM Client to Office 365 migration take?

Time depends on the number of emails, attachment sizes and Office 365 API rate limits. A personal mailbox with 10,000 emails typically migrates in 1 to 2 hours using the automated tool. Large organizational migrations with 50,000+ emails may take 6 to 12 hours. Microsoft’s batch limits can affect speed for very large migrations.

Will my eM Client folder structure be preserved after migration?

Yes. The automated migration tool recreates your eM Client folder structure in the Office 365 mailbox. Custom folders, nested subfolders and their contents all appear in Office 365 in the same organization as they were in eM Client. Standard folders like Inbox and Sent Items map automatically.

Can I migrate multiple eM Client users to Office 365 in one operation?

Yes. The batch processing capability allows you to queue multiple source archives (one per user) and migrate them sequentially to their respective Office 365 mailboxes. For large organizations migrating dozens of users, this significantly reduces the time compared to doing each user individually.

What happens to attachments during the migration?

Attachments are fully preserved during the migration. Each email arrives in Office 365 with all its original attachments intact, in their original file formats and with original file sizes. No compression or modification of attachments occurs during the migration process.

Do I need Outlook installed to migrate eM Client to Office 365?

For the manual method (Method 1), you need Outlook configured with your Office 365 account to import EML files. For the automated method (Method 2), Outlook does not need to be installed. The migration tool connects directly to Office 365 via Exchange Web Services without needing a local Outlook installation.