Extracts emails and attachments saved in Microsoft Outlook's .msg files
The python package extract_msg automates the extraction of key email data (from, to, cc, date, subject, body) and the email's attachments.
0.29.* is the branch that supports both Python 2 and Python 3. It is now only receiving bug fixes and will not be receiving feature updates.
This module has a Discord server for general discussion. You can find it here: Discord
To use it as a command-line script:
python -m extract_msg example.msg
This will produce a new folder named according to the date, time and subject of the message (for example "2013-07-24_0915 Example"). The email itself can be found inside the new folder along with the attachments.
The script uses Philippe Lagadec's Python module that reads Microsoft OLE2 files (also called Structured Storage, Compound File Binary Format or Compound Document File Format). This is the underlying format of Outlook's .msg files. This library currently supports Python 3.6 and above.
The script was originally built using Peter Fiskerstrand's documentation of the .msg format. Redemption's discussion of the different property types used within Extended MAPI was also useful. For future reference, I note that Microsoft have opened up their documentation of the file format, which is what is currently being used for development.
#########REWRITE COMMAND LINE USAGE############# Currently, the README is in the process of being redone. For now, please refer to the usage information provided from the program's help dialog:
usage: extract_msg [-h] [--use-content-id] [--dev] [--validate] [--json]
[--file-logging] [--verbose] [--log LOG]
[--config CONFIG_PATH] [--out OUT_PATH] [--use-filename]
[--dump-stdout] [--html] [--raw] [--rtf]
[--allow-fallback] [--out-name OUT_NAME] msg [msg ...]
extract_msg: Extracts emails and attachments saved in Microsoft Outlook's
.msg files. https://github.com/TeamMsgExtractor/msg-extractor
positional arguments:
msg An msg file to be parsed
optional arguments:
-h, --help show this help message and exit
--use-content-id, --cid
Save attachments by their Content ID, if they have
one. Useful when working with the HTML body.
--dev Changes to use developer mode. Automatically
enables the --verbose flag. Takes precedence over
the --validate flag.
--validate Turns on file validation mode. Turns off regular
file output.
--json Changes to write output files as json.
--file-logging Enables file logging. Implies --verbose.
--verbose Turns on console logging.
--log LOG Set the path to write the file log to.
--config CONFIG_PATH Set the path to load the logging config from.
--out OUT_PATH Set the folder to use for the program output.
(Default: Current directory)
--use-filename Sets whether the name of each output is based on
the msg filename.
--dump-stdout Tells the program to dump the message body (plain
text) to stdout. Overrides saving arguments.
--html Sets whether the output should be html. If this is
not possible, will error.
--raw Sets whether the output should be raw. If this is
not possible, will error.
--rtf Sets whether the output should be rtf. If this is
not possible, will error.
--allow-fallback Tells the program to fallback to a different save
type if the selected one is not possible.
--out-name OUT_NAME Name to be used with saving the file output.
Should come immediately after the file name.
To use this in your own script, start by using:
import extract_msg
From there, open the MSG file:
msg = extract_msg.openMsg("path/to/msg/file.msg")
Alternatively, if you wish to send a msg binary string instead of a file
to the extract_msg.openMsg Method:
msg_raw = b'\xd0\xcf\x11\xe0\xa1\xb1\x1a\xe1\x00 ... \x00\x00\x00' msg = extract_msg.openMsg(msg_raw)
If you want to override the default attachment class and use one of your own, simply change the code to:
msg = extract_msg.openMsg("path/to/msg/file.msg", attachmentClass = CustomAttachmentClass)
where CustomAttachmentClass is your custom class.
#TODO: Finish this section
If you have any questions feel free to contact me, Destiny, as arceusthe [at] gmail [dot] com. I am the co-owner and main developer of the project.
If you have issues, it would be best to get help for them by opening a new github issue.
Should you encounter an error that has not already been reported, please do the following when reporting it: * Make sure you are using the latest version of extract_msg (check the version on PyPi). * State your Python version. * Include the code, if any, that you used. * Include a copy of the traceback.
You can install using pip:
- Pypi
pip install extract-msg- Github
pip install git+https://github.com/mattgwwalker/msg-extractoror you can include this in your list of python dependencies with:
# setup.py
setup(
...
dependency_links=['https://github.com/mattgwwalker/msg-extractor/zipball/master'],
)Here is a list of things that are currently on our todo list:
- Tests (ie. unittest)
- Finish writing a usage guide
- Improve the intelligence of the saving functions
- Improve handling of named properties
- Improve README
- Create a wiki for advanced usage information
Matthew Walker - Original developer and owner.
Destiny Peterson (The Elemental of Destruction) - Co-owner, principle programmer, knows more about msg files than anyone probably should.
JP Bourget - Senior programmer, readability and organization expert, secondary manager.
Philippe Lagadec - Python OleFile module developer.
Joel Kaufman - First implementations of the json and filename flags.
Dean Malmgren - First implementation of the setup.py script.
Seamus Tuohy - Developer of the Python RTFDE module. Gave first examples of how to use the module.
Liam - Significant reorganization and transfer of data.
And thank you to everyone who has opened an issue and helped us track down those pesky bugs.