Forwarding shares an existing message with a new recipient. An inline forward is convenient for ordinary conversation, while forwarding as an attachment can preserve the original message for a mail administrator investigating headers or delivery.
IN THIS ARTICLE
What you need before you begin
Confirm who needs the message and whether they need a readable conversation or the original email for technical analysis. Choose the smallest relevant message or thread before sharing it.
01 Forward a message or an original email file in Thunderbird
- Select the message and choose Forward for a normal inline forward. For technical investigation, use the forward-as-attachment option where available.
- Enter the intended recipient and review the From address. Add a short explanation of why you are forwarding the message.
- For an inline forward, review the quoted thread and attachments and remove unrelated content before sharing. For an original email needed for header analysis, preserve the message intact and send it through the authorised support route; choose the relevant message rather than including an unrelated thread.
- Send once and retain the original message until the recipient confirms they have the information needed.
02 Example: choose the forward format for the recipient
A colleague needs the wording of an agreed project decision. An inline forward lets you add an explanation and review which earlier comments and attachments to include. A mail administrator investigating a delivery problem may instead need the original message file so its headers remain available.
Before sending, confirm which evidence the recipient needs. For the technical case, use the forward-as-attachment option and retain the original message in your mailbox. For the project case, inspect the visible forwarded thread before sharing it.
Expected result: the recipient receives the useful form of evidence, rather than a screenshot when original message data was requested.
Confirm the expected result
For an ordinary forward, check that the necessary content and attachments reached the recipient. For a technical investigation, confirm the recipient received the original message file rather than only a screenshot.
Troubleshoot unexpected results
A suspicious message can contain unsafe links or attachments. Preserve it for an authorised investigation without opening executable content. Ask support what evidence it needs and send the smallest useful sample.
A common question
Will this forward all future mail automatically?
No. Forwarding a selected message is a one-time action. A server-side forwarder or mail rule is a different configuration and needs separate testing and review.