MBOX file support
Search MBOX files online.
Gmail, Thunderbird, Apple Mail.
Upload your MBOX archive and search every email in your browser. Works with Gmail Takeout exports, Thunderbird backups, Apple Mail archives, and any standard MBOX file.
The problem with MBOX files
MBOX is a plain text format. Opening a large one in a text editor shows thousands of raw email headers. There's no built-in way to search or browse individual messages.
Thunderbird can import MBOX files, but you need to install it, configure a profile, and navigate its interface just to find one email from 2019.
Google Takeout gives you MBOX files inside a ZIP. Most people download them and never open them because there's no easy way to search the contents.
How it works
How Evermail handles MBOX files
Upload your MBOX file
Drag and drop a .mbox file or a ZIP archive containing MBOX files. Evermail auto-detects the format and handles multi-file archives.
Evermail streams and indexes
The MBOX file is streamed through MimeKit (a battle-tested email parser). Each message is parsed, metadata extracted, and content indexed for full-text search. Attachments are stored separately.
Search and browse instantly
Find any email by keyword, sender, date, or attachment. Browse threaded conversations with a modern reading interface. Export individual emails or download your entire archive.
Technical details
MBOX support specifications
| File extensions | .mbox, .mbox.zip |
| Max file size (Free) | 1 GB |
| Max file size (Enterprise) | 100 GB |
| MBOX variants | mboxrd, mboxo, mboxcl, mboxcl2 (all supported) |
| Multi-file archives | ZIP files with multiple .mbox files are concatenated |
| Parsing engine | MimeKit (RFC 2822 compliant) |
| Compatible sources | Gmail Takeout, Thunderbird, Apple Mail, Postfix, Dovecot |
Common questions
MBOX file questions
How do I search an MBOX file?
Upload your MBOX file to Evermail. Every email is parsed and indexed automatically, giving you instant full-text search across the entire archive in your browser. No installation required.
What applications create MBOX files?
MBOX files are created by Gmail (via Google Takeout), Mozilla Thunderbird, Apple Mail, and most Unix-based mail systems like Postfix and Dovecot. It is the most widely used open email archive format.
Can I upload a Google Takeout ZIP file directly?
Yes. Evermail detects Google Takeout ZIP archives, extracts the MBOX files inside, and processes them automatically. See the Google Takeout guide for details.
What about corrupted MBOX files?
Evermail handles corrupted messages gracefully. If a message can't be parsed, it's logged and skipped. The rest of your archive is still fully searchable. You'll see a count of any skipped messages on the mailbox detail page.
Other supported formats
Upload your MBOX file. Search it in minutes.
Works with Gmail Takeout, Thunderbird, and Apple Mail. Free to start.
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