Saving emails as PDF for court
Courts don't reject email evidence because it's email — they reject it because it can't be authenticated. A cropped screenshot of an inbox shows none of the routing information that ties a message to a sender, a date and a mail server. What opposing counsel and judges look for is the header block: From, To, Cc, Date, and the Message-ID, which is unique per message and verifiable against the sending server's logs.
The right way to prepare email evidence is to start from the email file itself — .eml, .msg, or a full .mbox export — not from a photo of a screen. This tool converts those files to transcript-style PDFs that preserve the complete header block, the body text, and a manifest of attachments. The full version adds the two things a real production needs: Bates numbering (sequential exhibit stamps like SMITH-000001 on every page) and a SHA-256 integrity manifest, a final page recording the cryptographic hash of every generated PDF so any later alteration is detectable.
One more thing matters for evidence: chain of custody. Upload-based converters put your evidence on a third-party server, typically retained for hours and processed in unknown jurisdictions. This converter runs entirely in your browser — the files never leave your machine, and the integrity manifest documents that.
CourtMail is software, not a law firm. Whether a given exhibit is admissible is a question for your attorney and your jurisdiction's rules of evidence; this tool just makes sure the document itself is complete, ordered and tamper-evident.
Open the converter — free, no upload
A defensible workflow
- Export the original files: .msg from Outlook (drag to desktop), .eml from Gmail ("Download message"), or a full .mbox from Google Takeout.
- Convert locally to PDF with headers intact — never screenshot.
- Use Bates numbering with your matter prefix so every page is citable.
- Generate the SHA-256 manifest and keep the original email files unchanged alongside the PDFs.
Questions
Are PDFs of emails admissible?
Frequently, when properly authenticated — typically via testimony that the printout fairly represents the message, supported by headers and metadata. Rules vary by jurisdiction; ask your attorney. The point of converting properly is to not lose the authenticating details.
What is Bates numbering?
A sequential stamp (prefix + padded number) applied to every page of a document production, so parties can cite exact pages. It's standard in discovery and useful even in small claims to keep exhibits ordered.
Why hash the PDFs?
A SHA-256 hash is a fingerprint of the file. Recording it at conversion time means anyone can later verify the exhibit wasn't altered — recompute the hash and compare.