Methods to Convert MBOX File to CSV File

Read time: 5 minutes

Does your company use MBOX files to save emails? MBOX (Mailbox) is an email file format in which you can export emails to your local computer. However, it’s not an accessible file format for all email clients and devices. It is why organizations and business individuals prefer converting it to other formats, such as EML, PST, CSV, and CSV. Therefore, conversion of an MBOX file to a practical file format is necessary to utilize email data.

CSV (Comma Separated Values) is a popular file format used all over the world. It stores data in the form of a table, more like a spreadsheet. Spreadsheet applications such as Excel, Google Sheets, Calc, and Apple Numbers allow accessing CSV files.

In this blog, we will describe effortless ways to convert an MBOX file to a CSV file manually and with the help of third-party tools. So, make sure you follow this article to the end to find a detailed procedure to finish the conversion.

Why do users convert MBOX to CSV?

Here are the reasons why it’s needed to perform the conversion of an MBOX to CSV format:

• Data analysis – Several major spreadsheet applications allow you to open a CSV file, which makes it easy to analyze email data using tools like MS Excel and Google Sheets.
• Backup – CSV is an easy-to-read and structured format, which is why it’s preferable for backing up and archiving email data.
• Easy sharing – It’s easy to share and collaborate with others. You can share email data as a CSV file with your colleagues, shareholders, or others to strengthen communication.
• Compatibility – There is a wide range of software that does not support MBOX files, and to access your emails on them, you should convert MBOX to CSV.

Conversion of bulk MBOX files to different accessible formats is one of the most common queries people using related email clients have. This blog post will help us walk through several tested and trusted ways to do the conversion.

If you proceed with this method to convert files to CSV, you need to install Thunderbird email client on your computer. Once you have the application, you can follow the below steps:

1. Launch your Thunderbird email application.
2. It will open the interface of your email account, showing different folders, including Inbox, Sent Mail, Spam, Trash, etc.
3. Click the Address Book option mentioned on the menu bar.
4. From the wizard, open in front, Click Tools, and then Export.
5. Name your file and pick a destination on your local computer to save the converted MBOX file.
6. After defining the location, click on the Save button.

The process will provide you with a CSV file of your email through the Thunderbird email client. Now, you can access it wherever you want without any complications.

ImportExportNG is a built-in add-on provided by Thunderbird email client that allows exporting mailboxes to your local drive or desktop. The steps to execute this are mentioned below:

1. Launch the Thunderbird application.
2. Click on the Menu from the upper-right side of the screen.
3. After that, click the Add-Ons and Themes button.
4. In the search field box, enter ImportExportNG.
5. Add this add-on to your Thunderbird account.
6. Restart your Thunderbird email program.
7. Right-click on the configured account/folder and select ImportExportNG.
8. Select either ‘Export all the folders’ or ‘Export all the folders with structure.’
9. After ImportExportNG finishes processing. Click OK.
10. Select the destination to save the converted CSV file and click Export.

Limitations of manual methods

• You need a Thunderbird account set up on your device.
• You need to possess technical knowledge to perform the process of exporting MBOX to CSV.
• There may be data loss or corruption during conversion.

Even though these manual methods are significant for converting MBOX files to CSV, they come with their shortcomings. One can’t utterly rely on these to export email data. This is why businesses are now moving towards professional third-party MBOX to PST converter tools like Kernel for MBOX to PST. The tool streamlines easy conversion of single or bulk emails to a PST, PDF, EML, and other file formats. If you’re using this tool, there is no need to hire a professional to convert your email data.

It provides a variety of options to save your MBOX file so that it is accessible anytime and anywhere. It allows you to transfer your email data to email servers such as Office 365 and Lotus Domino. You can also access your Apple Mail emails over web-based email services such as Gmail, Yahoo, and iCloud.

Conclusion

You can’t access the MBOX file if you don’t have an application installed on your system that supports the format. Therefore, it would be a better idea to convert it to an accessible file format. The above article provides you with efficient ways and reasons to convert MBOX to CSV format.

Other than the manual methods to convert your file to CSV, you can use our Kernel for MBOX to PST converter tool. The tool will help you lower the effort and time by filtering out the data that you don’t need. There will be no modification in the email data and structure when you convert a file using our utility.