Definition
Email Attachments is a Setup page where administrators configure how email attachments are handled in the org, including maximum attachment size limits, whether attachments are stored as Salesforce Files or classic Attachments, and security settings for inbound and outbound email attachments.
Real-World Example
The admin at FinServe Bank configures Email Attachments settings to set a maximum attachment size of 10 MB for outbound emails and enables the option to store all inbound email attachments as Salesforce Files rather than legacy Attachments. This ensures all documents are stored in the modern Files system with versioning and sharing capabilities.
Why Email Attachments Matters
Email Attachments is the administrative control center for how your Salesforce org handles files that come in or go out via email. It addresses critical questions like what the maximum file size should be for outbound emails, whether inbound attachments are stored as modern Salesforce Files or legacy Attachments, and what security scanning applies to incoming files. Getting these settings right ensures that sales reps can send proposals, service agents can receive customer documents, and marketing teams can include collateral without running into size limit errors or storage issues.
As an org scales and email volume grows, Email Attachment configuration directly impacts storage costs, security posture, and user productivity. Organizations that leave default settings untouched often discover that attachments are being stored in the legacy Attachments format, missing out on versioning, preview, and sharing capabilities of the modern Files system. Large attachments can also consume storage quota rapidly, and without proper size limits, a single large inbound email can cause processing failures. Security-conscious industries like finance and healthcare need attachment scanning to prevent malicious files from entering the system.
How Organizations Use Email Attachments
- FinServe Bank — FinServe Bank configures Email Attachments to store all inbound attachments as Salesforce Files with a 10 MB outbound limit. This ensures every document received via email-to-case gets versioning and audit trail capabilities required by their financial compliance team. The switch from legacy Attachments to Files also enabled their agents to preview PDFs inline without downloading.
- Meridian Legal Group — Meridian Legal Group adjusted their Email Attachments settings to increase the outbound attachment limit to 25 MB so attorneys can email large contract packages directly from Salesforce case records. They also enabled virus scanning on inbound attachments to protect against malicious files sent by opposing counsel or external parties.
- TerraVerde Agriculture — TerraVerde Agriculture configured Email Attachments to store inbound files as Salesforce Files linked to the parent Case record. Field inspectors who email photos of crop damage to the support queue now have their images automatically organized under the correct case with full preview and sharing capabilities, replacing the previous workflow of manually uploading photos.