How to Convert OLM to JSON ? Methods and Best Practices

You can easily convert OLM to JSON by extracting the OLM file, parsing its XML message data with a script, and saving the output as JSON. To avoid complex steps, you can also use a dedicated software for exporting OLM files to JSON format.

An OLM file has emails, contacts, calendars, and tasks stored in a format that most applications are unable to identify or read. Here, JSON format is a structured format that is light-weighted and supported by databases and many tools.

This guide explains both manual as well as specialized software that can help you get OLM to JSON in simple steps. It also covers the limitations and best practices for each method to give you a better understanding which to choose.

Table of Contents

• Why Should I Convert OLM to JSON?
• Methods To Convert OLM to JSON? Both Manual And Dedicated Tool
  • Method 1: Manual Conversion Using Script
  • Method 2: Using a Dedicated Converter Tool
• Manual vs. Tool Method? Which is Better
• Things to Consider Before Converting OLM to JSON
• Conclusion
• FAQs

Methods To Convert OLM to JSON? Both Manual And Dedicated Tool

There are 2 quick methods to extract OLM to JSON format– using a script (if you are comfortable with codes) and a dedicated software (for large OLM files).

Method 1: Manual Conversion Using Script

If you need to convert a small OLM file into more human-readable format like JSON, you can follow this method–

1. Firstly, keep a copy of your OLM file safe somewhere locally. As always advised, you should never work on the original copy without keeping a backup.
2. Rename the OLM file copy with .zip and extract it, or open it with a tool.
3. Locate the message files that are usually stored inn XML format, along with separate files for contacts, calendars, and attachments.
4. Now, use library such as Pythons’ s xml.etree.ElementTree or lxml to read fields of the file.
5. Lastly, serialize the fields with json.dump() after mapping it to a dictionary.

Code:
import json
import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET
from pathlib import Path
records = []
for f in Path("extracted_olm").rglob("*.olk15Message"):
root = ET.parse(f).getroot()
# Field paths vary by OLM version; inspect a sample file first
records.append({
"subject": root.findtext(".//OPFMessageCopySubject"),
"sender": root.findtext(".//OPFMessageCopySenderAddress"),
"date": root.findtext(".//OPFMessageCopySentTime"),
"body": root.findtext(".//OPFMessageCopyBody"),
})
with open("output.json", "w", encoding="utf-8") as out:
json.dump(records, out, ensure_ascii=False, indent=2)


• Step 1: Install and launch the software on your device.

• Step 2: Click on File Mode and select the OLM files you want to convert. Select Folder mode in case you need to add a whole folder.

• Step 3: You can also drag and drop your files or click Browse files to search them.

• Step 4: You will see the files on the screen that you have selected for conversion. Click Next to move to the filter options.

• Step 5: Here, you can select the categories you want to export. Categories like Email, Calendar, Contact, Task and Note are given in the option to select.

• Step 6: Apply Date Filter Range to select files or data for a specific period and click Next to move ahead in the process.

• Step 7: Now, you will see various export format options like CSV, EML, MHT, ICS, JSON, and PDF on the screen. Select JSON as export format for your selected OLM files and click Next.

• Step 8: Now check JSON export settings. Two options are provided- firstly, create a single JSON for folder and secondly settings option for JSON export settings. Click Next.

• Step 9: Click Browse and select the destination path where you want to save your files after conversion.

• Step 10: Finally, click Start Export after the destination path is finalized.

• Step 11: Now click View Result to open the output / destination folder.

Manual vs. Tool Method? Which is Better

Things to Consider Before Converting OLM to JSON

• Backup the original OLM file before exporting it to any other file format.
• Ensure you decide the export settings beforehand as a large single OLM files can be tough to load.
• As JSON only supports text, so attachments are handled as separate files and are linked by path, or encoded in Base64.
• If your files contain sensitive data, use a secured method like offline converter tool to convert OLM files to JSON.

Conclusion

Converting OLM files to JSON format is a reliable solution when you need to use your data for different applications. JSON is a readable-text file format that is used for importing or analyzing information. If you need to convert OLM to JSON (single or small file), use the manual method (script) for faster results. If you have a whole folder consisting OM files or need to convert multiple OLM files, a dedicated software is the reliable and hassle-free solution in this case. Securely convert your OLM files with the right method and steps to get the desired result.

FAQs

1. Can an OLM file be opened in a file editor?
   No. OLM files are compressed archives and are unreadable in a text editor. For viewing those files, you need to first extract them or use a tool that can help you read archives.
2. How long it takes to convert OLM to JSON?
   It depends upon the file size and the method you are using to convert the OLM files. A large OLM file can cause error if you use script for conversion. For faster results, use a verifies software.
3. Why is it showing error if I am opening OLM file in Outlook for Window?
   Outlook for Windows only supports two file formats- PST and OST formats. As OLM is build for the Mac version only, convert it before importing OLM files in Windows Outlook.