Sometimes, users need to export Yahoo emails to TXT files to save important messages locally. TXT files are easy to open and work with in almost every text editor. 

However, Yahoo Mail doesn’t offer a direct option to download an entire mailbox in TXT format. So how do you do it?

Table of Contents Hide
    1. Why Export Yahoo Emails to TXT?
    2. How to Export Yahoo Mail to TXT File?
    3. Method 1. Export Yahoo Mail to TXT Using Copy and Paste
    4. Method 2. Export Yahoo Mail to TXT Using a Professional Tool (macOS)
    5. Author’s Verdict

You can copy and paste individual emails into a text editor or use a professional tool to export Yahoo emails into text files directly in bulk. In this discussion, I will explain these methods step by step, with proper details. So, let me start with the reasons behind saving Yahoo Mail to TXT. 

Why Export Yahoo Emails to TXT?

You are here, which means you already know the reasons to have a Yahoo backup in TXT file format. Still, I guess you know only 1-2 benefits, but there are several reasons behind this, which are:

  • Want to access emails without using the internet or any email client, not even Yahoo.
  • Need to save Yahoo data in TXT file format, which can be accessed from any Notepad or any other text editor, without MS Outlook or any specific email application.
  • TXT files take up less storage space because they store email content as plain text without complex formatting.
  • Switching from Yahoo to another email service which needs a safety backup. For this, a TXT file is the best file format. 
  • You can share email text with someone who does not have access to your Yahoo Mail account. 
  • You can create a plain-text record of email conversations for auditing.

These are the main reasons due to which users want to export Yahoo Mail to TXT file format. Next, I’ll let you know how to do so. 

Related article: Export Yahoo Mail to PST file 

How to Export Yahoo Mail to TXT File?

When I need to save my Yahoo emails in TXT file format, I researched and found numerous ways to do so, and among them, the ones listed below are the most practical:

#Method 1. Export Yahoo Mail to TXT Using Copy and Paste

The simplest way to export Yahoo Mail to TXT is to open an email, copy its content, and save it in a text editor. That’s it. But this is suitable when you have 5-6 emails to save as a TXT file; for a large data set, this becomes hectic and time-consuming. 

For this, follow these steps to save Yahoo emails as TXT files:

  1. Open a web browser and sign in to your Yahoo Mail account.
  2. Open the email to save as a TXT file.
  3. Select the email content to export.
  4. Press Ctrl + C on Windows or Command + C on Mac to copy the selected text.
  5. Open Notepad on Windows or TextEdit on Mac.
  6. Paste the copied email content into the text editor.
  7. Click File and select Save As.
  8. Enter a suitable file name, such as Yahoomail_Email.txt.
  9. Select the TXT or plain-text format, if prompted.
  10. Choose a folder on your computer and save the file.

Now, your Yahoo email is saved as a TXT file that you can open and read offline. 

This is the simplest method, but the only thing is that you can save only emails individually. It can be time-consuming when you’re handling hundreds or thousands of messages.

That’s why, for large data set backups, I don’t recommend this approach. For this, you can try the next solution.

#Method 2. Export Yahoo Mail to TXT Using a Professional Tool (macOS)

If you need to export a large number of Yahoo emails directly in TXT file format, without copy-paste or manual effort, opting for the specialized backup tool is recommended.  

For this, SysTools Yahoo Mail Backup Software for macOS is overall the best utility to save a Yahoo mailbox to an external hard drive, NAS, or another local folder. It allows users to download Yahoo emails in bulk and save them directly to their Mac. 

Download Now (macOS) Purchase Now

The exported TXT files can be opened using Notepad, TextEdit, or other compatible text editors without requiring Yahoo Mail or Microsoft Outlook. You can also use the software to back up your Yahoo mailbox in other supported formats according to your requirements, i.e. PST, PDF, MSG, MBOX, HTML, TXT, CSV, EMLX, MHT, and Print. 

I tested this software, and I found these salient features in it, which help me download my Yahoo emails quickly: 

  • Directly save Yahoo email messages in TXT format.
  • Download multiple Yahoo emails in a single process without manual copy-pasting.
  • Choose specific mailbox folders instead of downloading everything.
  • Save Yahoo emails in other supported formats according to your needs.
  • Preserve the original email folder structure during export.

You can download this for free, and once it is downloaded, follow these steps to save Yahoo Mail to TXT file format:

  • Open the software and provide your Yahoo Mail account credentials.

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  • Choose TXT as the output format.

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  • You can leverage the Advanced Settings option, in which you can choose the specific date range for the selected data export. 

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  • Select a destination folder on your computer.

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  • Start the export process and wait for it to finish.

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This approach can be useful when you need to save many Yahoo emails and want to reduce the manual effort. 

Read also: Yahoo Mail Storage Limit 

Author’s Verdict

Exporting Yahoo Mail to TXT is useful when you want a portable copy of your email messages. You can manually copy emails into Notepad or consider a professional backup solution for larger mailboxes.

For a small number of messages, the manual method is sufficient. If you need to export a large volume of emails, the SysTools utility is best.