How to Export Yahoo Mail to PST in Minutes: Safe & Best Ways

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  • Updated on
    October 24th, 2025
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    5 minutes
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Summary: A hacked or suspended Yahoo Mail account can lead to loss of important business emails. To resolve this technical issue, one should keep a PST backup of these emails. For that, they need to export Yahoo Mail to PST format to safely store it locally. This way, user retrieve their emails whenever needed, even if the Yahoo Mail account is inaccessible. For an automated approach, use the MCD Yahoo Backup Tool for exporting data with accuracy. One can also choose to do the conversion manually. Read the blog till the end to find out how.

Possible Reasons to Move Yahoo Mail to PST

  • By exporting Yahoo Mail to PST, the user can access all Yahoo emails anytime offline in Outlook.
  • Users can save their critical messages from being hacked by keeping a PST backup of Yahoo emails.
  • Moving from Yahoo Mail to PST simplifies the transition from Webmail to Desktop.
  • Most of the companies retain their Yahoo emails in a retrievable format, like PST, for legal use.
  • A PST backup can restore business-critical emails in case a Yahoo account is lost or inaccessible. 

Ways to Export Yahoo Mail to PST File Format

Manually Export Emails from Yahoo Mail to Outlook PST

Through Outlook, one can export Yahoo Mail emails to an Outlook PST file via IMAP protocol. With this approach, one can have offline access to all their Yahoo email data. 

The following are the steps to begin the procedure:

  1. Open the MS Outlook application on your PC.
  2. Now, head to the File tab and click on Add Account.
  3. Enter your Yahoo Mail credentials and choose the account type as IMAP.
  4. Then, enter the IMAP server details:


Incoming Mail Server (IMAP)
Server: imap.mail.yahoo.com
Port: 993
Encryption: SSL


Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP)
Server: smtp.mail.yahoo.com
Port: 465 or 587
Encryption: SSL
  1. Once the Outlook syncs all the Yahoo Mail data, press File > Open & Export > Import/Export.
  2. Choose Outlook Data File (.pst), select the folders to export, and set the location to save the resultant file.
  3. At the end, tap Finish.

Limitations: If the mailbox is large, the syncing process may take several hours. Many times, the folder structure is not preserved in the resultant PST file. During the process, if the connection is lost or disturbed, it may lead to an error or loss of data. 

Forward Yahoo Mail to Outlook PST Manually

It involves forwarding emails from Yahoo Mail account to Outlook account. After that, we can export from Outlook to a PST file. 

Here are the instructions to forward the emails to Outlook:

  1. Open Yahoo Mail on your web browser and log in with your Yahoo credentials.
  2. Now, click on Settings > More Settings > Mailboxes > Forwarding.
  3. After that, type the Outlook email ID where you want to send the emails.
  4. Then, open MS Outlook and log in to your Outlook account.
  5. Navigate to File > Open & Export > Import/Export > Export to a file > Outlook Data File (.pst).
  6. Now, select the desired forwarded emails and specify the location to save the PST file.
  7. At last, hit Finish

Limitations: If the user needs to forward hundreds of emails, then this process may become time-consuming. The Yahoo Mail mailbox folder structure is not preserved. Some of the complex attachments may not be exported. 

Direct Solution to Export Yahoo Mail to PST Format

The Yahoo Backup Tool securely export Yahoo Mail emails to a PST format with full precision. Besides PST format, it exports to other formats as well like PDF, MBOX, etc. Moreover, it offers advanced features like server space optimization, selective folder backup, attachment exclusion, etc. In addition to this, it retains the full folder structure and provides a dependable solution to users seeking a flexible backup solution. 

Simple steps to convert Yahoo emails to PST:

  1. First, install and open the tool on your system.
  2. Then, press Continue to proceed.
  3. Now, select your preferred mode: Single or Batch mode.
  4. After that, sign in using your Yahoo email address and password.
  5. After signing in, select the folders to export, preview them, and tap Next.
  6. Now, choose PST as the file type and select a destination path.
  7. Click Next and enable the additional filters if required.
  8. At last, click Next to start the export process.

Conclusion

Users often seek ways to export Yahoo Mail to PST format to free up server storage space. While manual methods exist, their limitations often make them inconvenient. Therefore, a better option is to choose a professional solution, Yahoo Backup Tool. It provides user-specific features and ensures data integrity. Users can download and try the free version of the tool. Test the features and then choose to upgrade to the premium version.

You May Also Read: Migrate Yahoo Mail to Office 365 Account.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q- Is it possible to export all Yahoo Mail folders to PST at once?

Ans- Yes, by configuring Yahoo Mail in Outlook using IMAP, you can sync all folders and then export them to a PST file. Also, you can use a professional tool to export the emails to a PST file in one go.

Q- Are there any risks of losing emails while exporting Yahoo Mail to PST?

Ans- If done manually through Outlook, the risk is minimal, but interruptions in internet connectivity or incorrect settings can cause sync issues. An automated professional tool often reduces this risk.

About The Author

Rohit Singh is an Email Backup, Recovery, and Migration Expert with over 6 years of experience in the software industry. He specializes in data migration solutions for Microsoft Outlook, Office 365, Google Workspace, and other popular email clients. Rohit regularly shares practical insights and technical guides to help users simplify complex email management tasks.

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