Save Attachments

Saves email attachments from Microsoft Exchange Server to local disk. This node downloads attachments from a specific email retrieved via the Get Mail node and stores them in a specified directory.

Common Properties

Name - The custom name of the node.
Color - The custom color of the node.
Delay Before (sec) - Waits in seconds before executing the node.
Delay After (sec) - Waits in seconds after executing node.
Continue On Error - Automation will continue regardless of any error. The default value is false.

info

If ContinueOnError property is true, no error is caught when the project is executed even if Catch node is used.

Input

Exchange Web Service Url - The EWS endpoint URL (e.g., https://mail.company.com/EWS/Exchange.asmx or https://outlook.office365.com/EWS/Exchange.asmx). Required.
Mail Object - Mail object from Get Mail node containing email ID and attachments metadata. Required.
Save Path - Directory path where attachments will be saved (e.g., C:\\Downloads\\Attachments). The directory will be created if it doesn't exist. Required.

Output

Result - List of file paths (string array) where attachments were saved. Each path is an absolute path to the saved file.

Options

Exchange Version - Exchange Server version for compatibility:
- Exchange2007_SP1 (default)
- Exchange2010
- Exchange2010_SP1
- Exchange2010_SP2
- Exchange2013
- Exchange2013_SP1
Credentials - Exchange Server login credentials (username/password) from vault. Required.

How It Works

The Save Attachments node:

Validates the mail object, save path, and credentials
Creates the save directory if it doesn't exist
Connects to Exchange Server using provided credentials and EWS URL
Binds to the specific email using the email ID from the mail object
Iterates through all attachments in the email
Downloads each attachment's content from Exchange Server
Handles filename conflicts by appending numbers (e.g., file_1.pdf, file_2.pdf)
Saves each attachment to the specified directory
Returns a list of all saved file paths
Implements automatic retry logic for transient errors (3 attempts with exponential backoff)

note

The node uses a 100-second timeout for Exchange operations. Files with duplicate names are automatically renamed with numeric suffixes to avoid overwriting existing files. The node handles large attachments efficiently and provides robust error handling for network issues and server throttling.

Examples

Save All Attachments from Email

Download all attachments from retrieved emails:

// 1. Get emails with Get Mail node
exchange_url = "https://mail.company.com/EWS/Exchange.asmx"
mail_folder = "Inbox"
number_of_messages = 10

// Get Mail node
// Output: emails

emails = message.Result

// 2. Process each email
for (email of emails) {
    // Check if email has attachments
    if (email.Attachments && email.Attachments.length > 0) {
        console.log(`Saving ${email.Attachments.length} attachments from: ${email.Subject}`)

        // Save Attachments node
        // Mail Object: email
        // Save Path: "C:\\Downloads\\EmailAttachments"

        saved_files = message.Result

        console.log(`Saved files: ${saved_files.join(", ")}`)
    }
}

Organize Attachments by Sender

Save attachments in folders organized by sender email:

// Get Mail node
emails = message.Result

base_path = "C:\\Downloads\\AttachmentsBySender"

for (email of emails) {
    if (email.Attachments && email.Attachments.length > 0) {
        // Create sender-specific folder
        sender_folder = email.From.replace("@", "_at_").replace(".", "_")
        save_path = `${base_path}\\${sender_folder}`

        // Save Attachments node
        // Exchange Web Service Url: exchange_url
        // Mail Object: email
        // Save Path: save_path

        saved_files = message.Result

        console.log(`Saved ${saved_files.length} files from ${email.From}`)
    }
}

Process Invoice Attachments

Extract and save invoice PDFs from emails:

// Get emails with "Invoice" in subject
// Get Mail node with specific folder
exchange_url = "https://mail.company.com/EWS/Exchange.asmx"
mail_folder = "Invoices"
emails = message.Result

invoice_path = "C:\\Invoices\\Pending"

for (email of emails) {
    // Check for PDF attachments
    has_pdf = email.Attachments.some(att => att.Name.toLowerCase().endsWith(".pdf"))

    if (has_pdf) {
        // Save Attachments node
        // Mail Object: email
        // Save Path: invoice_path

        saved_files = message.Result

        // Process each saved invoice
        for (file_path of saved_files) {
            if (file_path.toLowerCase().endsWith(".pdf")) {
                console.log(`Processing invoice: ${file_path}`)
                // Extract data from PDF, update database, etc.
            }
        }
    }
}

Save Attachments with Date Organization

Organize attachments by date received:

// Get Mail node
emails = message.Result

base_path = "C:\\Downloads\\AttachmentsByDate"

for (email of emails) {
    if (email.Attachments && email.Attachments.length > 0) {
        // Create date-based folder structure
        email_date = new Date(email.DateTime)
        year = email_date.getFullYear()
        month = String(email_date.getMonth() + 1).padStart(2, '0')
        day = String(email_date.getDate()).padStart(2, '0')

        save_path = `${base_path}\\${year}\\${month}\\${day}`

        // Save Attachments node
        // Mail Object: email
        // Save Path: save_path

        saved_files = message.Result

        console.log(`Saved to: ${save_path}`)
        console.log(`Files: ${saved_files.length}`)
    }
}

Filter and Save Specific File Types

Save only specific attachment types (e.g., Excel files):

// Get Mail node
emails = message.Result

excel_path = "C:\\Downloads\\ExcelFiles"

for (email of emails) {
    // Check for Excel attachments
    has_excel = email.Attachments.some(att => {
        const name = att.Name.toLowerCase()
        return name.endsWith(".xlsx") || name.endsWith(".xls")
    })

    if (has_excel) {
        // Save all attachments (will filter after saving)
        // Save Attachments node
        // Mail Object: email
        // Save Path: excel_path

        saved_files = message.Result

        // Log Excel files
        for (file_path of saved_files) {
            const ext = file_path.toLowerCase().slice(-5)
            if (ext.includes(".xls")) {
                console.log(`Excel file saved: ${file_path}`)
                // Process Excel file
            } else {
                // Optionally delete non-Excel files
                console.log(`Skipping non-Excel file: ${file_path}`)
            }
        }
    }
}

Save and Archive Attachments

Save attachments and track them in a database:

// Get Mail node
emails = message.Result

archive_path = "C:\\Archive\\EmailAttachments"
attachment_log = []

for (email of emails) {
    if (email.Attachments && email.Attachments.length > 0) {
        // Save Attachments node
        // Mail Object: email
        // Save Path: archive_path

        saved_files = message.Result

        // Create archive record
        for (i = 0; i < saved_files.length; i++) {
            attachment_record = {
                file_path: saved_files[i],
                original_name: email.Attachments[i].Name,
                email_subject: email.Subject,
                email_from: email.From,
                email_date: email.DateTime,
                saved_date: new Date().toISOString()
            }

            attachment_log.push(attachment_record)
        }
    }
}

// Save log to database or file
console.log(`Total attachments archived: ${attachment_log.length}`)

Handle Large Attachments

Process emails with large attachments carefully:

// Get Mail node (limit messages for large attachments)
exchange_url = "https://mail.company.com/EWS/Exchange.asmx"
mail_folder = "Inbox"
number_of_messages = 5  // Smaller batch for large files

emails = message.Result

large_files_path = "C:\\Downloads\\LargeFiles"

for (email of emails) {
    if (email.Attachments && email.Attachments.length > 0) {
        try {
            console.log(`Processing ${email.Attachments.length} attachments`)

            // Save Attachments node
            // Mail Object: email
            // Save Path: large_files_path

            saved_files = message.Result

            console.log(`Successfully saved ${saved_files.length} files`)

            // Add delay to avoid throttling
            await delay(3000)

        } catch (error) {
            console.error(`Failed to save attachments from email: ${email.Subject}`)
            console.error(`Error: ${error.message}`)
            // Continue to next email
        }
    }
}

Extract Specific Attachment by Name

Find and save a specific attachment by name pattern:

// Get Mail node
emails = message.Result

target_attachment = "report"  // Looking for files containing "report"
save_path = "C:\\Reports\\Downloaded"

for (email of emails) {
    // Check if email has target attachment
    has_target = email.Attachments.some(att =>
        att.Name.toLowerCase().includes(target_attachment.toLowerCase())
    )

    if (has_target) {
        // Save Attachments node
        // Mail Object: email
        // Save Path: save_path

        saved_files = message.Result

        // Find the specific file
        for (file_path of saved_files) {
            const filename = require('path').basename(file_path)
            if (filename.toLowerCase().includes(target_attachment.toLowerCase())) {
                console.log(`Found target attachment: ${file_path}`)
                // Process the specific file
            }
        }
    }
}

Tips for Effective Use

Mail object source: Always use mail objects from Get Mail node
Directory creation: Save path directory is created automatically if it doesn't exist
File naming: Duplicate filenames are handled automatically with numeric suffixes
Check attachments: Verify email has attachments before calling Save Attachments
Error handling: Use Try-Catch for robust automation
Retry logic: Node automatically retries on transient errors (3 attempts)
Large files: Add delays when processing emails with large attachments
Permissions: Ensure write permissions for the save path directory
Path format: Use absolute paths with proper directory separators
Batch processing: Process emails in batches to avoid memory issues
File validation: Check saved files exist and have expected size

Common Errors and Solutions

"ErrInvalidArg: Exchange Web Service Url cannot be empty"

Cause: No EWS URL was provided.

Solution: Provide the correct Exchange Web Services URL:

exchange_url = "https://mail.company.com/EWS/Exchange.asmx"

"ErrInvalidArg: Mail object cannot be null"

Cause: No mail object was provided to the node.

Solution: Ensure you're passing a mail object from Get Mail node:

// Get Mail node first
emails = message.Result

// Then use mail object in Save Attachments
for (email of emails) {
    // Save Attachments node
    // Mail Object: email  // Must be a mail object
}

"ErrInvalidArg: Save path cannot be empty"

Cause: No save path was specified.

Solution: Provide a valid directory path:

save_path = "C:\\Downloads\\Attachments"

// Or use dynamic path
save_path = `C:\\Downloads\\${new Date().toISOString().split('T')[0]}`

"ErrInvalidArg: Mail object has no ID"

Cause: The mail object doesn't contain an email ID.

Solution: Verify the mail object is from Get Mail node and contains an ID:

// Get Mail node
emails = message.Result

for (email of emails) {
    if (email.Id) {
        // Save Attachments node
        // Mail Object: email
    } else {
        console.error("Email has no ID")
    }
}

"ErrNoAttachments: Email has no attachments to save"

Cause: The email doesn't contain any attachments.

Solution: Check for attachments before saving:

for (email of emails) {
    // Check if email has attachments
    if (email.Attachments && email.Attachments.length > 0) {
        // Save Attachments node
        // Mail Object: email
    } else {
        console.log("Email has no attachments, skipping")
    }
}

"ErrFileSystem: Permission denied creating directory"

Cause: Insufficient permissions to create the save directory.

Solution:

Use a directory where you have write permissions
Run Robomotion with appropriate permissions
Check if path is valid and accessible

// Use a path with write permissions
save_path = "C:\\Users\\YourUsername\\Documents\\Attachments"

"ErrFileSystem: Permission denied writing file"

Cause: No write permissions for the save path.

Solution:

Verify write permissions for the directory
Check if the file is locked by another process
Ensure disk space is available

"ErrTransientData: Failed to bind email after 3 attempts"

Cause: Exchange server throttling, connection limits, or temporary network issues.

Solution:

Wait a few moments and retry
Check network connectivity to Exchange Server
Add delays when processing multiple emails
Reduce batch size for large attachments

// Add delay between processing emails
for (email of emails) {
    if (email.Attachments && email.Attachments.length > 0) {
        // Save Attachments node
        saved_files = message.Result

        // Wait before next email
        await delay(2000)  // 2 second delay
    }
}

"ErrAttachmentLoad: Failed to load attachment after 3 attempts"

Cause: Exchange server issues, network problems, or attachment is corrupted.

Solution:

Retry the operation after waiting
Check Exchange Server status
Verify the attachment is not corrupted
Check if attachment size exceeds limits

"ErrConnection: Network error"

Cause: Network connectivity issues to Exchange Server.

Solution:

Verify the EWS URL is accessible
Check firewall settings
Ensure DNS resolution works
Test connectivity using a browser

Best Practices

Validate mail objects: Always verify mail object has ID and attachments before saving
Check attachments: Filter emails with attachments to avoid unnecessary operations
Error handling: Implement Try-Catch blocks for robust automation
Directory organization: Use logical folder structures (by date, sender, type)
File naming: Let the node handle duplicate names automatically
Batch processing: Process emails in manageable batches
Delay between operations: Add delays when processing many emails
Disk space: Monitor available disk space for large attachments
Logging: Track saved files for audit and troubleshooting
File validation: Verify saved files after download

Attachment Processing Workflow

// 1. Retrieve emails with Get Mail
exchange_url = "https://mail.company.com/EWS/Exchange.asmx"
mail_folder = "Inbox"
number_of_messages = 20

// Get Mail node
// Only Unread Mails: true
emails = message.Result

// 2. Filter emails with attachments
emails_with_attachments = emails.filter(email =>
    email.Attachments && email.Attachments.length > 0
)

console.log(`Found ${emails_with_attachments.length} emails with attachments`)

// 3. Process each email
base_save_path = "C:\\Downloads\\ProcessedAttachments"

for (email of emails_with_attachments) {
    try {
        // Log attachment info
        console.log(`Processing email: ${email.Subject}`)
        console.log(`Attachments: ${email.Attachments.map(a => a.Name).join(", ")}`)

        // Organize by date
        email_date = new Date(email.DateTime)
        date_folder = email_date.toISOString().split('T')[0]  // YYYY-MM-DD
        save_path = `${base_save_path}\\${date_folder}`

        // Save Attachments node
        // Exchange Web Service Url: exchange_url
        // Mail Object: email
        // Save Path: save_path

        saved_files = message.Result

        console.log(`Saved ${saved_files.length} files to: ${save_path}`)

        // 4. Process saved files
        for (file_path of saved_files) {
            const filename = require('path').basename(file_path)
            const ext = require('path').extname(file_path).toLowerCase()

            // Process based on file type
            if (ext === ".pdf") {
                // Process PDF
                console.log(`Processing PDF: ${filename}`)
            } else if (ext === ".xlsx" || ext === ".xls") {
                // Process Excel
                console.log(`Processing Excel: ${filename}`)
            } else {
                console.log(`File saved: ${filename}`)
            }
        }

        // Add delay to avoid throttling
        await delay(2000)

    } catch (error) {
        console.error(`Error processing email: ${error.message}`)
        // Log error but continue processing
    }
}

console.log("Attachment processing complete")

Get Mail - Retrieve emails using Get Mail node to obtain mail objects
Send Mail - Send emails with attachments using Send Mail node
File Processing - Process saved attachments with File System, Excel, PDF, or other package nodes
Data Extraction - Extract data from saved files for further processing

Common Properties​

Input​

Output​

Options​

How It Works​

Examples​

Save All Attachments from Email​

Organize Attachments by Sender​

Process Invoice Attachments​

Save Attachments with Date Organization​

Filter and Save Specific File Types​

Save and Archive Attachments​

Handle Large Attachments​

Extract Specific Attachment by Name​

Tips for Effective Use​

Common Errors and Solutions​

"ErrInvalidArg: Exchange Web Service Url cannot be empty"​

"ErrInvalidArg: Mail object cannot be null"​

"ErrInvalidArg: Save path cannot be empty"​

"ErrInvalidArg: Mail object has no ID"​

"ErrNoAttachments: Email has no attachments to save"​

"ErrFileSystem: Permission denied creating directory"​

"ErrFileSystem: Permission denied writing file"​

"ErrTransientData: Failed to bind email after 3 attempts"​

"ErrAttachmentLoad: Failed to load attachment after 3 attempts"​

"ErrConnection: Network error"​

Best Practices​

Attachment Processing Workflow​

Related Operations​

Common Properties

Input

Output

Options

How It Works

Examples

Save All Attachments from Email

Organize Attachments by Sender

Process Invoice Attachments

Save Attachments with Date Organization

Filter and Save Specific File Types

Save and Archive Attachments

Handle Large Attachments

Extract Specific Attachment by Name

Tips for Effective Use

Common Errors and Solutions

"ErrInvalidArg: Exchange Web Service Url cannot be empty"

"ErrInvalidArg: Mail object cannot be null"

"ErrInvalidArg: Save path cannot be empty"

"ErrInvalidArg: Mail object has no ID"

"ErrNoAttachments: Email has no attachments to save"

"ErrFileSystem: Permission denied creating directory"

"ErrFileSystem: Permission denied writing file"

"ErrTransientData: Failed to bind email after 3 attempts"

"ErrAttachmentLoad: Failed to load attachment after 3 attempts"

"ErrConnection: Network error"

Best Practices

Attachment Processing Workflow

Related Operations