How to Get a Forgotten-Attachment Reminder in Gmail

All you need to do is say the magic words

By
Heinz Tschabitscher
Heinz Tschabitscher
Heinz Tschabitscher
Writer
  • University of Vienna
A former freelance contributor who has reviewed hundreds of email programs and services since 1997.
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Updated on May 28, 2021

What to Know

  • You will receive a reminder if you type a certain phrase in the body of your email.
  • Phrases include: I have attached, I've attached, I have included, I've included, See the attached, See the attachment, and Attached file.

The web interface of Gmail prompts you to include an attachment if you mention one within the body of your message but do not include one with the email.

How to Receive a Forgotten-Attachment Reminder

To get an alert from Gmail when you promise a file in your message but fail to attach any files, include the following phrases in the body of your message:

  • I have attached
  • I've attached
  • I have included
  • I've included
  • See the attached
  • See the attachment
  • Attached file

That's it — no special settings or configurations. Gmail parses the messages and automatically flags when you've used a magic phrase without a file attachment.

Gmail window with missing attachment message displayed.

We prepared a step-by-step walk-through about sending attachments with Gmail in case you'd welcome a refresher.

When you use Gmail with an email program like Microsoft Outlook or iOS Mail, the email program (and not Gmail) takes accountability for attachments. Although modern versions of Outlook do prompt similarly to Gmail, many don't, so you can't rely on Gmail's service alone unless you're using it directly on the web or in a dedicated Gmail mobile app.

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