Outlook attachments showing in body of email rather than attached to it

This is a worthless reply. We can get wrong answers from GenAI on our own, you don't need to share them with the world.

I asked AI an told me to do this (problem solved, I changed it to plain text)

When Outlook is attaching files in the message body instead of the attachment field, it usually means the email is being composed in Rich Text Format (RTF). This format can embed attachments directly in the body, often making them appear as icons within the text.

✅ Solution: Change the Email Format to HTML or Plain Text

Here’s how you can fix it:

📌 For a Single Email:

1. Open the email you're composing.
2. Click Format Text on the ribbon.
3. In the Format section, select HTML or Plain Text.

📌 To Change the Default Format for All Emails:

1. Open Outlook.
2. Go to File > Options.
3. Select Mail from the left panel.
4. Under Compose messages, find Compose messages in this format:
5. Choose HTML or Plain Text from the dropdown.
6. Click OK.

Why This Happens

• RTF format supports embedded objects, which is why attachments appear inside the message body.
• Most modern email clients prefer HTML format for compatibility and consistency.

Once you switch to HTML or Plain Text, attachments will go to the proper Attachments section of the email.

Let me know if you need help changing this in a specific version of Outlook (e.g., Outlook 365, Outlook 2019, Web, etc.).:

You are most Welcome Jerry,

Have a good one :)

Best regards,

David

Thanks for that. To me it was not an obvious solution. I don't think that I had previously changed it to Aa Rich Text.

Best regards,

Jerry

Open a new mail -> Format Text -> switch select "Aa HTML" instead of "Aa Rich Text"