Which type of file can be automatically sent as an email attachment from excel?

In some cases, you may need to send a worksheet as a PDF file through Outlook. Usually, you have to manually save the worksheet as a PDF file, then create a new email with this PDF file as attachment in your Outlook and finally send it. It is time-consuming to achieve it manually step by step. In this article, we will show you how to quickly save a worksheet as a PDF file and send it automatically as an attachment through Outlook in Excel.

Save a worksheet as PDF file and email it as an attachment with VBA code

Save a worksheet as PDF file and email it as an attachment with VBA code

You can run the below VBA code to automatically save active worksheet as a PDF file, and then email it as an attachment through Outlook. Please do as follows.

1. Open the worksheet you will save as PDF and send, then press the Alt + F11 keys simultaneously to open the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window.

2. In the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window, click Insert > Module. Then copy and paste the below VBA code into the Code window. See screenshot:

VBA code: Save a worksheet as PDF file and email it as an attachment

Sub Saveaspdfandsend()
Dim xSht As Worksheet
Dim xFileDlg As FileDialog
Dim xFolder As String
Dim xYesorNo As Integer
Dim xOutlookObj As Object
Dim xEmailObj As Object
Dim xUsedRng As Range

Set xSht = ActiveSheet
Set xFileDlg = Application.FileDialog(msoFileDialogFolderPicker)

If xFileDlg.Show = True Then
   xFolder = xFileDlg.SelectedItems(1)
Else
   MsgBox "You must specify a folder to save the PDF into." & vbCrLf & vbCrLf & "Press OK to exit this macro.", vbCritical, "Must Specify Destination Folder"
   Exit Sub
End If
xFolder = xFolder + "\" + xSht.Name + ".pdf"

'Check if file already exist
If Len(Dir(xFolder)) > 0 Then
    xYesorNo = MsgBox(xFolder & " already exists." & vbCrLf & vbCrLf & "Do you want to overwrite it?", _
                      vbYesNo + vbQuestion, "File Exists")
    On Error Resume Next
    If xYesorNo = vbYes Then
        Kill xFolder
    Else
        MsgBox "if you don't overwrite the existing PDF, I can't continue." _
                    & vbCrLf & vbCrLf & "Press OK to exit this macro.", vbCritical, "Exiting Macro"
        Exit Sub
    End If
    If Err.Number <> 0 Then
        MsgBox "Unable to delete existing file.  Please make sure the file is not open or write protected." _
                    & vbCrLf & vbCrLf & "Press OK to exit this macro.", vbCritical, "Unable to Delete File"
        Exit Sub
    End If
End If

Set xUsedRng = xSht.UsedRange
If Application.WorksheetFunction.CountA(xUsedRng.Cells) <> 0 Then
    'Save as PDF file 
    xSht.ExportAsFixedFormat Type:=xlTypePDF, Filename:=xFolder, Quality:=xlQualityStandard
    
    'Create Outlook email 
    Set xOutlookObj = CreateObject("Outlook.Application")
    Set xEmailObj = xOutlookObj.CreateItem(0)
    With xEmailObj
        .Display
        .To = ""
        .CC = ""
        .Subject = xSht.Name + ".pdf"
        .Attachments.Add xFolder
        If DisplayEmail = False Then
            '.Send
        End If
    End With
Else
  MsgBox "The active worksheet cannot be blank"
  Exit Sub
End If
End Sub

3. Press the F5 key to run the code. In the Browse dialog box, please select a folder to save this PDF file, and then click the OK button.

Notes:

1. Now the active worksheet is saved as PDF file. And the PDF file is named with the worksheet name.

2. If the active worksheet is blank, you will get a dialog box as below screenshot shown after clicking the OK button.

4. Now a new Outlook email is created and you can see the PDF file is listed as an attachment in the Attached filed. See screenshot:

5. Please compose this email and then send it.

6. This code is only available when you use Outlook as your mail program.

Related articles:

• How to save an Excel filename with timestamp?
• How to use Save As function to automatically overwriting existing file in Excel?
• How to save, export multiple/all sheets to separate csv or text files in Excel?
• How to disable or do not allow Save & Save As options in Excel?
• How to disable workbook save but only allow save as in Excel?

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