How to Send a Fax Through Your Email Account

The basic method: email-to-fax gateways

You send a fax through email by using a fax gateway service — a company that converts your email into a fax and delivers it to a fax machine. You write an email to a special address (usually something like 5551234567@faxgateway.com), attach your document, and the service sends it as a fax to that phone number. The recipient sees it arrive on their fax machine, not in their email.

This works because fax machines and email live on different networks. A fax gateway sits between them and translates. You do not need a fax machine, a phone line, or fax software on your computer. You only need an email account and a document you can attach.

The address format matters. Most gateways use the phone number as the first part of the address. If you are sending to 555-123-4567, you would send to 5551234567@faxgateway.com (no dashes, no spaces). Some gateways add a country code at the start, like 15551234567@faxgateway.com for a US number. Check your gateway's instructions for the exact format.

Key Takeaways

• Email-to-fax gateways convert your email attachment into a fax and send it to a phone number instead of an email address.
• You address the email to a special address built from the recipient's fax phone number and the gateway's domain name.
• Most gateways charge per fax or offer monthly plans, and free services usually limit pages or add watermarks.
• Your document must be in a format the gateway accepts — PDF, Word, or image files work on most services.
• The recipient receives the fax on their fax machine, not in their email, so they do not need to be online or check a computer.

Choosing between free and paid gateways

Free gateways exist but come with limits. Google's Gmail has a built-in fax feature (in the US only) that lets you send up to one fax per day at no cost, but you can only send to US numbers and the document must be under 10 MB. Fax.plus, eFax, and HelloFax all offer free trials or free tiers, but free accounts usually cap you at one or two faxes per month, add a watermark to the fax, or limit you to a certain number of pages.

Paid services run from about $5 to $20 per month for a plan that includes a set number of faxes (often 50 to 150 per month), or you can pay per fax — usually 25 cents to $1 per page. If you send faxes rarely, pay-per-fax is cheaper. If you send more than a few per month, a monthly plan saves money.

Some services also give you an incoming fax number so people can fax you back, and those faxes arrive in your email as PDF attachments. That feature costs extra on most platforms and is not necessary if you only need to send.

Setting up your first fax through Gmail

If you use Gmail and are in the United States, the fastest route is Gmail's built-in fax feature. Open Gmail, click the Compose button, and look for the three-dot menu (more options) in the bottom right of the compose window. Select "Fax" from the menu. A new field appears asking for the fax number.

Enter the fax number in the format 1-555-123-4567 or 5551234567 — Gmail accepts both. Attach your document (PDF works best), add a brief subject line if you want, and click Send. Gmail converts the attachment to a fax and sends it within a few minutes. You will see a confirmation message in your inbox.

Gmail's fax feature only works for US numbers and only if you have a Gmail account. If you use Outlook, Yahoo, or another email provider, you will need to use a third-party gateway instead.

Using a third-party fax gateway service

To send through a service like eFax or Fax.plus, start by creating an account on their website. You will need to provide your email address and choose a password. Some services ask for a phone number or payment method even for free trials, so read the signup page carefully.

Once you are logged in, look for a "Send Fax" or "New Fax" button. Enter the recipient's fax number, attach your document, and optionally add a cover page (most gateways let you type a short message that appears on the cover sheet). Click Send. The service converts your attachment and delivers it to the fax machine.

Different gateways have slightly different interfaces, but the core steps are the same: number, document, send. If you are unsure about the phone number format, most services show an example on the send page or let you click a help icon.

Document formats that work best

PDF is the safest choice because it looks the same on every computer and every fax machine. Word documents (.docx or .doc) work on most gateways but may format differently depending on fonts and spacing. Image files (JPG, PNG) work if you have already scanned a paper document, but they often come out blurry on the receiving end.

Keep file size under 10 MB — most gateways reject larger files. If you have a very long document, split it into two emails and send two faxes. Avoid sending files in formats like Excel spreadsheets or PowerPoint presentations unless the gateway specifically says it supports them; many do not.

Before you send, open your attachment and check that it looks correct. What you see on your screen is roughly what will appear on the fax machine, though faxes are lower resolution and may lose some detail in images or light colors.

What happens after you send

Most gateways send your fax within a few minutes, though during busy times it may take up to an hour. You will receive a confirmation email saying the fax was sent successfully, or an error message if something went wrong (usually a wrong number format or a file the service could not read).

The recipient's fax machine prints the fax automatically. They do not receive an email notification — the fax just appears in their machine's output tray. If the fax machine is off or out of paper, the fax may fail to deliver. Some gateways will retry automatically; others will send you an error message and ask you to try again.

Keep the confirmation email as proof that you sent the fax. If the recipient says they never got it, you can show them the timestamp and confirmation number from the gateway.

Troubleshooting common problems

If you get an error saying the number is invalid, check that you entered it correctly and in the format the gateway expects. Some gateways want dashes (555-123-4567), others want no dashes (5551234567), and international numbers need a country code at the start. The gateway's help page or the send form usually shows the correct format.

If the fax fails to send and you get no error message, the recipient's fax machine may be offline, out of paper, or full. Ask them to check their machine and try sending again. If it fails a second time, contact the gateway's support — they can sometimes see why the fax did not go through.

If the fax arrives but looks garbled or has missing pages, the document may have been too large or in a format the gateway had trouble reading. Try converting it to PDF, reducing the file size, or splitting it into smaller documents and sending multiple faxes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I send a fax to an international number?

Yes, but most gateways charge more for international faxes — sometimes double or triple the US rate. You must include the country code at the start of the number (for example, 44 for the United Kingdom). Check the gateway's pricing page to see which countries it supports and what the cost is.

Do I need to buy a fax machine or phone line?

No. Email-to-fax gateways work entirely through your email account. You do not need any hardware or a phone line. The gateway handles the conversion and delivery on its own.

What if I need to receive faxes too?

Most gateways offer a separate incoming fax number that you can give to other people. Faxes sent to that number arrive in your email as PDF attachments. This feature usually costs extra (around $10 to $20 per month) and is separate from sending faxes.

Is it safe to send sensitive documents through a fax gateway?

Most paid gateways encrypt your documents in transit and store them securely, but free services may not. If you are sending medical records, financial information, or other sensitive data, use a paid service with encryption, or check the gateway's privacy policy first.

Can I schedule a fax to send later?

Some gateways let you schedule faxes to send at a specific time or date, but not all. Check the send form or the service's feature list. If scheduling is not available, you can send the fax when ready and ask the recipient to disregard it if the timing matters.