Analyze Attachment Volume Across Your Mailboxes

Message attachments demand constant attention from email administrators. They consume significant storage space and create security risks when exchanging files with external contacts. While you cannot generate reports on attachment traffic patterns, you can measure attachment volume by file type and even list individual attachments stored in mailboxes. The Message Attachments report in the Mailbox Content category provides exactly this capability.

Understanding Dynamic Mailbox Scanning

Required Permissions

The Message Attachments report is a "dynamic" report that scans mailbox contents in real-time using Exchange Web Services (EWS) APIs. Running this report requires specific authorizations:

• Exchange on-premises: Grant the Exchange ApplicationImpersonation role to the Promodag account
• Office 365 (certificate authentication): Grant full_access_as_app authorization to the Promodag application published in Microsoft Entra ID

The Promodag Reports help file provides detailed instructions for assigning these permissions.

Performance Considerations

Dynamic reports open each selected mailbox and analyze Outlook items on the fly—without using the database. This approach means slower execution times, so strategic scoping becomes essential.

Optimize Your Attachment Analysis

Target Specific Mailboxes

Focus on "problem" mailboxes rather than scanning your entire organization. Prioritize the largest mailboxes or those suspected of containing excessive attachments. This targeted approach dramatically reduces scan time while delivering the insights you need.

Apply Smart Filters

Use the Filter tab to narrow your search criteria. For example, retrieve only:

• Attachments from messages older than one year
• Specific file extensions (e.g., .pst, .zip, .mp4)
• Files exceeding a certain size threshold

Select Relevant Folders

Choose specific folders to scan rather than analyzing entire mailboxes. Focus on high-volume folders like:

• Inbox
• Sent Items
• Specific project folders

This selective scanning significantly reduces report execution time.