Skill: export-cache-to-olm

Description

Drive Classic Outlook for Mac (not "New Outlook") via AppleScript to export an .olm archive from the local profile cache, enabling offline processing without live account credentials.

Environment

• •OS: macOS
• •Requirements:
  • •Classic Outlook for Mac installed and able to open the profile
  • •osascript available
  • •User must grant automation permissions if prompted

Capabilities

• •Initiates an Outlook export of:
  • •All mail items, or
  • •A specified folder hierarchy (optional extension)
• •Saves resulting .olm to a specified target directory.

Tools

Tool: export_outlook_profile_to_olm

• •Type: shell
• •Entry point: osascript export_to_olm.scpt
• •Arguments:
  • •exportPath (POSIX path string) – folder where the .olm should be saved.
• •Output:
  • •Path to the generated .olm file (printed to stdout).

Example implementation (export_to_olm.scpt)

on run argv
    if (count of argv) is 0 then
        error "exportPath argument required"
    end if
    set exportFolder to POSIX file (item 1 of argv) as alias

    tell application "Microsoft Outlook"
        activate
        -- This uses the built-in Export UI; fully headless export is limited.
        display dialog "Outlook export will start. Choose 'Items of the following types' and continue." buttons {"OK"} default button "OK"
    end tell

    -- NOTE: A fully automated export (without UI) is not officially documented.
    -- In practice, human-in-the-loop interaction with Outlook's Export wizard
    -- is usually required to create the .olm file at exportFolder.
end run

(You can replace the dialog flow with a more aggressive UI scripting sequence if your environment allows it.)

Usage

• •Agent calls export_outlook_profile_to_olm to instruct the user and trigger Outlook's export wizard.
• •After the user completes the wizard and selects exportPath, the agent scans that folder for newly created .olm files.

References

• •Official export instructions for Outlook for Mac using the Export to Archive File (.olm) wizard: [https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/export-items-to-an-archive-file-in-outlook-for-mac-281a62bf-cc42-46b1-9ad5-6bda80ca3108]
• •Microsoft notes that Outlook for Mac is a locally cached email client and exports from that cache to .olm files.

Citation IDs

• •[web:2] Export items to an archive file in Outlook for Mac - Microsoft Support
• •[web:18] Outlook for Mac is a locally cached email client - Microsoft Learn
• •[web:84] Manually export Outlook for Mac emails/archive - Nucleus Technologies