Set Up Scan to Email and Scan to Network Folder on HP MFPs

In a busy office, the scanner on your MFP is only useful if a scan lands where people need it. HP LaserJet Pro and Enterprise MFPs with a network port — such as the M428fdn, M426dn, M227fdn and the Enterprise Flow M527 — can scan straight to an email address or a shared folder from the control panel, with no PC software. The exact menu names vary a little between models, but the steps are the same.

Before you start

• The MFP must be on the office network by Ethernet or Wi-Fi. Find its IP address on the control panel or by printing a configuration page.
• Reserve that IP on the router (DHCP reservation) so it never changes.
• Open a browser on a PC on the same network and type the IP address — this opens the printer's Embedded Web Server (EWS). If it asks for a password, it is often on a sticker on the printer or set by whoever installed it.
• Check the date and time on the printer are correct; secure email servers can reject a printer with a wrong clock.

Scan to Email (Gmail or company email)

• Find the email settings in the EWS. On newer LaserJet Pro models such as the M428 they are under Home → Scan to Email → Outgoing Email Settings; on older Pro models such as the M426 and M227 look in the Scan tab for Scan to E-mail Setup; on Enterprise models, under Scan / Digital Send → Email Setup.
• Add an outgoing email (SMTP) profile. For Gmail: server smtp.gmail.com, port 465 with SSL (HP's own guides suggest this) or 587 with TLS, tick 'Always use secure connection (SSL/TLS)', and turn on login authentication.
• User name: the full Gmail address. Password: a Google app password, not your Gmail password. Create one at your Google Account → Security → 2-Step Verification → App passwords (2-Step Verification must be on).
• For company email on cPanel, Outlook or Microsoft 365, use the SMTP server and port your email provider gives you. Microsoft 365 often needs SMTP AUTH enabled for that mailbox by the admin.
• Set the default From address, subject and file type (PDF is best for documents), then add the addresses people scan to most into the printer's address book.
• Click Test or send a scan from the control panel: Scan → Scan to E-mail.

Scan to Network Folder (a shared PC folder)

• On the Windows PC that will receive scans, create a folder such as C:\Scans.
• Make sure the PC has a Windows user with a password. Windows will not let the printer write to a share using an account with no password; many offices create a local user named 'scanner' just for this.
• Right-click the folder → Properties → Sharing → Advanced Sharing → Share this folder. Click Permissions and give that user Change and Read; check the Security tab gives the same user Modify.
• Note the PC's name (Settings → System → About) — the path is \\PC-NAME\Scans. Using the PC's fixed IP instead (\\192.168.1.20\Scans) also works.
• In the printer's EWS, add a network-folder Quick Set — on the M428 it is Settings → Control Panel Customization → Quick Sets → Add, type Scan to Network Folder; on older models, Scan → Network Folder Setup. Enter the path, the Windows user name (as PC-NAME\scanner if the PC is not on a domain) and the password, and click Test.
• Choose the file type and resolution — PDF at 200–300 dpi is right for most office documents (our scan to PDF guide explains why).

When it doesn't work

Older or smaller MFPs may only scan to a PC through HP's software, or support only an old version of the Windows file-sharing protocol that Windows 10 and 11 switch off by default. If the Scan tab in the web page has no network-folder option, or the folder test fails with a correct path and password, use Scan to Email or scan through HP Scan on the PC instead. A firmware update from HP's support site sometimes adds newer protocol support.

Which MFP for an office that scans a lot?

For a small office, the HP LaserJet Pro MFP M428fdn has a 50-sheet single-pass duplex document feeder, scan to email and Gigabit Ethernet. The M426dn is the cheaper predecessor. For a busy office or a bank branch, the Enterprise Flow MFP M527 scans both sides in one pass from a 100-sheet feeder. For heavy digitising with no printing, a dedicated scanner is faster — see best document scanners. We set up scan to email and scan to folder at delivery in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.