A computer-implemented method for email journaling may include (1) maintaining, by a journaling mail server, a cache that associates together an update sequence number that indicates a version of an email distribution list and email addresses that are both designated as targets for journaling and included within the version of the email distribution list identified by the update sequence number, (2) receiving, by the server, an email that includes, within at least one header field, a candidate update sequence number and an email distribution list identifier, (3) determining that the update sequence number in the cache is a match for the candidate update sequence number in the header field, and (4) identifying, based on the match between the update sequence number and the candidate update sequence number, the email addresses specified in the cache as the targets for journaling. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.