Add a Contact (Outlook for Windows)

Export Contacts (Outlook for Windows)

Import Contacts (Outlook for Windows)

Contacts can be imported into Outlook from other applications or from exported Outlook contacts. These instructions assume that you have already exported the contacts from another application, such as a web client, Excel spreadsheet, or database application.

1. Click the File tab.

2. Click Open.

3. Click Import.

4. Click Import from another program or file and then click Next.

5. Under Select the file type to import, click the file type of file you want to import, and then click Next.
   The most commonly-used option is Comma Separated Values (Windows), also known as a CSV file. If you are importing contacts that were previously exported from Outlook to an Outlook Data File (.pst), click Outlook Data File (.pst).

6. Under File to import, click Browse, select the file that you want to import, and then click OK.

7. In the Import a File dialog box, under Options, choose one of the following:

   • Replace duplicates with items imported — If an Outlook contact already exists, it is replaced by the information that you are importing.

   • Allow duplicates to be created — If an Outlook contact already exists, the imported contact is created as a second contact.

   • Do not import duplicate items — If an Outlook contact already exists, the information for the imported contact is not imported.

8. Click Next.

9. In the Import a File dialog box, under Select destination folder, choose a destination folder for the imported contacts, and then click Next. The folder for imported contacts is usually the Contacts folder unless you have multiple accounts, or have created multiple contact folders for an account.

10. Click Finish.

Create a Contact Group/Contact List

A contact group is a personal grouping of email addresses collected under one name. A message sent to a contact group goes to all recipients that are listed in the group. You can include contact groups in messages, task requests, meeting requests, and in other contact groups.

Contact groups reside within your personal Microsoft 365 account and aren’t shared with others.

Outlook for Windows

1. Enter the Contacts interface of Outlook.

2. Click New Contact Group.

3. In the Name box, type a name for the contact group.

4. Under the Contact Group tab, click Add Members, and then click From Outlook Contacts, From Address Book, or New Email Contact.

5. If you are adding a new email contact, enter the information for this person in the Add New Member dialog box. If you are adding a member from Outlook Contacts or an Address Book, do the following:
   
   

   1. In the Address Book drop-down list, click the address book that contains the email address that you want to include in your contact group.

   2. In the list of names, click the names that you want, and then click Members. You can add names from different address books to the same contact group.

6. Do this for each person whom you want to add to the contact group, and then click OK.

The contact group is saved in your Contacts folder under the name that you gave it.

Additional Resources

• Outlook Help & Learning

• Using contacts (People) in Outlook on the web - Microsoft Support