PDF download Download Article PDF download Download Article

Do you need to send an email to a large list of email addresses on Outlook? If you have a directory of contacts in an Excel spreadsheet that you'd like to import to Outlook, you've come to the right place. This wikiHow article will teach you how to bulk import contacts to Outlook from Excel using a csv file.

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Saving your Contacts as a CSV File

PDF download Download Article
  1. In the Excel application, open the worksheet with the contacts you wish to import to Outlook.
    • Make sure that your spreadsheet columns are labeled "First Name," "Last Name," "Phone Number," "Email Address," etc. These labels will make the import process much more simple.
    • If you want to learn how to import contacts from Excel to a Microsoft Word mailing list, check out [( https://www.wikihow.com/Mail-Merge-in-Microsoft-Word ) this article.]
  2. At the very top of your spreadsheet, you will see an icon of a memory card with a pencil across it. Clicking on this icon will pull up the "Save as..." menu.
    • On a Mac computer, you can also access this menu by clicking File > Save as... in the bar at the top of your computer screen.
    Advertisement
  3. Open the "File Format" option list and click the option to save your spreadsheet as a CSV, or a .csv, which is a comma-separated values file. Once you have selected the CSV option, press "Save".
  4. Advertisement
Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Importing the CSV to Outlook

PDF download Download Article
  1. Enter the Outlook app on your computer.
    • You will need the Outlook app to import the CSV file, so download the app if you don't yet have it installed.
  2. In the menu at the top of your Outlook app, click "File", then "Open & Export," and then "Import / Export".
    • If you can't see the "File" option in the Outlook menu, be sure that you are using the application as opposed to the website. [1]
  3. Select the option to import data from another program or file, and then click "Next".
  4. Find and select the CSV file you exported from Excel from your computer documents.
  5. Below the CSV file, you will see a list of options relating to "duplicates". Duplicates are contacts that already exist in your Outlook. Make a selection from these options before clicking "Next".
    • The options of “Allow duplicates to be created” and “Do not import duplicate items” will not cause any contacts already in your Outlook to be lost. The option to “Replace duplicates with items imported” may cause you to lose some pre-existing Outlook contacts.
  6. In the next window, you will choose the import destination for the CSV file. "Contacts" should be automatically selected. Once you have ensured that this file will be imported to your contacts folder, click "Next".
  7. Advertisement
Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Mapping the CSV to the Outlook Contact Fields

PDF download Download Article
  1. This action will open the field-mapping menu, where you will match the columns of your CSV file with different fields of contact information.
  2. The column names from the CSV file you imported will be listed under "From". The Outlook contact fields will be listed under "To". Match up these values by dragging the titles from the left to the corresponding fields on the right. [2] Once you are done mapping these values, click "OK".
    • This process will be much easier if you labeled your spreadsheet columns with "Last Name", "First Name", "Email Address", and so on in before exporting it as a CSV file.
  3. Once you have clicked the "Finish" button, the contacts will be imported to your Outlook account.
    • You can access your list of contacts by clicking on the icon of people in the bottom Outlook menu.
  4. Advertisement

Expert Q&A

Ask a Question
      Advertisement

      Tips

      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

      About This Article

      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 19,499 times.

      Is this article up to date?

      Advertisement