Open Outlook: Launch your Outlook application
Posted: Thu May 22, 2025 10:23 am
This is arguably the most critical step. A well-formatted CSV file will save you headaches later.
Export Contacts from Your Source: Go to your current email client or contact management system and look for an "Export" or "Backup" option for your contacts. Choose the CSV format.
Open and Review Your CSV (Optional but Recommended): Open the exported CSV file in a spreadsheet program like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.
Header Row: Ensure the first row contains clear headings for each column (e.g., "First Name," "Last Name," "Email Address," "Phone Number," "Company," etc.). Outlook's import wizard will use these to map your data.
Data Consistency: Check for inconsistencies. Are all phone numbers in the same format? Are email addresses correctly entered? Clean up any obvious errors.
Separate Columns: Ideally, your data should be in separate columns (e.g., "First germany phone number list Name" and "Last Name" in individual columns, not combined). If they are combined, you might need to use Excel's "Text to Columns" feature.
Save as CSV (UTF-8): When saving, ensure you select "CSV (Comma delimited)" or "CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited)" to avoid character encoding issues, especially if you have international contacts.
Step 2: Initiate the Import Process in Outlook
Go to File > Open & Export > Import/Export: This will open the "Import and Export Wizard."
Choose "Import from another program or file": Click "Next."
Select "Comma Separated Values": Click "Next."
Step 3: Locate Your CSV File
Browse: Click "Browse" and navigate to the location where you saved your prepared CSV file.
Choose an Option for Duplicates:
Replace duplicates with items imported: If you're updating existing contacts, this is a good choice.
Allow duplicates to be created: If you're consolidating lists and don't mind having multiple entries for the same contact, choose this.
Do not import duplicate items: Useful if you want to avoid redundancy.
Recommendation: For most initial imports, "Allow duplicates to be created" is safest, allowing you to manually clean up later if needed.
Click "Next."
Step 4: Select Your Destination Folder
Choose "Contacts": In the folder list, select the "Contacts" folder within your desired Outlook data file (e.g., your primary Outlook data file, usually labeled "Outlook Data File" or with your email address).
Click "Next."
Export Contacts from Your Source: Go to your current email client or contact management system and look for an "Export" or "Backup" option for your contacts. Choose the CSV format.
Open and Review Your CSV (Optional but Recommended): Open the exported CSV file in a spreadsheet program like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.
Header Row: Ensure the first row contains clear headings for each column (e.g., "First Name," "Last Name," "Email Address," "Phone Number," "Company," etc.). Outlook's import wizard will use these to map your data.
Data Consistency: Check for inconsistencies. Are all phone numbers in the same format? Are email addresses correctly entered? Clean up any obvious errors.
Separate Columns: Ideally, your data should be in separate columns (e.g., "First germany phone number list Name" and "Last Name" in individual columns, not combined). If they are combined, you might need to use Excel's "Text to Columns" feature.
Save as CSV (UTF-8): When saving, ensure you select "CSV (Comma delimited)" or "CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited)" to avoid character encoding issues, especially if you have international contacts.
Step 2: Initiate the Import Process in Outlook
Go to File > Open & Export > Import/Export: This will open the "Import and Export Wizard."
Choose "Import from another program or file": Click "Next."
Select "Comma Separated Values": Click "Next."
Step 3: Locate Your CSV File
Browse: Click "Browse" and navigate to the location where you saved your prepared CSV file.
Choose an Option for Duplicates:
Replace duplicates with items imported: If you're updating existing contacts, this is a good choice.
Allow duplicates to be created: If you're consolidating lists and don't mind having multiple entries for the same contact, choose this.
Do not import duplicate items: Useful if you want to avoid redundancy.
Recommendation: For most initial imports, "Allow duplicates to be created" is safest, allowing you to manually clean up later if needed.
Click "Next."
Step 4: Select Your Destination Folder
Choose "Contacts": In the folder list, select the "Contacts" folder within your desired Outlook data file (e.g., your primary Outlook data file, usually labeled "Outlook Data File" or with your email address).
Click "Next."