Outlook is one of the most widely used email providers. Apart from Outlook there are other email providers like Gmail as well which are popular as well. In case you are migrating to any other email provider, it is always a good idea to export all your contacts as well as other data from Outlook.
This article will tell you about all the different ways you can export the contacts from Outlook and create a backup of the same. Once you export the contacts, you can import it to an Excel sheet, Google Docs, or any other place. Read on to know more about exporting contacts from Outlook in detail.
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Why should you Export Contacts from Outlook?
There are several reasons why you may want to export contacts from Outlook. A few of these reasons are listed below.
1. Backup and Data Security
When you export your contacts from Outlook, you are basically creating a backup. This way, if anything goes wrong with your Outlook account, you can easily restore all your essential contacts from the backup you created by importing it to the new account.
2. Convenient to Share Contacts
Exporting your contacts from Outlook will make it easier for you to share it with others when needed. It is useful in a scenario wherein you are busy, and someone needs some of your contacts, you can just export the contacts and share them.
3. Offline Access
When your contacts are in Outlook, you will always need a stable internet connection to access them. However, when you export your contacts from Outlook to your computer, you can access it anytime you want without the need for an internet connection.
How to Export Contacts From Outlook?
The method to export contacts from Outlook is dependent on the version of Outlook app you are using. Each of these methods are explained below.
Export contacts from Outlook 2010
- Launch the Outlook app and click on ‘File’
- Go to ‘Options’ and click on ‘Advanced’
- Select ‘Export’ and then click on ‘Export to a file’
- After that, click on ‘Next’
- Choose ‘Comma Separated Values’ and tap ‘Next’
- Go to ‘Personal Folders’, select ‘Contacts’, and click on ‘Next’
- Click on ‘Browse’ and specify the location where you want this file to be saved
- Give a name to your file and click on ‘OK’
- After that, click on ‘Next’ and then on ‘Finish’
Export contacts from Outlook 2013 & 2016
- Open the Outlook app and go to ‘File’
- From the menu on the left side, select ‘Open & Export’
- After that, click on ‘Import/Export’
- From the given list, click on ‘Export to a file’
- Now click on ‘Next’
- Choose ‘Comma Separated Values’ and select ‘Next’
- Now go to ‘Personal Folders’, choose ‘Contacts’, and tap ‘Next’
- Select ‘Browse’ and select the location where you want to save the file
- Name your file and click on ‘OK’
- After that, click on ‘Next’ and then on ‘Finish’
Export Contacts from Outlook 365
- Open Outlook 365 app on your computer and click on ‘Application’
- Click on the ‘People’ icon from the given menu
- Select ‘Manage’ and then click on ‘Export Contacts’
- Click on ‘All Contacts’ or you can even select the specific contacts you wish to export
- Once done, click on ‘Export’
Copy and Paste Contacts from Outlook to Excel
If you want to keep your Outlook contacts in a more organized way, you can copy and paste them to Microsoft Excel. You can transfer your Outlook contacts to Excel in the following way.
- Launch the Outlook app and click on the ‘People’ icon
- From your Outlook address book, go to ‘Current View’, and select ‘List’
- Collapse all the contact fields which you do not want.
- Copy all the contacts you want.
- After that, launch ‘Excel’ and paste the copied contacts there.
How to Export Contacts from Outlook Online?
You can even export contacts from your Outlook app online in the following way.
- Open any web browser on your computer and navigate to www.outlook.com
- Use your Microsoft credentials to sign in
- Click on the ‘People’ icon
- Select ‘Manage’ and then click on ‘Export Contacts’
- Click on ‘All Contacts’ You can even select specific contacts if you do not want to export all the contacts.
- Once done, click on ‘Export’
How to Export Contacts from Outlook on Mac?
If you are using a Macbook, you can follow the below steps to export contacts from Outlook to your Macbook.
- Launch the Outlook app and click on ‘File’
- From the menu, click on ‘Export’
- Check only the ‘Contacts’ option and click on ‘Continue’
- Click on ‘Browse’, select the location where you want to save the contacts and click on ‘Save’
- After that, click on ‘Finish’
Export Contacts from Outlook-FAQs
A. If you want to export contacts from Outlook to a file, go to ‘File’, and select ‘Import/Export’. After that, click on ‘Export to a file’ and follow the steps given on the screen to export your Outlook contacts to an Excel or CSV file.
A. Yes, you can specifically choose whichever contacts you want to export from Outlook.
A. You can export contacts from Outlook in multiple formats, including Excel, CSV (Comma Separated Values), and PST (Outlook Data File).
A. Yes, just by first exporting the Outlook contacts in CSV or other similar file and then importing them to the email service provider of your choice.
A. No, you cannot schedule automatic export of contacts in Outlook. Only manual contacts export can be performed whenever required.
Conclusion
Exporting Outlook contacts is a crucial step when you are trying to create a backup of your contacts or changing your email service provider. This article explains the different ways in which you can export Outlook contacts. The method you use to export the contacts depends on the Outlook version you are using. This way you will always have all your essential contacts with you even if your Outlook account gets hacked or malfunctions. You can use the above methods of Outlook contacts transfer irrespective of whether you are using a Windows computer or MacBook.
