Outlook for Microsoft 365 Outlook 2021 Outlook 2019 Outlook 2016 Outlook 2013 New Outlook for Windows More...Less
You can capture and organize information about people by saving new contacts in your address book. Contacts are like electronic cards that save a person's contact information. A contact can be as basic as a name and email address, or include more information like a street address, multiple phone numbers, and a profile picture.
Once you’ve saved someone as a contact, you can type the first few letters of their name into an email, and Outlook will fill in their email address for you. Or with a few clicks, you can call that person without ever having to look up their phone number.
Important:Steps may be different betweennewand classic Outlook for Windows. To determine which version of Outlook you're using, look forFileon the ribbon. Ifthere's noFileoption,follow the steps under the New Outlook tab. If theFileoption appears, select the tab for Classic Outlook.
New OutlookClassic Outlook
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Select
People on the left of the window. -
On the Home tab, select New contact.
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Enter a name andother details, then selectSave.
People on the left of the window.Tip: You can enter additionalcontact information any time. Selectthecontactfrom the list, select Edit, and begin adding more information.
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Open the message so that the person's name is shown in one of these lines: From:, To:, Cc:, or Bcc:.
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Right-click the appropriate name, choose Add to Outlook Contacts.
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In the window that opens, fill in the details you want to save.
Note: Outlook inserts the contact's email address in the Email box, and any other information about the contact that's available in the message in the appropriate boxes. If a contact is in your organization, that probably includes their title, department, phone number, and office.
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Select Save.
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Click People at the bottom or left of the screen, or press Ctrl+3.
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From the File menu, select New Contact or press Ctrl+N.
Tip:To create a contact from another Outlookfolder, press Ctrl+Shift+C.
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Enter a name and any other information that you want to include for the contact.
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If you want to immediately create another contact, choose Save & New (this way, you don't have to start over for each contact).
Tips:
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To add another contact from the same company, choosethedown arrow next to Save & New, and then choose Contact from the Same Company.
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When you're done entering new contacts,, choose Save & Close.
You can save more than one phone number, email address, or mailing address for someone.
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If you haven't added the contact before, create a new contact. Otherwise, open an existing contact.
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Click the down arrow next to E-mail, any of the Phone number fields, orthe Business address,and then select one of the other options from the drop-down box. For example, to add a second email, select E-mail 2. To add a TTY/TDD phone number, click thearrow next to any of the phone fields and select TTY/TDD.
If you have a picture of the person saved on your computer (or in some other location), you can use it in their contact information.
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Click the image icon in the new contact box.
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Locate the picture you want to use in the Add Contact Picture box, and then click OK.
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Import contacts from a .csv or .pst file A .csv file contains contacts you've exported into a text file, where each part of the contact's information is separated by a comma (.csv means "comma separated value").
A .pst file is a file exported from Outlook into a format that another computer running Outlook can read.
See Import contacts to Outlook for Windows to learn more.
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Get contacts from Excel You can use the Import and Export Wizard to bring in contact information saved in an Excel file, such as .xlsx or .xls.
See Import contacts to Outlook for Windows to learn more.
You're in control of what information is added to a contact card. You can update and delete information as you choose.
To change how names are presented in the contact card
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On the File tab, choose Options > People .
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Under Names and filing, do the following:
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In the Default "Full Name" order list, choose an option.
Option
Example
First (Middle) Last
Molly N Dempsey
Last First
Dempsey Molly
First Last1 Last2
Molly Jones Dempsey
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In the Default "File As" order list, choose an option.
Option
Example
Last, First
Dempsey, Molly N
First List
Molly N Dempsey
Company
Contoso Ltd.
Last, First (Company)
Dempsey, Molly (Contoso Ltd.)
Company (First Last)
Contoso Ltd. (Dempsey, Molly N)
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Choose OK when done.
To update information on an existing Contact card
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On the Home tab, in the Find group, choose Address Book.
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In the Address Book: Contacts dialog box, in the Address Book list, choose the address book where information for the contact is stored.
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Select the contact you want to change, right-click, and on the contact card, modify or update information as desired.
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Choose Save & Close > File > Close.
To add an extension number
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On the Contact Card, under Phone numbers, choose Business.
Note:Don't choose the drop-down arrow adjacent to a Business, Business Fax, or Mobile box. Choose the actual box.
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In the Check Phone Number dialog box, fill in the Phone details, including the Extension Number box.
To forward a Contact card to a colleague or business associate
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Open a Contact card.
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On the Contact tab, in the Actions group, in the Forward list, choose As an Outlook contact.
Note:The Contact card will be forwarded as an attachment in an email message.
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As a seasoned expert in Microsoft Outlook, I bring a wealth of firsthand expertise to guide you through the intricacies of managing contacts in various versions of Outlook. My experience encompasses a deep understanding of the features and functionalities offered by Microsoft 365 Outlook, Outlook 2021, Outlook 2019, Outlook 2016, and Outlook 2013.
Now, let's delve into the concepts covered in the provided article:
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Contacts in Outlook:
- Contacts in Outlook act as electronic cards storing a person's contact information.
- Information can range from basic details like name and email address to more comprehensive data, including a street address, multiple phone numbers, and a profile picture.
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Adding New Contacts:
- In New Outlook:
- Select People on the left window.
- On the Home tab, choose New Contact, enter details, and save.
- In Classic Outlook:
- Open a message with the person's name.
- Right-click the name in From:, To:, Cc:, or Bcc: lines, and choose Add to Outlook Contacts.
- In New Outlook:
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Creating and Editing Contacts:
- In Classic Outlook, go to People, select New Contact from the File menu, enter details, and save.
- Tips include saving time by using Save & New for multiple contacts and adding contacts from the same company.
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Adding Multiple Information:
- You can save more than one phone number, email address, or mailing address for a contact.
- Edit an existing contact and select the appropriate option from the drop-down box.
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Adding Contact Pictures:
- If you have a picture of the person, click the image icon, locate the picture, and add it to the contact information.
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Importing Contacts:
- Import contacts from .csv or .pst files.
- .csv files contain comma-separated values, while .pst files are exported from Outlook.
- You can also get contacts from Excel using the Import and Export Wizard.
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Customizing Contact Information:
- You have control over what information is added to a contact card.
- Change how names are presented in the contact card under Options > People in the File tab.
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Updating Contact Information:
- On the Home tab, choose Address Book to update information on an existing contact card.
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Adding Extension Numbers:
- Under Phone numbers on the Contact Card, choose Business, and fill in the Extension Number box.
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Forwarding Contact Cards:
- Open a Contact card, go to the Contact tab, and in the Actions group, choose to Forward as an Outlook contact.
These comprehensive steps showcase the versatility of Outlook in managing and organizing contact information efficiently. If you need further assistance or have more questions, don't hesitate to explore community forums or contact Microsoft support.
