How To Export Outlook Contacts to Excel?

Managing contacts efficiently is essential. Keeping all your contact info locked inside a single application can be limiting. Exporting your Outlook contacts a a.CSV file allows bulk editing, easy sharing, seamless migration to Google Contacts or CRM platforms. It can also be a reliable backups outside the Outlook ecosystem.

Here, we’ll cover two reliable export methods, compare features of both CSV and PST, highlight what data doesn’t transfer, and share pro tips to ensure nothing gets lost.

Why Export Outlook Contacts to Excel?

CSV Files are extremely compatible: CSV files are a simple, universal format that can be opened and edited by almost any program.

CSV files allow users to edit data in bulk: CSVs are plain text files in a spreadsheet format, you can easily manipulate the data before importing it, making them ideal for adding or editing a list of contacts.

CSV files allow easy sharing: It’s easy to share a CSV file with others or use it to transfer data between different email clients and services.

Exporting your Outlook contacts to Excel is a quick way to back them up, analyze them, or import them into another app (like CRM software or Google Contacts). The process works the same in-

• Outlook for Windows
• Mac
• Outlook on the web (Microsoft 365).

How To Export Outlook Contacts To Excel?

1. Open Outlook and Access the Import/Export Option-

• Open Microsoft Outlook and go to File.

• Select Open & Export, then choose Import/Export.

2. Select The Export To A File Option-

Choose the Export to a file option.

3. Select A File Type To Export Your Outlook Contacts To –

Select Comma Separated Values and click on Next.

4. Select The Contacts to Export –

Choose your email account, select Inbox, and click Next.

5. Export and save the File

Click on Browse… to choose a location and filename for saving Outlook contacts, then click on Finish.

Note: I would recommend you to avoid saving changes to the file after exporting, as this could corrupt it and prevent importing. If needed, you can export again to create a new file.

How To Import Contacts To Outlook?

1. Open Outlook and Access the Import/Export Option-

Open Microsoft Outlook and go to File. Select Open & Export, then choose Import/Export.

2. Select an Action to Perform-

Select the “Import from another program or file” option. I usually use this option to import Inbox to Outlook PST file or CSV file into Outlook.

3. Select A File Type To Import from-

Select the Comma Separated Values option if you plan to Import Your Outlook contacts from a PST/OST file.

4. Save Exported File

Click on Browse… and select the file to import from, then click on Next. Select Inbox. This will make sure all your imported contacts end up in your Outlook Inbox folder.

And that is how I manually transfer Outlook contacts using the import and export wizard in Outlook. Additionally, I would recommend that you back up your Outlook contacts.

How to transport Outlook Contacts from Outlook on the Web to Excel?

If you use Outlook Web, you can follow the steps to easily export your Outlook Contacts-

1. Sign in to Outlook on the web
2. Click the “People” icon to go to contacts
3. Click the People Icon
4. Check the box to select all contacts
5. Click “Manage Contacts” and choose “Export contacts”Click Export Contacts. Select “All contacts” or a specific category, then click Export
6. Click Export to export contacts
7. Open File Explorer and click on Downloads.
8. Locate and click on the Downloaded .csv file.

How To Export Contacts from Outlook to Excel on Mac?

The process for exporting Outlook contacts to Excel is slightly different on a Mac. You can do so by following the steps below-

Export Contacts:

1. In Outlook for Mac, select the “People” view.
2. Select the People view.
3. Go to File and select the Export option.
4. Select the type of file you want to export as “Contacts” and click “Continue”
5. Select the type of file you want to export
6. Give the file a name, choose where to save it, and click “Save”
7. Click “Finish” to finish exporting your .olm file.

Open the OLM file in Excel:

1. Import your OLM file into Outlook for Mac using the “Import/Export” option.
2. Pick the option of “Export to a File” from the Import and Export Wizard.
3. Choose the “Comma Separated Value” option and click Next.
4. Select the destination path to save the file.
5. Click the “Finish” button.

Do I Import Contacts Into CSV or PST?

PST is ideal for comprehensive backups and transfers within the Outlook ecosystem, while CSV is best for portability and use with other email clients or spreadsheet programs. If you are under about exporting your Outlook contact list via PST or CSV, the table below might help.

Feature	PST (Personal Storage Table)	CSV (Comma Separated Values)
Primary Purpose	Full data backup and transfer between Outlook installations.	Data exchange between different applications/platforms.
Data Included	Contacts, emails, calendar items, tasks, and other mailbox data, including attachments and contact pictures.	Only contact fields as plain text data in a tabular format.
Compatibility	Specific to Microsoft Outlook and some other Microsoft software.	Universally supported by most email clients and spreadsheet programs.
Accessibility	Requires MS Outlook to open, read, and edit.	Can be opened and edited easily in any text editor or spreadsheet program.
Data Integrity	Preserves all contact fields and associated data without loss.	Potential for data loss or corruption of special characters/field mapping if not handled carefully
File Size	Generally larger file size due to storing complete mailbox items and attachments.	Smaller files.

Exporting Outlook contacts to Excel has its advantages over exporting your Outlook contacts as vCards or a PST file. Using the built-in Import/Export Wizard and CSV format, you can create portable backups, edit hundreds of entries at once, and move data between platforms. Remember to double-check field mappings, test imports in a separate folder, and consider PST for full-fidelity backups when photos, categories, or attachments matter.

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About the Author: Tony Landry

Tony Landry is a Web Content Editor at Remo Software. He loves to write, edit, and manage content for users trying to troubleshoot and fix problems on Windows, Outlook, storage drives, and Cloud storage networks. With an aptitude that transcends writing, Tony is recognized as a Microsoft Outlook, Word, and PowerPoint expert. His comprehensive solutions…