How to Export Outlook Contacts (New and Classic Outlook)

Exporting your Outlook contacts gives you a backup and a way to move your address book to another account, a CRM or a new email service. It's quick in new Outlook and only slightly longer in classic Outlook. There's one trap Microsoft points out that catches people moving between the two versions: contacts saved only on your computer. Here's how to export from both, and how to check the file worked.

Export contacts in new Outlook

1. Select People in the side panel.
2. On the ribbon, select Export contacts.
3. Under Contacts from this folder, choose the folder you want.
4. Select Export.

Outlook saves the file as a CSV in your Downloads folder. If you can't see People in the navigation bar, select More apps, then People, and right-click it to pin it there for next time.

Export contacts in classic Outlook

1. Select File, then Open & Export, then Import/Export.
2. Choose Export to a file and select Next.
3. Choose Comma Separated Values and select Next.
4. Select your Contacts folder and select Next.
5. Select Browse, choose where to save the file, name it and select OK, then Next.
6. Select Finish.

Don't wait for a 'done' message. Microsoft says classic Outlook doesn't show one: the Import and Export Progress box simply disappears when it's finished.

The local contacts trap

If you've moved from classic Outlook to new Outlook, check your contacts carefully. Microsoft says contacts you saved locally in classic Outlook, meaning only on your computer, may not have copied over to new Outlook. To bring them across, export them from classic Outlook using the steps above, choosing the folder labelled Contacts (This computer only), then import the CSV into new Outlook.

Check your export worked

Open the CSV in Excel and make sure your contacts are there. Microsoft warns you'll see lots of empty cells, which is normal, because the file has a column for every possible contact field. Its advice is to close the file without saving changes, as saving it can mess up the formatting and stop it importing cleanly elsewhere. If that happens, just export again.

Names with accents or other alphabets

If any contacts have names in Greek, Cyrillic, Arabic, Japanese or with special characters, Microsoft recommends saving the file with UTF-8 encoding. If you can't choose that when exporting, open Excel, use Data, From Text/CSV, pick the encoding that makes the names display correctly, select Load, then Save As and choose CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited). Otherwise names can turn into gibberish when you import them.

Importing them somewhere else

Moving to	What to do
New Outlook	People, Import contacts, Browse to the CSV, Import
Another email service or CRM	Use its contact import option and choose the CSV
Keeping a backup	Store the CSV somewhere safe and private

Most tools accept a CSV, but they may ask you to match columns, such as which column is the email address. Do a test import with a few contacts first if the list is important.

Export everything, or one folder?

New Outlook asks which contacts folder to export, and classic Outlook asks you to pick a folder too. If you've organised contacts into folders, say one for clients and one for suppliers, you can export just the group you need, which keeps the file tidy for the next tool. For a full backup, export each folder, or the main Contacts folder if that's where everything lives, and name the files clearly with the date. A file called 'contacts.csv' sitting in Downloads is how backups get lost or overwritten.

Moving to a new computer or account

If you're switching accounts, export from the old one before anything is closed or deleted, check the file in Excel, then import it into the new account straight away. Don't rely on the old account staying available, especially if it belongs to a previous employer or a mailbox that's about to be shut down.

Look after the file

A contacts export is a list of people's names, emails and phone numbers, which is personal data. Keep it somewhere secure, don't email it around, and delete old copies from your Downloads folder once you've finished. If you're moving the list into an email marketing tool, only add people who've agreed to hear from you, and check the addresses first. My guide to email verification tools explains why that step protects your sender reputation, and business email attacks is a reminder of why contact lists need guarding.

My verdict

New Outlook: People, Export contacts, choose the folder, Export, and find the CSV in Downloads. Classic Outlook: File, Open & Export, Import/Export, Export to a file. Rescue any 'This computer only' contacts before you leave classic Outlook, check the file in Excel without saving, and use UTF-8 for international names.

Frequently asked questions

How do I export contacts from Outlook?

In new Outlook, select People, then Export contacts, choose a folder and select Export. The CSV goes to your Downloads folder.

How do I export contacts from classic Outlook?

Select File, Open & Export, Import/Export, Export to a file, then Comma Separated Values, choose your Contacts folder and finish.

Where does Outlook save exported contacts?

New Outlook saves the .csv file to your Downloads folder. Classic Outlook saves it wherever you choose.

Why are some contacts missing in new Outlook?

Microsoft says contacts saved locally in classic Outlook may not have copied over. Export them from classic Outlook and import the CSV.

Why is my exported contacts file full of empty cells?

Microsoft says that's normal. Close the file without saving changes so it imports correctly.