What an email group does and when to use it

An email group in Outlook is a single contact that holds multiple email addresses. When you send a message to the group, everyone in it receives the same email. This saves you from typing ten addresses every time you want to reach the same set of people — your book club, your work team, your family, or anyone else you email together regularly.

Email groups are different from distribution lists you might see at work. A group lives in your personal contacts and works only on your own computer or account. You create it, you manage who is in it, and only you can send to it. This makes groups useful for organizing your own outgoing mail, not for company-wide communication.

The steps differ slightly depending on whether you use Outlook on your desktop (Windows or Mac), Outlook on the web, or Outlook connected to a Microsoft 365 account. This guide covers the desktop version first, then the web version, because most people use one or the other.

Key Takeaways

  • An email group is a saved list of addresses that you can send one message to instead of typing each address separately.
  • In Outlook desktop, you create a group by opening Contacts, clicking New Contact Group, naming it, and adding members one by one.
  • In Outlook on the web, you create a group from the People section and add members by searching for them by name or email.
  • Once created, a group appears in your Contacts and in the To field autocomplete when you start typing its name.
  • You can edit a group later to add or remove members without deleting the group itself.

Creating an email group in Outlook desktop (Windows)

Open Outlook and go to the Contacts section. You will see a folder list on the left side. If Contacts is not visible, click the folder icon at the bottom of the window and select Contacts from the menu.

Once you are in Contacts, look at the top menu bar. Click New and then select New Contact Group from the dropdown. A blank contact group window will open. At the top, you will see a field labeled Name. Type the name you want for your group — for example, "Book Club" or "Project Team".

Below the name field, you will see a section that says Members. Click the Add Members button. A small window will pop up with two options: Add from Outlook Contacts and New Email Contact. If the person is already in your contacts, click Add from Outlook Contacts, find their name in the list, select it, and click Add. If the person is not in your contacts yet, click New Email Contact, type their name and email address, and click OK.

Repeat this process for each person you want in the group. You will see their names appear in the Members list as you add them. When you have added everyone, click Save & Close at the top right of the window. Your group is now created and saved in your Contacts folder.

Creating an email group in Outlook desktop (Mac)

Open Outlook and click the People icon at the bottom of the window to go to your contacts. In the menu bar at the top, click File, then hover over New and select Contact Group.

A new window will open. In the field at the top, type the name of your group. Below that, you will see an empty box where members will appear. Click the plus sign button below the members box to add people. A contact picker will open. Type the name or email of the person you want to add, select them from the list, and click Add.

Continue adding members until your group is complete. When you are done, close the window by clicking the red close button in the top left corner. Outlook will save the group automatically. If you want to confirm it was saved, go back to People and look for your group name in the contacts list.

Creating an email group in Outlook on the web

Log into your Outlook account at outlook.com or outlook.office.com. Click the People icon on the left side of the screen. At the top of the page, you will see a button that says New Contact with a dropdown arrow next to it. Click the arrow and select New Contact Group.

A form will appear. In the Group Name field, type the name of your group. Below that, you will see a field that says Add Members. Click in that field and start typing the name or email address of someone you want to add. Outlook will show you matching contacts as you type. Click on the person's name to add them to the group.

Repeat this for each member. You will see their names appear in a list below the Add Members field. When your group is complete, scroll down and click Create at the bottom of the form. Your group is now saved and ready to use.

Using your group to send an email

Once your group is created, sending an email to everyone in it is straightforward. Open a new email message. In the To field, start typing the name of your group. Outlook will show your group name in the autocomplete dropdown. Click on it to add the entire group to the To field.

You can also click the To button to open your contacts, find your group in the list, and double-click it to add it. Either way, when you send the message, everyone in the group receives it. The recipients will see the message came from you, but they will not see the other members' addresses unless you put the group in the CC or BCC field instead of To.

Editing or removing members from a group

If you need to add or remove someone from a group later, you do not have to delete the whole group and start over. In Outlook desktop, go to Contacts, right-click the group name, and select Edit Contact Group. The group window will open. Click Add Members to add new people, or click on a member's name and then click Remove to take them out. Click Save & Close when you are done.

In Outlook on the web, go to People, click on your group name, and then click the Edit button at the top. You will see the members list. To add someone, click in the Add Members field and type their name. To remove someone, click the X next to their name. Click Save when you are finished.

Troubleshooting groups that do not appear or send correctly

If you created a group but cannot find it in your contacts, make sure you are looking in the right place. In Outlook desktop, go to the Contacts folder and look for it in the main list. If it is not there, try searching for the group name using the search box at the top of the Contacts window. In Outlook on the web, click People and scroll through the list, or use the search box.

If you send an email to a group and it bounces back or some members do not receive it, check that all the email addresses in the group are correct. Open the group, review each member's address, and look for typos or outdated emails. If someone's address has changed, remove them and add them again with the correct address. If the problem persists, try removing and re-adding that specific person to the group.

If Outlook on the web does not let you create a group, your account may have restrictions set by your organization. Contact your IT department or account administrator to ask whether contact groups are turned on for your account.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I create a group with people who are not in my contacts yet?

Yes. In Outlook desktop, when you click Add Members and choose New Email Contact, you can type a name and email address for someone not yet in your contacts. In Outlook on the web, you can type an email address directly in the Add Members field even if that person is not saved as a contact. Outlook will add them to the group.

What happens if I delete a group?

Deleting a group removes the group itself, but it does not delete the individual contacts in it. If you delete a group by mistake, the people in it are still in your contacts. You would need to create the group again and add them back to it.

Can other people see or use my email groups?

No. Your personal email groups exist only in your own Outlook account or on your own computer. Other people cannot see them or send to them unless you share your contacts with them, which is a separate process. Groups are for your own use.

Can I send to a group from my phone?

Yes, if you use the Outlook mobile app. Open a new email, tap the To field, and search for your group name. The group will appear in the results. Tap it to add all members. Desktop groups sync to the mobile app, so any group you created on your computer will be available on your phone.

What is the difference between a group and a distribution list?

A group is personal and lives in your contacts. A distribution list is usually created by an organization and managed by an administrator. Distribution lists often have rules about who can send to them and may include hundreds of people. For personal use, you create and manage groups yourself.