The fastest way to add a contact in Outlook

Open Outlook and go to the People tab at the bottom left of the screen. Click the New Contact button (or press Ctrl+N on Windows, Command+N on Mac). Type the person's name in the Full Name field, then add their email address, phone number, company, or other details in the fields that appear. Click Save when you're done.

The contact now appears in your People list and you can search for them by name whenever you need to send an email or schedule a meeting. If you add their phone number, Outlook can also dial them directly from your computer if you have that feature set up.

You can also add a contact while composing an email: start typing someone's name in the To field, and when Outlook suggests their name, right-click it and select Add to Contacts. This saves you a step if you're already writing to someone new.

Key Takeaways

  • The People tab at the bottom of Outlook is where you create and manage all your contacts.
  • You only need a name to save a contact, but adding an email address makes them searchable when you compose messages.
  • Contacts you add in Outlook sync across your devices if you use Outlook.com, Microsoft 365, or an Exchange account.
  • You can add someone to your contacts while writing an email by right-clicking their suggested name and choosing Add to Contacts.

What information you can store for each contact

When you open a new contact form, Outlook shows fields for name, email, phone, company, job title, and address. You don't have to fill in all of them—just the name is required to save the contact. Add whatever details you actually use: if you never call someone, skip the phone field.

Scroll down in the contact form to see additional fields like birthday, website, notes, and department. The Notes field is useful for storing details you might forget, like "prefers email over calls" or "works Tuesday through Thursday." These notes appear whenever you open that contact's card.

If you work with the same group of people regularly, you can also create a contact group (sometimes called a distribution list). This lets you send one email to multiple people at once without typing each name. To create a group, go to the People tab, click New Group, add members, and save it with a name like "Marketing Team" or "Project Leads."

Adding contacts from email messages you receive

When someone emails you for the first time, their name and email address appear at the top of the message. Hover over their name and a small card pops up showing what Outlook already knows about them. If they're not in your contacts yet, click the Add to Contacts button on that card.

Outlook will create a new contact with their name and email address pre-filled. You can open it when ready to add more details, or save it as-is and edit it later. This method is faster than typing everything manually, especially when you receive email from someone you want to keep in touch with.

Syncing contacts across devices and accounts

If you use Outlook.com, Microsoft 365, or your company's Exchange server, your contacts sync automatically to all your devices. Add a contact on your computer and it appears on your phone and tablet within a few minutes. This works whether you're using the Outlook app, the web version at outlook.com, or Outlook on your phone.

If you use Outlook with a personal email account that isn't Outlook.com or Exchange (like Gmail or Yahoo), contacts may not sync automatically. Check your account settings in Outlook to see whether syncing is turned on. Some accounts require you to enable it manually in the File menu under Account Settings.

You can also export your contacts as a file and import them into another email program if you switch services later. Go to File, select Open & Export, then Import/Export, and follow the steps to save your contacts as a CSV or VCF file.

Editing or deleting a contact

To change a contact's information, go to the People tab, find their name, and double-click it to open their card. Make your changes and click Save. You can update their email, phone number, job title, or any other field at any time.

To delete a contact, right-click their name in the People list and select Delete. Outlook will ask you to confirm. Once deleted, the contact is gone from all your devices if you're using a synced account, so be sure you don't need them before confirming.

Importing contacts from another email program

If you're switching to Outlook from Gmail, Yahoo Mail, or another email service, you can bring your existing contacts with you. Export your contacts from your old email program as a CSV or VCF file, then open Outlook and go to File > Open & Export > Import/Export. Choose Import from another program or file, select your file, and Outlook will add all those contacts to your People list.

The import process usually takes a few minutes depending on how many contacts you have. After importing, review a few contacts to make sure all the information came through correctly—sometimes phone numbers or addresses don't transfer perfectly if the old program used a different format.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add a contact without an email address?

Yes. Outlook only requires a name to save a contact. You can add just a phone number, just a company name, or any combination of details. However, if you want to email or message them from Outlook, you'll need to add their email address eventually.

What's the difference between a contact and a contact group?

A contact is one person with their own name, email, and details. A contact group is a saved list of multiple people that you can email all at once. Use a group when you regularly send messages to the same team or set of people.

Do my Outlook contacts show up in other Microsoft programs?

Yes, if you use Microsoft 365. Your Outlook contacts appear in Teams, Word, Excel, and other Microsoft apps, so you can quickly find and message people across the suite. This only works if you're signed into all those programs with the same Microsoft account.

Can I organize my contacts into folders?

Outlook doesn't use folders for contacts the way it does for email. Instead, you can create contact groups to organize people by team or project. You can also search by company name or add custom notes to help you find contacts later.

What happens to my contacts if I stop using Outlook?

Your contacts stay in Outlook's servers if you use Outlook.com or Microsoft 365. If you cancel your subscription or delete your account, you can export your contacts as a file before you go. This gives you a backup you can import into another email program.