Adding a contact in Outlook takes less than a minute

Open Outlook and select the People icon in the left sidebar (it looks like a person's head and shoulders). Click the New Contact button near the top of the window. A form will open where you type the person's name, email address, phone number, and any other details you want to save. Click Save when you're done. The contact now appears in your contact list and Outlook will auto-fill their email address when you start typing their name in a message.

If you're using Outlook on the web instead of the desktop version, the steps are nearly identical: click the People icon, select New Contact, fill in the fields, and save. The contact syncs across all your devices if you're signed into the same Microsoft account.

Key Takeaways

  • New contacts are created through the People icon in Outlook's sidebar, not through the mail section.
  • You only need to fill in the fields that matter to you — name and email are enough, but you can add phone, address, and notes.
  • Contacts sync automatically across your phone, tablet, and computer if you use the same Microsoft account on all devices.
  • You can import contacts from other email programs or from a file, rather than typing each one manually.
  • Creating contact groups lets you send one email to multiple people at once without typing each address.

What information you can store for each contact

When you create a contact, Outlook gives you fields for far more than just a name and email. You can add a mobile phone number, work phone, home phone, website, physical address, job title, company name, birthday, and notes. You don't have to fill in every field — Outlook saves whatever you enter and leaves the rest blank.

The notes field is useful for details Outlook doesn't have a dedicated space for. You might write "prefers email over phone" or "birthday is March 15" or "referred by Sarah Chen" so you remember context about the person later. These notes appear when you open the contact but don't show up in your email messages.

Importing contacts from another email program or file

If you're switching to Outlook from Gmail, Yahoo Mail, or another email service, you don't have to type every contact again. Most email programs let you export your contacts as a file (usually a .csv file, which is just a spreadsheet). read that file, then open Outlook and go to File > Open & Export > Import/Export. Select Import from a file, choose Comma Separated Values, and point Outlook to the file you downloaded. Outlook reads the file and adds all those contacts to your list at once.

If you're not sure how to export contacts from your old email program, search for "[your email service] export contacts" — most services have a help page with step-by-step instructions. The export process usually takes a few clicks and creates a file you can read to your computer.

Creating contact groups to email multiple people at once

A contact group is a saved list of email addresses under one name. Instead of typing five people's addresses into the "To" field, you type the group name once and Outlook sends the message to everyone in it. To create a group, go to the People section, click New Group, give it a name like "Project Team" or "Book Club", then click Add Members and select the contacts you want to include. Save the group, and it now appears in your contact list alongside individual contacts.

You can edit a group anytime by opening it and clicking Edit. Add new people, remove people who no longer need to receive messages, or change the group's name. When you send a message to the group, everyone in it receives a copy — they don't see each other's addresses unless you put the group in the "To" field instead of "Bcc" (which stands for "blind carbon copy").

Finding and editing contacts you've already saved

Click the People icon to see your full contact list. You can scroll through it or type a name in the search box at the top to find someone quickly. Click on any contact to open their details. From there, click Edit to change their phone number, email address, or any other information. Outlook saves changes automatically when you click Save.

If you need to delete a contact, open it and click the trash icon (usually near the top of the contact card). Outlook removes it from your list when ready. You can't undo this action, so make sure you're deleting the right person.

Syncing contacts across your devices

When you add a contact in Outlook on your computer, it appears on your phone and tablet automatically — as long as you're signed into the same Microsoft account on all devices. This sync happens in the background and usually takes a few minutes. If a contact doesn't appear on your phone right away, open the People app on your phone and refresh it, or wait a few minutes for the sync to complete.

If you're using Outlook on the web (outlook.com), your contacts sync the same way. Changes you make on the web appear on your desktop and mobile apps, and vice versa. This means you can add a contact from your phone while you're out, and it's ready to use on your computer when you get home.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add a contact from an email message I received?

Yes. Open the message, right-click on the sender's name or email address, and select Add to Contacts. Outlook creates a new contact with their name and email already filled in. You can then add their phone number, address, or other details by editing the contact.

What's the difference between a contact and a distribution list?

A contact is one person's information. A distribution list (or contact group) is a saved collection of multiple email addresses under one name. You use a group when you want to send the same message to several people without typing each address.

Do I lose my contacts if I uninstall Outlook?

No. Your contacts are stored in your Microsoft account, not on your computer. If you uninstall Outlook and reinstall it later, your contacts reappear when you sign back in. They're also safe if you switch to a different computer.

Can I share a contact with someone else?

Outlook doesn't have a built-in "share this contact" feature, but you can forward a contact's information by opening the contact, clicking the three dots menu, and selecting Forward Contact. This sends the person's details to someone else as an attachment they can add to their own contact list.