How to Export Outlook Contacts to CSV? A Step-by-Step Guide
In today’s era, managing contact information is crucial as everything depends on effective communication, whether direct or indirect. If you want to export your address book or migrate to another platform, export your Outlook contacts to CSV or Excel. It’s a wise decision.
Microsoft Outlook is a powerful email client that is widely used for personal and business communication. One of its main features is the ability to manage contacts, allowing users to store email addresses, phone numbers, addresses, and other important information. CSV helps you organize your contact information and make it accessible across all platforms. Read this blog to learn about free manual steps and the best automated tools recommended by experts. Find a reliable solution for your conversion needs.
In this blog, we will clearly and simply explain the process of exporting contacts from Microsoft Outlook to a CSV file.
Table of Contents
Cause to Export Outlook Contacts to CSV File
- Exporting contact files to a CSV format allows you to securely backup your MS Outlook contacts. If your contact files are accidentally lost or corrupted, you can smoothly restore your contact list.
- CSV files are generally supported across platforms, making it easy to transfer contacts to other email services and systems that do not integrate directly with Outlook.
- These files are easy to share. You can send your contact list to colleagues and collaborators who may need access to the data and import it into their own email systems.
- CSV can be opened in spreadsheet programs like Excel and Google Sheets, allowing you to quickly edit, organize, and update contact information at the same time.
Knowing this reason, let’s start looking for solutions. First, we will explain the manual method and then move on to the automatic solution. So, let’s get to start.
Read More: Save Outlook Contacts as MSG Files
Export Outlook Contacts to CSV File Using Manually
- Open Microsoft Outlook on your computer.
- Navigate to the “File” menu.
- Choose Open & Export. and then click on Import/Export.
- Select Export to a file.
- Choose “Microsoft Excel” or “Comma Separated Values.” Click Next.
- Press the Contacts folder.
- Choose the Destination File.
- Finish the exporting process.
When the process is done, the CSV file will be saved at your chosen location. You can now open it with any spreadsheet application like Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, or others.
Deficiency of the Manual Method
- Not suitable for bulk converting large Outlook contact files.
- Online conversion has higher data security risks.
- It takes time and requires stable Internet.
This manual process can not export Outlook contact groups to CSV Excel safely due to its deficiency, so in these circumstances, you will need to use the expert solution to clarify and streamline the process. Go ahead and get more information about the direct method below.
Export Outlook Contacts to CSV in Bulk Using Automatic
This VCF Exporter Utility is safe to use and easy to operate. It can convert Outlook multiple contact files to CSV format. The interface of this application is very clear and straightforward, so users can simply export Outlook address books to other formats. No special technical knowledge is required during the conversion process.
This means you can convert Outlook contacts to PDF, PST, MSG, HTML, Google, Yaho, and many other formats. Moreover, it has no limitations, so you can easily convert your Outlook contacts list to CSV without any restrictions. The best thing is that this application has a free trial version, so you can download it and follow the simple guidelines to export your Outlook contacts to CSV format in just a few steps.
Quick Step to Outlook Contacts to CSV Conversion
- Download the software on your system.
- Choose the Add File or Folder Options to add Outlook contact file
- Preview all contacts into the software UI.
- Chosse the CSV options.
- Click the Export tab to convert Outlook contacts to CSV format.
Conclusion
To sum up, this blog has introduced two of the most reliable solutions to export Outlook contacts to CSV files. Moreover, we have also discussed the two file formats and the need for conversion. Although the manual method is easy, it has limitations that cannot be ignored. Therefore, for a safe, worry-free and smooth conversion, choose a professional tool.
Questions and Answers (FAQs)
Q 1: Can I choose which contacts to export?
Unfortunately, Outlook’s built-in export feature exports your entire Contacts folder by default. However, you can filter your contacts using categories before exporting or manually select which contacts to move to a new folder for export.
Q2: Can I customize contact fields when exporting to CSV?
- Outlook doesn’t provide a built-in way to customize columns during export, but you can:
- Edit the CSV file in Excel or another spreadsheet tool after exporting.
- Manually select which fields to include or exclude after exporting by editing the CSV file.
Q 3: How do I make sure my CSV file is compatible with other applications?
- The file is formatted correctly with the appropriate delimiter (comma or semicolon, depending on your regional settings).
- The program you use to import will recognize the CSV format you are using.
- If you are transferring to another device, you may need to match the field names or adjust the format to suit the new system.
Q4: How do I export Outlook contacts to Excel?
- Open Outlook.
- Press the File button, then click Open & Export.
- Click Import/Export.
- In the application, tick the Export to a file, then click Next.
- Choose Excel or CSV (Comma Separated Values), then click Next.
- Choose Contacts, then click Next.
- Select the place to save the file, and give the converted file a name.
- Tick the Finish button, then select any other options you want. Your contacts are exported to an Excel file.
