How to Import Outlook Contacts to Office 365 – Migration Made Simple

Summary: In this era of advanced technology, the demand to migrate to Office 365 (Outlook Web App) is rising. If you are looking for an easy and proficient solution to import Outlook contacts to Office 365, then end your search now. In this write-up, we have explained a step-by-step process by which you can access your Outlook contacts in Microsoft Office 365.

MS Outlook is the first preference of many users when it comes to communication and data management, but now Office 365 is a licit option that is dethroning MS Outlook as the most usable service. As the world is getting digitized most of the users prefer the utilization of cloud-based applications for proper data management.

So, more and more users are moving towards Office 365 as it can be used from anywhere on any device through internet connectivity.

During the migration process, one of the first things users want to do is, migrate Outlook contacts to Office 365. All Outlook users and organizations have numerous essential contacts in the Outlook contact list that they don’t want to lose at all.

Sometimes this task requires a lot of effort if you do not know the right procedure. So, here we will provide you a quick and easy method by which you can import your Outlook contacts into Office 365 accounts with great ease.

Find Out Why Users Switch from Microsoft Outlook

• Office 365 is a cloud-based application, so organizations do not need to invest in preparing the necessary on-premise hardware setup.
• Since all data is on the cloud so, protecting it from the threats is not a concern for organizations anymore.
• Office 365 provides updates regularly, so the platform is always equipped with the latest technologies.
• Office 365 contacts, email data, and other information are available to users from all devices as they are stored in the cloud.
• There is a file size limitation on Outlook PST, a large-sized PST can lead to file corruption. Therefore, users prefer Office 365 over Outlook to protect their data.
• MS Office 365 provides greater security than the PST file. Even the password-protected Outlook PST is not entirely secure.

Here comes the solution section!

Different Methods  to Import Outlook Contacts to Office 365

Let’s discuss the most common and free method to import Outlook contacts to Office 365:

Method 1. Using Outlook’s Export and Import Wizard Feature

With this method you can easily perform this task, however, there are a few pre-requisite that you need to follow such as:

• Office 365 License: Make sure your target Office 365 account must have a valid license assigned to it.
• Outlook Contacts File: Export your contacts from Outlook as a CSV or PST file.
• Updated Outlook Version: Make sure you have the updated Outlook version installed on your computer.

Steps:

a. Export Contacts from Outlook

• Lunch Outlook and go to File.

• Open & Export > Import/Export.

• Select Export to a file and click Next.
• Choose Comma Separated Values (CSV) and click Next.
• Select the Contacts folder to export.
• Save the file to a location on your computer.

b. Import Contacts to Office 365

1. Log in to Office 365 and open the Outlook Web App (OWA).
2. Go to People > Import Contacts.
3. Select the previously exported CSV file.
4. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the import process.

Method 2: Using PowerShell for Bulk Imports

For organizations with large-scale migrations, PowerShell can streamline the process. Follow the below steps:

Step 1. Export contacts to a CSV file as described above.

Step 2. Use PowerShell to connect to your Office 365 account:

Connect-ExchangeOnline -UserPrincipalName <YourAdminUsername>

Step 3. Run the following script to import contacts:

Import-Csv -Path "C:\Path\To\Contacts.csv" | ForEach-Object {

    New-MailContact -Name $_.Name -ExternalEmailAddress $_.EmailAddress

}

Step 4. Verify the import by checking the contacts in the Office 365 admin center.

Method 3: Professional Method to Migrate Outlook Contacts to Office 365

The complete export process is a two-step process. In the first step, you need to export the Outlook contacts to a PST file and, in the second step, you have to import the resultant file into the Office 365 cloud.

Let’s start!

Stage 1: Export Outlook Contacts into PST File

Step 1. Launch the Outlook application and go to the “File” menu.

Step 2. Click on Import/Export and then select the “Import/Export” option.

Step 3. Choose the “Export to a file” option in the following window and click on the Next button.

Step 4. Select Outlook Data file (.pst) and click on the Next.

Step 5. Choose the contacts folder from the list and click on Next.

Step 6. Browse the location to save the output PST file & finally hit the Finish button.

By performing the above-given steps, you can easily migrate your Outlook contacts without losing a bit of information.

Stage 2: Import the Resultant File into Microsoft Office 365

With the help of the below-mentioned tool, you can transfer Outlook contacts to Office 365 without any hurdle. It is an eminent utility that is specifically designed to migrate Outlook data files and also filters the data of the file while importing it into the Office 365 account. Such is the robustness of the software that it even allows you to import Outlook 2010 contacts to Office 365.

The software allows users to migrate either complete or selective contact details. The software is capable of maintaining folder hierarchy throughout the process.

Additionally, the utility comes with a consistent user interface so that any user can access it without any technical knowledge.

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Follow the Steps to Migrate Outlook Contacts into O365

Step 1. Download and launch the software on your machine. Select Outlook as the Source and Office 365 as the Destination.

Step 2. In the Workload section select only the “Contact” option. You can apply the Date Filter if need be.

Step 3. Go to the Source Page and Validate once done hit the Next button.

Step 4. Perform Destination side Validation with the Office 365 Admin Credentials.

Step 5. The Complete User Mapping process with any one of three ways, Fetch, Import, Download.

Step 6. Preview the Data on the screen mark, prioritize validate, and hit Import.

Done! In simple 6 steps, your Outlook contacts get imported into your Office 365 account successfully.

Important Note: If you have already exported contacts from Microsoft Outlook in PST file format then, you can directly use the Office 365 Import tool to move this file into Office 365. It is an instant and smart way to import Outlook contacts to Office 365 account without any fear of data loss.

7 Awesome Benefits of Using this Method

1. While importing contacts to Office 365, the tool preserves the integrity of the data.
2. It is an error-free solution that provides 100% complete and accurate results.
3. The most prominent feature of the software “Incremental Import” skips the already transferred data in the previous attempts, and imports only new data.
4. The migration process can be paused at any time with the “Pause” button and can also be resumed again after some time.
5. The software provides a complete export report which contains the complete summary of the import process and users can save it for later at any desired location.
6. While exporting Outlook contacts, the software offers an option to apply a date filter to save the data within a date range
7. The software is compatible with all versions of the Windows operating system and supports PST files of any version of MS Outlook.

Concluding Lines

Due to the advanced features of Office 365, many users are switching from Microsoft Outlook to Office 365 to manage their work smoothly. But, for Office 365 users, how to import Outlook contacts to Office 365 is the most common query.

Well, in this above blog, we have discussed a simple approach to carry out the migration efficiently. The solution provided here is the right pick if you want to save your time, and effort, and require a 100 % positive result. By using the demo version of the software, you can check the performance and capabilities of the software before purchasing its licensed version for further use.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Can I import contacts from outdated versions of Outlook, such as 2010 or 2007, into Office 365?

Yes, you can. The process of exporting contacts has been a part of Outlook since its early days. As long as your Outlook client is functioning and you can export the contacts in PST format, the tool can import them into your Office 365 account seamlessly.

Q2. What if Outlook crashes and corrupts my PST file during import? Will I still be able to import it into Office 365?

If the corruption is not severe, you might still be able to import it. However, to avoid issues, re-extract the PST file and upload the new one. Alternatively, try repairing the damaged file.

Q3. Can I import contacts from OST files into Office 365?

No, OST files are used for server-side communication and cannot be directly imported into Office 365.

Q4. What if I want to import only specific contacts and not the entire contact list?

During the import process, apply filters (e.g., date ranges) or select specific contacts for migration. This allows you to import only relevant data without transferring everything.