Creating a contact group takes three steps: open your contacts, add people to a new group, and name it

A contact group in Outlook lets you send one email to multiple people at once without typing each address. Instead of selecting five coworkers individually, you pick the group name and everyone in it receives the message. The steps differ slightly between Outlook on the web, Outlook for Windows, and Outlook for Mac, but the basic process is the same in all three.

Contact groups are useful for recurring email chains — a project team, a book club, a family group chat. Once you create the group, it stays in your contacts and you can reuse it whenever you need to reach those people together.

Key Takeaways

  • Contact groups in Outlook let you send one email to multiple people by selecting a single group name instead of typing individual addresses.
  • In Outlook on the web, you create a group from the People section by selecting contacts and naming the group.
  • In Outlook for Windows, contact groups are called distribution lists and live in your Contacts folder.
  • You can add or remove people from a group after you create it, and the changes take effect the next time you use the group.
  • Contact groups are stored locally on your device (Windows and Mac) or in your Outlook account (web version), so they sync across your devices if you use the same account.

Creating a contact group in Outlook on the web

Open Outlook in your web browser and select People from the left sidebar. Click New Contact Group near the top of the page. A panel will open asking you to name the group — type a name like "Marketing Team" or "Book Club" and press Enter.

Next, click Add Members. A search box appears where you can type a person's name or email address. As you type, Outlook shows matching contacts from your address book. Click each person you want to add. You can add people one at a time or search multiple times to build the full list.

Once you have added everyone, click Create at the bottom of the panel. The group is now saved and appears in your contacts list. The next time you compose an email and start typing the group name in the To field, Outlook will suggest it.

Creating a contact group in Outlook for Windows

Open Outlook and go to the People tab at the bottom of the left sidebar. Right-click in the empty space below your existing contacts and select New Contact Group. A window opens with a blank contact group form.

Type a name for the group in the Name field at the top. Then click Add Members in the ribbon. A dialog box appears with options to add people from your contacts, your organization's directory, or by typing an email address directly. Select each person and click Add. When you are finished, click OK.

Save the group by pressing Ctrl+S or clicking the Save button. The group now appears in your Contacts folder and is ready to use in emails.

Creating a contact group in Outlook for Mac

Open Outlook and click the People icon in the toolbar at the top. In the left sidebar, right-click on a folder (usually "Contacts") and select New Distribution List. A form opens where you can name the group.

Type the group name in the text field. Then click the plus icon (+) to add members. A contact picker appears showing your saved contacts. Select the people you want to add and click Add. You can search by name or scroll through your list.

When you have added everyone, close the form by clicking the red close button in the top-left corner. Outlook saves the group automatically. It now appears in your Contacts and you can use it when composing emails.

Adding or removing people from an existing group

You can change a contact group after you create it. In Outlook on the web, click People, find the group, and click it to open. Click Edit to add or remove members. In Outlook for Windows, double-click the group in your Contacts folder, then click Add Members or select a member and click Remove. On Mac, double-click the distribution list and use the plus icon to add people or select a name and press Delete to remove them.

Save your changes when you are done. The updated group takes effect the next time you use it in an email.

Using a contact group to send an email

Open a new email and click in the To field. Start typing the group name — Outlook will suggest it as you type. Click the group name to add it, and all members will appear in the To field. You can add other recipients alongside the group if needed.

Compose your message and send it normally. Everyone in the group receives the email. If you reply to the email later, the reply goes only to the sender, not to the whole group — unless you click Reply All.

Where contact groups are stored

In Outlook on the web, contact groups are stored in your Outlook account and sync across all devices where you sign in with the same account. If you create a group on your phone, it appears on your computer automatically.

In Outlook for Windows and Mac, contact groups are stored locally on that device. If you use Outlook on both a Windows computer and a Mac, you will need to create the same group on each device, or export and import the group to move it between devices. This is a limitation of the desktop versions — they do not automatically sync contact groups the way the web version does.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I create a contact group from an email thread?

Not directly from the email itself, but you can create a group and then add the people who were in that thread. Open your contacts, create a new group, and add each person by name or email address. This takes a few extra steps but gives you a reusable group for future emails with the same people.

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

In Outlook for Windows, contact groups are called distribution lists — they are the same thing. The terminology varies across Outlook versions, but the function is identical: a saved list of email addresses you can send to as a group.

Can I share a contact group with someone else?

In Outlook on the web, you can share a contact group by right-clicking it and selecting Share. You can give other people permission to view or edit the group. In the desktop versions, contact groups are stored only on your device and cannot be shared directly — you would need to export the group and send the file to someone else.

What happens if I delete someone from a contact group?

The person is removed from the group but their contact information remains in your address book. They will not receive future emails sent to that group, but you can still email them individually if needed.

Can a contact group contain other contact groups?

No. Outlook does not allow you to nest groups inside groups. You can only add individual contacts to a group. If you need to email multiple overlapping teams, create separate groups for each team.