The fastest way to get your contacts into Outlook

The method depends on where your contacts are right now. If they're in a CSV file, vCard file, or another email program like Gmail or Apple Mail, Outlook can read them directly. If they're scattered across your phone or another service, you'll need to export them to a file first, then bring that file into Outlook.

On Windows, you'll use the File menu and the Import & Export wizard. On Mac, the process is simpler — you can often drag contacts directly into Outlook or use the File menu to open an import dialog. Either way, the contacts land in your default folder within minutes.

Key Takeaways

  • Outlook imports contacts from CSV files, vCard files (.vcf), and other email programs through the File menu's Import & Export option on Windows or the File menu on Mac.
  • Before importing, export your contacts from their current location as a CSV or vCard file — most email services and phone contacts apps have an export button in settings.
  • On Windows, the Import & Export wizard walks you through selecting the file type, choosing which folder to import into, and handling duplicate names.
  • On Mac, you can often drag a vCard file directly into Outlook, or use File > Import to select a CSV file.
  • After importing, check your Contacts folder to make sure the names, email addresses, and phone numbers came through correctly.

Importing from a CSV or vCard file on Windows

Open Outlook and go to the File menu in the top left. Click File, then look for Import & Export (in older versions) or Import (in newer versions). If you see Import & Export, click it. If you see Import, click that instead.

A dialog box will open. If you chose Import & Export, select "Import from another file or program" and click Next. Choose "Comma Separated Values (.CSV)" or "vCard file (.vcf)" depending on what file you have. If you chose Import directly, the dialog will ask you to browse for the file — navigate to where you saved it and click Open.

Outlook will ask you where to put the contacts. Choose "Contacts" (your default folder) unless you have a reason to use a different folder. Click Next or Import. If Outlook finds duplicate names, it will ask what to do — you can skip duplicates, replace old entries with new ones, or import everything and clean up later. Choose what makes sense for your situation, then finish the import.

Importing from a CSV or vCard file on Mac

Open Outlook and go to the File menu at the top. Click File, then look for Import. A dialog will open asking you to choose a file. Navigate to your CSV or vCard file and click Import.

Outlook will show you a preview of the contacts it found and ask where to put them. Make sure "Contacts" is selected, then click Import. The contacts will appear in your Contacts folder within seconds. If you have a vCard file, you can also try dragging it directly into the Outlook window — if it works, the contacts will import automatically.

Exporting contacts from Gmail, Yahoo, or other email services

Before you can import into Outlook, you need to get your contacts out of their current home. Most email services have an export or download option, but the location varies.

Gmail: Go to contacts.google.com. Click the three horizontal lines (menu) on the left, then select "Export". Choose which groups to export (usually "All contacts"), then pick CSV or vCard format. Save the file to your computer.

Yahoo Mail: Go to contacts.yahoo.com. Click the gear icon in the top right, then select "Export contacts". Choose CSV format and save the file.

Apple Mail or iCloud: Go to iCloud.com and sign in. Click Contacts. Select the contacts you want (or use Ctrl+A or Cmd+A to select all), then right-click and choose Export vCard. Save the file to your computer.

Thunderbird: Open Thunderbird and right-click your address book on the left. Select "Export" and choose CSV format. Save the file.

Exporting contacts from your phone

iPhone: Contacts are usually stored in iCloud. Go to iCloud.com, sign in, click Contacts, select all (Cmd+A on Mac or Ctrl+A on Windows), right-click, and choose Export vCard. Save the file to your computer, then import it into Outlook using the steps above.

Android: Open your Contacts app. Tap the menu (three dots), look for Export or Backup, and choose to export as a file. Most Android phones save this as a VCF file. Transfer the file to your computer using email, cloud storage, or a USB cable, then import it into Outlook.

What to do if the import doesn't work

If Outlook won't open your file, the file format might be corrupted or unsupported. Try opening the CSV file in Excel or a text editor first to make sure it has data in it. If it does, try saving it again in a different format — if it's a CSV, try exporting as vCard instead, or vice versa.

If some contacts imported but others didn't, check the original file to see if those rows are missing or have blank email addresses. Outlook often skips contacts with no email address. If the names came through but phone numbers or addresses didn't, the columns in your CSV file might not match what Outlook expects — you can edit the CSV file in Excel to reorganize the columns before importing again.

If you imported duplicates by accident, you can delete them manually by opening your Contacts folder, right-clicking a contact, and selecting Delete. Outlook doesn't have a built-in duplicate finder, so if you have many duplicates, you may need to go through and remove them one by one.

Syncing contacts across devices after importing

Once your contacts are in Outlook on your computer, you can sync them to your phone or other devices. If you use Outlook on your phone (the mobile app), your contacts will sync automatically if you're signed into the same Microsoft account.

If you use a different email app on your phone, you'll need to export your Outlook contacts again and import them into that app, or set up your phone to sync with your Microsoft account directly. Most phones have a Contacts settings menu where you can add an account and choose to sync contacts from it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I import contacts from multiple files at once?

Not in a single action. You'll need to import each file separately using the Import & Export wizard or Import dialog. However, you can combine multiple CSV files into one before importing — open them in Excel, copy all the rows into a single spreadsheet, and save that as one CSV file.

What happens to my contacts if I import duplicates?

Outlook will ask what to do when it finds matching names. You can choose to skip duplicates, replace the old entry with the new one, or import everything. If you choose to import everything, you'll have two entries for the same person and will need to delete one manually.

Will importing contacts overwrite my existing Outlook contacts?

Not unless you tell it to. During import, Outlook asks where to put the new contacts and what to do with duplicates. If you choose to replace duplicates, only matching names will be overwritten — new contacts will be added alongside your existing ones.

Can I import contacts into a specific folder instead of the main Contacts folder?

Yes. During the import process, Outlook asks you to choose a destination folder. You can select any folder in your Contacts section, or create a new one. This is useful if you want to keep imported contacts separate from your existing ones.

What file formats does Outlook accept for importing?

Outlook accepts CSV (comma-separated values), vCard (.vcf), and PST files (Outlook backup files). It can also import directly from other email programs like Thunderbird, Apple Mail, and Gmail if you use the Import & Export wizard and select the program name instead of a file.