- You can easily add contacts to Outlook anytime you receive an email from a new contact.
- For bulk contact addition, using a CSV file is recommended.
Method 1: Add a Contact From a Received Email
The easiest way to add someone to your Outlook address book is to open one of their emails and add the sender as a contact. This way, Outlook will already have the contact’s name and email address.
On Desktop App
Step 1: Open an email from the person you want to add as a contact in the Outlook app.
Step 2: Right-click on their name and select Add to Outlook Contacts .
Step 3: Next, Outlook will automatically fill in the sender’s name and email address. You can then enter the rest of the details and click the Save & Close button at the top left corner.
On Web
Step 1: Open Outlook in your web browser and locate an email from the person you want to add to your contacts. Then, click on the sender’s email address.
Step 2: Click on Add to contacts at the bottom.
Step 3: Enter the contact details and click on Save .
Method 2: Manually Create a Contact
Another way to add a contact to Outlook is to enter the contact’s information manually. This method is useful if you’ve never received an email from the person you want to add.
On Desktop App
Step 1: In the Outlook app, click the People icon at the bottom left corner and select New Contact from the toolbar at the top.
Step 2: In the following window, enter contact details such as name, email address, phone number, and more. Then, click the Save & Close button at the top.
On Web
Step 1: Open Outlook in your preferred web browser and navigate to the People tab. Then, click the New contact button at the top.
Step 2: Enter contact details in the relevant fields and click on Save .
Method 3: Import Contacts From a CSV or PST File
You can also import contacts to Outlook from a CSV or PST file. If you’ve previously exported your contacts from Outlook, this method can save you time and effort. Follow these steps to import contacts in Outlook.
On Desktop App
Step 1: Open the Outlook app on your computer and click the File menu at the top left corner.
Step 2: Select Open & Export from the left sidebar. Then, click on Import/Export .
Step 3: Select Import from another program or file and click Next .
Step 4: Select the applicable file type—CSV or PST—and click Next .
Step 5: Use the Browse button to locate the contacts file on your computer. Then, specify how you want Outlook to manage duplicate contacts and hit Next .
Step 6: Select the Contacts folder and click Next .
Step 7: Click on Finish , and Outlook will start importing your contacts.
On Web
Step 1: Open Outlook in your web browser.
Step 2: Switch to the People tab. On the far right of the toolbar, click on Manage contacts > select Import contacts .
Step 3: Click on the Browse button to locate the contacts file on your computer and click on Import .
Wait for a few moments, and Outlook will import your contacts to the address book.
