How to Export Contacts from Outlook to CSV File?

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Published By Jamie Kaler
Rollins Duke
Approved By Rollins Duke
Published On January 29th, 2025
Reading Time 9 Minutes Reading

Summary – Many Outlook users are searching for solutions to export contacts from Outlook to CSV files. If you are one of them, you need to search no further. In this post, we will discuss how to export Outlook address book to CSV format easily and securely.

Contacts are not just a set of numbers but an important part of our daily life. We connect with anyone in the world by just dialing a few digits. CSV is considered a valuable file format for saving information in tabular form. This is why users want to export Outlook contacts to CSV format.

Therefore, in this write-up, we will explain the top 5 most recommended solutions to export contacts from Outlook to CSV that you can use very easily. All these solutions are easy, fast, and accurate. We have mentioned complete information about all these methods in the article below. Let’s start the article.

Why Do Users Want to Export Outlook Address Book to CSV Format?

CSV format contains multiple features, which makes it the first choice of users to contain your contact details. Some of them are given below and clear the reason for the process:

  • CSV is a widely supported file format that can be easily imported into various email clients, such as Gmail, Yahoo, or Thunderbird, allowing users to transfer their contacts seamlessly.
  • Exporting contacts to CSV provides a secure backup of contact information, which can be useful in case of data loss or corruption in Outlook.
  • In scenarios where multiple users’ contacts need to be migrated from one email platform to another, for example: from Exchange Server to Microsoft 365, exporting contacts to CSV enables the process.
  • CSV format can be used to import contacts into spreadsheet apps like Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, or LibreOffice Calc, enabling users to manage and analyze their contact data.
  • Exporting a single contact to CSV can serve as a template for creating a new CSV file, making it easier to import contacts into Outlook.com or Outlook on the web.

How to Export Contacts from Outlook to CSV Format? Manually

In this article, we explain three methods to convert contacts from Outlook to CSV format. Here you will get three methods to export contacts first two methods are for Windows Outlook and rest two methods for Web and Mac Outlook. All the methods are given below one by one:

#1: Using Import/Export Wizard

  1. Go to “File” > “Open & Export” > “Import/Export” in Outlook 2013 and later.
  2. Choose “File” > “Options” > “Advanced” > “Export in Outlook” 2010.

    click import export option

  3. In the dialog box, select “Export to a File” and click “Next”.

    export to a file option

  4. Click “Next” after selecting “Comma Separate Values”.

    comma separated values

  5. Click “Next” after choosing the “Contacts Folder” under the destination account. You may need to scroll up or down to locate the required account if you have several accounts.

    export outlook contacts to csv

  6. Select the “Browse” option.

    select the browse button

  7. Give your .csv file whatever name you choose, such as Outlook_contacts, and save it to any folder on your computer.

    enter the file name

  8. Return to the “Export to a File” box and select the “Next” button, as seen in Step 5’s screenshot.

    click the next button

  9. Click “Finish” to begin the contacts export process right now. Please be advised that this will transfer 92 fields of unnecessary information. Consequently, there will be a lot of blank cells and columns in your .csv file. Click “Map Custom Fields” and proceed with the following steps if you want to select the data to export yourself.

    export outlook contacts to csv

  10. Perform the following actions in the “Map Custom Fields” window:
    • To get rid of the default map, use the “Clear Map” option.
    • Locate the details you wish to export in the left pane, then drag each one to the right pane individually.
    • You may drag the elements directly up and down on the right pane to reorganize the exported fields (columns in your future CSV file).
    • Drag a field that was inserted by error back to the left pane to delete it.
    • Once finished, press “OK”.

      map fields

  11. Click “Finish” when you’re back in the “Export to a File” window.

    export outlook contacts to csv

#2: Export Contacts from Outlook to CSV Using the Copy-Paste

  1. Click the “People” symbol in the bottom “Menu” bar.
  2. To convert to a table display, choose “Phone or List” in the “Change View” group on the Home page.

    click the change view settings to Export Contacts from Outlook to CSV

  3. To export more fields than what is shown at this time, select “Add Columns” under the “3-Dot” icon > “Arrangement Group”.

    add columns

  4. Choose the required field in the left pane of the “Show Columns” dialogue box, then click the “Add” button to add it to the right pane.

    add column by add button

  5. Follow these steps to copy the contact information that is displayed:
    To pick every contact, use “CTRL + A”, and to copy the chosen contacts to the clipboard, use “CTRL + C”.

    copy contacts

  6. Open Excel or another spreadsheet application, and use the “CTRL + V” button on your keyboard to paste the contacts.

    export contacts from outlook to csv

  7. Save your Excel workbook as a .csv file if you want to import your contacts to any email service in the future.

#3: How to Export Mac Outlook Contacts to CSV?

  1. Launch your Mac Outlook.
  2. Click on the “Export” from the “Tools” tab.
  3. Select the “Contacts” and “Continue” button.
  4. Find the path to save the file locally.
  5. Press on the “Save As” icon to export contacts from Outlook to CSV format.

#4: Download Address Book from Outlook.com as CSV

  1. Login to your Outlook.com account.
  2. Head to the “People (Contacts)” icon.
  3. Select the contacts as needed.
  4. Hit on the “Manage Contacts” option.
  5. Then choose the “Export Contacts” option.
  6. Choose the “All Contacts” and “Export” button.
  7. Your contacts will be saved in .csv format in the Download” folder.

#5: Automatic Tool to Export Contacts from Outlook to CSV File

If you are thinking of using the manual solution, then let us tell you that it has some limitations due to which your data loss and a lot of time can be wasted. If you do not want to fall into all these problems then you can use the automatic solution.

To do this conversion, one of the best tools which is recommended by experts in the online market is Turgs PST Converter Tool. With the help of this tool, you can export contacts from Outlook to CSV format at once. This tool is also very easy to use and even a user from a non-technical background can complete this task very easily.

How to Download Outlook Address Book to CSV File Quickly?

  1. Firstly, launch and start the software on any operating machine like Windows or Mac.

    export contacts from outlook to csv

  2. The software will automatically detect your Outlook account from your system, which you can see on the software panel, and then press the “Next” button.

    configured outlook account

  3. Now, choose the “Contacts” folder and then, click the “Next” button.

    select contact folder

  4. After that, pick the “CSV” option from the list of “File Saving Options”.

    export contacts from outlook to csv

  5. Thereafter, you can choose the “Encoding format” such as UTF-8 and UTF-16 as per your need.

    select encoding formats

  6. Then, enter your desired location to export contacts from Outlook to CSV files.

    export contacts from outlook to csv

  7. After all, click on the “Convert” button. The conversion process is running.

    export contacts from outlook to csv conversion process

How to Export Mac Outlook Contacts to CSV Automatically?

If your contacts are in  OLM format, then you should download the Turgs OLM File Converter tool. And for the Outlook.com accounts use the Email Backup Tool. Each software is made with amazing features and filters, which makes it more powerful and the first choice of experts. For working steps and more details, you can check out the given pages.

FAQs

  • Q 1. What data will be stored in the CSV file?

    Answer: The CSV file will normally contain information like your name, email address, phone number, and other contact information from your Outlook contacts.

  • Q 2. Is it possible to export Outlook contacts with custom fields to CSV?

    Answer: Yes, when exporting contacts to CSV from Outlook, you may insert custom fields. Ensure that you appropriately map the custom fields throughout the export process; method 1 can be used for this.

  • Q 3. Can I export Outlook contacts to CSV on a Mac?

    Answer:  Yes, the export process is the same on both the Windows and Mac versions of Outlook. Follow the same instructions as for Windows. If you face any kind of problem then you can also use automatic software. This software is also available for Mac systems.

  • Q 4. Will contacts that I export be deleted from my Outlook account?

    Answer: No, when you export contacts, a copy of the contacts is stored in a CSV file. They remain on your Outlook account after this. Once exported, your contacts will still be in Outlook.

  • Q 5. Is it possible to import contacts into a different email application using the generated CSV file?

    Answer: Indeed, a lot of platforms support the CSV file format. It may be used to import contacts into a variety of email clients and services that allow the import of CSV files. Verify the destination email platform’s particular import settings.

Conclusion

In this article, we have discussed three methods to export contacts from Outlook to CSV files, allowing you to choose the one that best fits your needs. We’ve aimed to cover all the essential details to guide you through the process. If you’re wondering which method is the easiest and safest, we recommend Method 5, the Automatic Solution. It’s not only 100% secure but also the simplest solution for this conversion.

You don’t need to install Outlook to use this software. A demo version is available for you to try before purchasing.  You’re just a step away from completing your task efficiently!