Export Contacts from Outlook
To export your Outlook contacts, click the File tab in Outlook and select Open & Export. Click the Import/Export button and then select Export to a file. Follow the prompts to select your contacts and export them to a new file. Read on to learn how to export contacts in any version of Outlook.
Contents
Steps
Outlook 2013
- Click the File tab. This will open a menu on the left side of the screen. Click the Open & Export option.
- Click Import/Export. This will open the Import and Export Wizard, which will provide you a list of importing and exporting options. Select “Export to a file”.
- Choose your file type. If you are exporting to another version of Outlook, select Outlook Data File. If you are exporting to another mail program, select Comma Separated Values. Click Next once you’ve made your selection.
- Select your Contacts. Once you’ve selected your file type, you will be asked to select the folders you want to export. Select Contacts and then click Next.
- Choose a file name. Give your contacts file a name that you will remember. Click the Browse button to select where you want to save the file to.
- Review the settings. Before the file is created, you will be given one last chance to see the settings you have chosen. Click Finish to create the file in the location you specified.
Outlook 2010
- Click the File menu. Select Options and then click “Advanced”.
- Scroll down to the Export section and click "Export”. The Import and Export Wizard window will launch.
- Choose "Export to a File" to export contacts and then click the Next button.
- Select your file type. If you are exporting to outlook, select “Outlook Data File”. If you are exporting to another mail program, select “Comma Separated Values”.
- Select Contacts. There will be a list of the data folders you can export from Outlook. Select Contacts to export your Outlook contacts file.
- Designate where you want to save your file. Click the Browse button to specify where you want to save your exported file. Provide a descriptive name and click the Next button a final time.
- Complete the task by clicking the Finish button. Your address book has been exported to the location you specified.
Outlook 2003 or 2007
- Click the File menu. Select "Import and Export". This will launch the Import and Export wizard.
- Select "Export to a file". In the list of options, Select “Export to a file” to save your contacts in a file that you can open with another program.
- Choose your file type. If you are exporting to another version of Outlook, select Outlook Data File. If you are exporting to a different program, select Comma Separated Values. Click the Next button to continue.
- Browse for the Contacts folder. Outlook lets you export any folder to a file, so you’ll need to select the Contacts folder, and then click Next.
- Designate where you want to save your file. Click the Browse button to specify where you want to save your exported file. Provide a descriptive name and click the Next button a final time.
- Complete the process by clicking the Finish button. Your contacts are now in a file ready to be imported.
Outlook Express
- Click the File menu. Outlook Express contacts are stored in a slightly different way than other versions of Outlook. Choose "Export", then select the Address Book option.
- Find the Text File option. It will say "Comma Separated Values" in parentheses beside it.
- Designate where you want to save your file. Click the Browse button to specify where you want to save your exported file. Provide a descriptive name and click the Next button a final time.
- Select the specific fields in your Address Book that will be saved to your export file. To be safe, check all the boxes in the CSV Export window. Click the Finish button to complete the process.
Tips
- The exported Address Book may be too large to save on a typical thumb drive and exporting to a network location can be a slow process. Try exporting the file to your desktop and then zipping it into an archive file before transferring it to a thumb drive or network location.
- It is a good idea to back up your contacts frequently. Should your computer crash, the Address Book could become corrupted and result in a file that cannot be exported.
