How to Export Contacts Csv from Outlook Contacts (2026 Guide)

Follow these steps to export your Outlook Contacts contacts csv as a CSV file. Once exported, you can use any of our converter tools to transform the data for your target system.

Export Steps

Open Microsoft Outlook

Launch Microsoft Outlook on your desktop (Windows or Mac). If you are using the new Outlook or Outlook on the web (outlook.com), the export steps differ slightly and are covered below. Make sure you are signed in to the account that contains the contacts you want to export.

Open the Import/Export wizard (Classic Outlook)

In Classic Outlook for desktop, click 'File' in the top menu bar. Select 'Open & Export' from the left sidebar, then click 'Import/Export'. This opens the Import and Export Wizard, which handles both importing and exporting data from Outlook.

Outlook Import and Export Wizard accessed via File menu showing Open and Export option — Open the Import/Export wizard from File > Open & Export.

Select 'Export to a file'

In the Import and Export Wizard, select 'Export to a file' from the list of actions and click 'Next'. On the next screen, choose 'Comma Separated Values' as the file type and click 'Next'. This ensures your contacts will be saved in standard CSV format.

Outlook Import and Export Wizard with Export to a file option highlighted — Select 'Export to a file' and click Next.

Choose the Contacts folder

In the folder selection screen, expand your email account and select the 'Contacts' folder. If you have multiple contact folders or sub-folders, choose the specific one that contains the contacts you want to export. Click 'Next' to proceed.

Tip: If you only want to export a subset of contacts, you can use the 'Filter' button to narrow down which contacts are included in the export.

Outlook Export to a File dialog showing the folder tree with Contacts folder selected — Select the Contacts folder from your email account.

Save the CSV file

Click 'Browse' to choose a folder on your computer where you want to save the file. Enter a descriptive file name such as 'outlook-contacts.csv'. Click 'OK' to confirm the save location, then click 'Finish' to start the export. The process may take a few seconds depending on the number of contacts.

Outlook export save dialog showing file name and Browse button to choose save location — Choose a save location and file name for your CSV export.

Export from New Outlook or Outlook on the web (alternative method)

In the new Outlook or Outlook.com, navigate to the People (Contacts) section. In the ribbon at the top, click 'Manage contacts' and then select 'Export contacts'. Choose the contacts folder from the dropdown and click 'Export'. The CSV file will download to your browser's default Downloads folder.

Verify the exported CSV

Open the downloaded CSV file in Excel or a text editor. Outlook CSV exports use a flat column structure with fields like 'First Name', 'Last Name', 'E-mail Address', 'Business Phone', 'Mobile Phone', 'Home Street', 'Company', and 'Job Title'. Confirm that your contact data appears correctly.

Tip: For best results with international characters, ensure the CSV file uses UTF-8 encoding. If names or addresses appear garbled, re-export and verify the encoding setting.

Required Contacts Csv Fields

Field	Type	Description	Example
First Name	Text	First name	John
Last Name	Text	Last name	Doe

Your Outlook Contacts export must include these fields for successful conversion.

Next Step Once you have exported your contacts csv, use one of the converter tools below to transform your file.

Frequently Asked Questions

Outlook Contacts exports contacts csv as a CSV (Comma Separated Values) file, which can be opened in Excel or Google Sheets.

The file is usually downloaded to your browser's default Downloads folder. Check your Downloads folder or look for the download notification.