Import Contacts from a CSV File Into Outlook
In the database or spreadsheet program, export the contacts data to a CSV (comma separated values) file. Make sure the columns have meaningful headers, though they don’t need to correspond precisely to the fields used in the Outlook address book. You can manually map columns to fields during the import process. The screenshots below are for Outlook 2016. Screens in other versions of Outlook may differ slightly, but the steps are the same. Any variations for older versions will be noted.
Import Contacts on Outlook.com
You can upload your contacts CSV file to Outlook.com as well. The process is a bit different from the software versions.
Do not import duplicate items. Replace duplicates with items imported. If the data in the CSV file is more recent or more complete, this might be the best choice. Allow duplicates to be created. If duplicates are created, you can always search for and eliminate them using a duplicate removal utility, for example.
