How to Export Your Outlook Contacts to a CSV File

You can export your Outlook address book in CSV format, easily imported into many other applications and services.

Always Take Your Friends

If you move from one email program to the next, you do not want to leave your contacts behind. While Outlook stores everything including mail and contacts in a horrendously complicated file, exporting your contacts to a format that most other email programs and services can understand is pretty easy.

Export Your Outlook Contacts to a CSV File

To save your contacts from Outlook to a CSV file use the following walkthrough.

Step by Step Screenshot Walkthrough (using Outlook 2007) 

1. In Outlook 2013 and later:
   1. Click File in Outlook.
   2. Go to the Open & Export category.
   3. Click Import/Export.
2. In Outlook 2003 and Outlook 2007:
   1. Select File | Import and Export... from the menu.
3. Make sure Export to a file is highlighted.
4. Click Next >.
5. Now make sure Comma Separated Values (or Comma Separated Values (Windows)) is selected.
6. Click Next > again.
7. Highlight the desired Contacts folder.
   • You have to export separate Contacts folders separately.
8. Click Next >.
9. Use the Browse... button to specify a location and file name for the exported contacts. Something like "Outlook.csv" or "ol-contacts.csv" on your Desktop should work fine.
10. Click Next > (once more).
11. Now click Finish.

You can now import your Outlook contacts into other email programs such as Mac OS X Mail, for example.

Export Outlook for Mac 2011 Contacts to a CSV File

To save a copy of your Outlook for Mac 2011 address book in a comma-separated CSV file:

1. Select File | Export from the menu in Outlook for Mac.
2. Make sure Contacts to a list (tab-delimited text) is selected under What do you want to export?.
3. Click the right arrow (▶) button.

1. Choose the desired folder for the exported files under Where:.
2. Type "Outlook for Mac Contacts" under Save As:.
3. Click Save.
4. Now click Done.
5. Open Excel for Mac.
6. Select File | Open… from the menu.
7. Locate and highlight the "Outlook for Mac Contacts.txt" file you just saved.
8. Click Open.
9. Make sure Delimited is selected in the Text Import Wizard dialog.
10. Make sure "1" is entered under Start import at row:.
11. Also make sure Macintosh is selected under File origin:.
12. Click Next >.
13. Make sure Tab (and only Tab) is checked under Delimiters.
14. Make sure Treat consecutive delimiters as one is not checked.
15. Click Next >.
16. Make sure General is selected under Column data format.
17. Click Finish.
18. Select File | Save As… from the menu.
19. Type "Outlook for Mac Contacts" under Save As:.
20. Choose the folder where you want to save the CSV file under Where:.
21. Make sure MS-DOS Comma Separated is selected under File Format:.
22. Click Save.
23. Now click Continue.

Note that Outlook for Mac 2016 will not let you export your address book to a tab-delimited file.

(Updated June 2016, tested with Outlook 2007 and Outlook 2016)