How to Export Your Outlook Contacts to a CSV File

Email & Messaging

Updated September 20, 2018

If you'd like to back up or use your Outlook contacts in another application or service, just export your Outlook address book in CSV format. Outlook makes the process fast and easy.

In Windows

In Outlook 2013 and later, click File > Open & Export > Import/Export. In Outlook 2003 and 2007, select File > Import and Export from the menu.
Choose Export to a file.
Click Next.
Select Comma Separated Values.
Click Next.

Highlight the desired Contacts folder. If you have more than one, you have to export them separately.
Click Next.
Browse to specify a location and file name for the exported contacts. Something like outlook.csv or ol-contacts.csv on your desktop would be appropriate.
Click Next.
Click Finish.

In MacOS

To save a copy of your Outlook for Mac 2011 or 2016 address book in a comma-separated CSV file:

Select File > Export.
Select Contacts to a list (tab-delimited text) is selected under What do you want to export?.
Click the right arrow button.
Choose the desired folder for the exported files under Where.
Type Outlook for Mac Contacts under Save As.
Click Save.
Click Done.
Open Excel for Mac.
Select File > Open from the menu.
Locate and highlight the Outlook for Mac Contacts.txt file you just saved.
Click Open.
Select Delimited in the Text Import Wizard dialog.
Enter 1 under Start import at row.
Select Macintosh under File origin.
Click Next.
Make sure Tab (and only Tab) is checked under Delimiters.
Leave Treat consecutive delimiters as one unchecked.
Click Next.
Select General under Column data format.
Click Finish.
Select File > Save As from the menu.
Type Outlook for Mac Contacts under Save As.
Choose the folder in which you want to save the CSV file under Where.
Select MS-DOS Comma Separated under File Format.
Click Save.
Click Continue.