How to Use macOS Contacts With Outlook

This article explains how to export your contacts in the Contacts application on a Mac and import them into Outlook. It also contains tips for using your Mac contacts with Outlook. Instructions in this article apply to Outlook 2019 for Mac and Outlook 2016 for Mac.

How to Import macOS Contacts Into Outlook

If you're on a Mac and want to use your Contacts address book with Microsoft Outlook, export the list of people to a VCF file and then import the file into Microsoft Outlook so that you can use your contacts in that email program. Here's how:

1. Open Contacts or Address Book.

   If you don't want to export the entire list, select the contacts you want to export.

2. Go to File > Export > Export vCard or drag All Contacts from the Group list to your desktop.

   If you don't see All Contacts, select View > Show Groups.

3. Close the open Contacts window and open Outlook.

4. Select People or Contacts.

5. Drag and drop the All Contacts.vcf file from the desktop (created in Step 2) to the Address Book root category.

   Make sure the Plus ( + ) sign appears as you hover the file over the Address Book category.

6. Delete the VCF file from your desktop or copy it elsewhere to use it as a backup.

More Tips for Using macOS Contacts With Outlook

Outlook for Mac automatically creates and assigns categories if you have your Address Book contacts in groups.

To avoid notes and photos from backing up in the VCF file, go to Contacts > Preferences > vCard, then clear the Export notes in vCards checkbox and the Export photos in vCards check box.

If in Step 2 you choose File > Export > Contacts Archive, the contacts are exported as an ABBU file instead of VCF. Use the ABBU format to import the contacts back into a macOS application.