How to Export Your Outlook Contacts to a CSV File

If you move from one email program to the next, you don't 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:

• ›› Step by Step Screenshot Walkthrough

• Select File | Import and Export... from the menu.
• Make sure Export to a file is highlighted.
• Click Next >.
• Now make sure Comma Separated Values (Windows) is selected.
• Click Next > again.
• Highlight the Contacts folder.
• Click Next >.
• 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.
• Click Next > (once more).
• Now click Finish.

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