How to Import Contacts to Outlook from CSV File?

CSV files are one of the most common file formats for text data storage. If you need to move your Outlook contacts out of some other software, most likely you will be able to export them in CSV file. But how about importing this CSV file back to Outlook?

Use built-in Outlook import/export functionality. In Outlook 2013, you can find it by clicking File > Open & Export > Import from another program or file > Choose "Comma Separated Values".

Next, you will have to select your CSV file. 

In this step, we recommend leaving "Allow duplicates to be created", to make sure everything is imported. After you are done with importing, you can always remove duplicates, by using some duplicate removal software such as Deduper.

Now, select Outlook folder where you are importing the contacts to. To be sure that your CSV file was recognized correctly, click "Map Custom Fields" button and check if all fields are mapped appropriately. Click "Ok" and "Finish" to complete the import.

While importing contacts from CSV file usually gets the job done, it is recommended to use vCard file format to transfer contacts, as it supports not only text but additional fields as photos and etc.