Importing a Set of Addresses into Outlook 2000
May 2003

Adding a list of names and e-mail address to Outlook and then building a distribution list with those newly added addresses is a multi-step process. Although the process is not as straightforward as the internal documentation within Outlook would lead one to believe, the process is easily accomplished with care and patience. If you have to add relatively few addresses (e.g., no more than 10), those addresses could just as easily be added individually and manually. However, if you have considerably more addresses to insert (e.g., 20 or more), the following process will be helpful.

Start with the addresses in a spreadsheet. Get your address book information into an Excel spreadsheet. If the address information is in a text file (TAB-delimited is better; but fixed-width is also usable), you can import the data by opening the text file while in Excel. Excel will provide the Import Wizard to assist you. Import all columns of data — you can delete unwanted columns easily once they are in a spreadsheet.

Be sure the spreadsheet is in the proper format. The best, and absolutely necessary, format is the one found in the spreadsheet file entitled Model_AB.xls (i.e., model Address Book); click here to retrieve that spreadsheet. If your information is in a spreadsheet, but in a different format, then open the Model_AB file and simultaneously open your spreadsheet file. Assuming your file has the columns "labeled", copy and paste your information into the Model_AB file in the columns with corresponding titles. The more important titles/columns of the Model_AB file are:

First Name

Middle Name

Last Name

E-mail Address

E-mail Display Name

All other columns are considered less important and optional. If each person's name is not separated into First-Middle-Last style, use the entire name as the First-Name and leave the other positions blank. If you copy column titles from your file to the Model_AB file, be sure to delete them afterwards.

Save the model address book as a spreadsheet (as a backup) and a second time as a TAB-delimited text file (which will be used in the import process). Save the Model_AB file (as a spreadsheet). Then save again, this time as a TAB-delimited file. Use File > Save As. Indicate the new name if you wish (if you leave the name unchanged, the resulting text file will be named Model_AB.txt); change the Save-as-Type option to "Text (Tab delimited)". Click Save. Leave Excel without additional saving.

Create a new folder in Outlook to receive the imported addresses. Start Outlook. Create a sub-folder under Contacts and name it ((e.g., New_Contacts). Click File > New > Folder. In the Create-New-Folder window, click Contacts and then OK.  (You may be asked about putting a shortcut for the new folder in the tool bar; click the appropriate button as you desire.) 

Import the newly created text file. Click File > Import and Export. In the Action-to-Perform window, select "Import from other program or file" and click Next. For Select-file-type, select "TAB separated values (DOS)", which will be near the end of the available list. Click the Browse button and locate the file containing the TAB-separated information—possibly named Model_AB.txt. and click Next. For Select-destination-folder, select New_Contacts; click Next and then click Finish.  The addresses will be imported into the New_Contacts folder.

Create a distribution list with the newly imported addresses. Click File > New > Distribution List. Enter the name for the distribution list that will be created to contain the newly imported addresses. Click the Select-Members button. For Show-name-for-the option, select New_Contacts. In the left panel is the list of recently imported address. You can select one at a time and then click on the Add button (which is located between the two panels) or you can double click each address to accomplish the same action of moving the addresses to the distribution list. If you have a large number of addresses to copy to the distribution list, you can select the first address and, while holding down a SHIFT key, select the last address — which will select all of the addresses — and then click the Add button. When all desired addresses are added to the Distribution list, click the OK button. Finally click the Save-and-Close button to conclude the construction of the distribution list. The name of the list will appear in the Contacts folder of the Outlook address book.

Use the distribution list as you would an individual address. To send a common message to each member of the distribution list, enter the name of the distribution list in the TO slot of the New-Message window. You can also click the To button, locate and select the name of the distribution list in the Contacts folder, and then click the To button (or double click the name of the distribution list)