import contacts from old outlook to new outlook

Question

import contacts from old outlook to new outlook

Eleanor Zweigle 0

I followed the instructions and only an icon appears on the new contact list, no information

John Jefferson Doyon 89,715 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-10-10T19:43:55.2933333+00:00

Hi, @Eleanor Zweigle

Just to clarify, did you follow the steps in this Microsoft Support article: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/people/import-or-export-contacts-in-outlook-using-a-csv-file specifically the section for importing local contacts from Classic Outlook to New Outlook?

Also, if you open the exported CSV file, can you see the contact names, email addresses, and other information there correctly?

Any additional info about the issue you can provide will be helpful in diagnosing and resolving the issue.

Thanks!

1 answer

Your answer

John Jefferson Doyon 89,715 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-10-10T19:43:55.2933333+00:00

Hi, @Eleanor Zweigle

Just to clarify, did you follow the steps in this Microsoft Support article: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/people/import-or-export-contacts-in-outlook-using-a-csv-file specifically the section for importing local contacts from Classic Outlook to New Outlook?

Also, if you open the exported CSV file, can you see the contact names, email addresses, and other information there correctly?

Any additional info about the issue you can provide will be helpful in diagnosing and resolving the issue.

Thanks!

Answer 1

This usually means the contacts imported, but the CSV did not map the contact details into the expected Outlook fields.

Use this supported check-and-fix path:

Open the CSV file in Excel and verify the data is actually present.
- If the rows only contain a name or identifier, the source export did not include the other fields.
- If the file has the missing details, continue.
Make sure the first row still contains the original column headings.
- Outlook requires the column headings in the first row.
- Do not replace them with custom labels.
If Excel prompts when saving the CSV, always choose Yes to keep it in CSV format.
- Choosing No can corrupt the file for import and require a new export.
Re-import the contacts into new Outlook:
- In new Outlook, open People.
- Select Import contacts.
- Select Browse, choose the CSV file, then select Open.
- Select Import.
If text is missing or unreadable during import, use a CSV saved with UTF-8 encoding.
- New Outlook recommends UTF-8 for best results across languages and alphabets.

If the CSV contains no real contact data, export the contacts again from the old Outlook source and then import the new CSV.

If these contacts originally came from Contacts (This computer only) in classic Outlook, export that folder again from classic Outlook before importing to new Outlook.

References: