by The article covers different ways to share Outlook contacts – a single item, email group, or entire folder – with someone within or outside your organization.
After creating a contact list in Outlook, the next logical step is often sharing it with coworkers. In today's collaborative workplaces, you'd expect this to be simple, right? But it's not always the case. Only the classic desktop Outlook application offers built-in options for sharing contacts, but not the new Outlook app and web. This guide will walk you through the process.
Note. This tutorial applies to the classic desktop Outlook application. The new Outlook and Outlook on the web currently don't offer contact sharing options.
How to share a contact list (email group) in Outlook
A contact list or group (formerly called a distribution list) is ideal when you need to share a collection of contacts with colleagues or team members. This is especially handy for mailing lists or project-based groups.
In classic (old) Outlook, follow these steps to share a contact list:
- In the Navigation bar, go to the People section.
- Right click the email group and select Forward Contact > As an Outlook contact. Alternatively, click the Forward Contact button in the Share group on the ribbon.
- A new message will be automatically created with your contact list attached.
- Compose your message, add recipients, adjust the subject if needed, and click Send.
Drag-and-drop method to share an email group in Outlook.
Another way to share a contact list is by dragging it into an email:
- Open a new message in a separate window.
- Switch to People.
- Drag the email group from your Contacts into the massage body.
Note. Outlook contact lists can only be shared within the same organization, i.e. within the same Microsoft Exchange server. If you try to share a contact group outside your organization, the recipient will receive only your personal contact card instead of a full list.
Tip. Want to share your email templates with coworkers? With Shared Email Templates, your whole team can easily access and use templates on any Outlook platform — desktop, web, Windows and MacOS.
How to share a single contact in Outlook
If you need to share just one Outlook contact, you can easily send it as an attachment in an email. This method works well for both internal and external contacts, depending on the format you choose.
To share an Outlook contact with another user, carry out these steps:
- Go to the People tab and select the contact you wish to share.
- On the Home tab, in the Share group, click Forward Contact. Alternatively, right-click the item and choose the same options from the context menu.
- Choose the desired format:
- Business Card - sends the contact as a VCard (.vcf file), which is supported by most email programs. This option is recommended for sharing contacts outside your organization.
- Outlook Contact - sends the contact in Outlook-specific format (.msg file), which is not compatible with other email applications.
- Outlook will automatically create a new email with the contact attached. Address the message, add any additional text if needed, and click Send.
Tip. When sharing contacts with someone outside your organization, always choose the Business Card (VCF) option to avoid compatibility issues across different email clients.
How to share Outlook contact folder
If you need to share an entire contact folder with someone, Outlook allows you to grant access through sharing permissions. This is useful when working on a team or collaborating with colleagues who need ongoing access to your contacts.
To share all contacts in a certain folder with someone, perform these steps:
- In the left pane, under My Contacts, select the target folder.
- On the Home tab, click Share Contacts.
- A new message will open, automatically set up to send an invitation.
- If you are sharing with someone within your organization, you can grant them editing permission (create, change and delete items in this folder) by selecting the corresponding checkbox underneath the Subject line. Use this option carefully to prevent unintended changes.
- Address and compose your message, then hit Send.
- Outlook will prompt you to confirm that you want to share the selected contact folder. Click Yes to proceed.
Depending on your selection, the recipient will receive one of these permission levels:
- Reviewer (read-only) - the recipient can view the contacts but cannot make any changes.
- Editor - the recipient can create, edit, and delete contacts in the shared folder.
Tip. This quick method of sharing an Outlook contact folder offers only two basic permission options. For more control, you can share the folder through its Permissions settings—similar to sharing Outlook email folders. This allows you to select from eight predefined permission levels or define custom access rights.
How to change or remove permissions for shared folder in Outlook
To adjust or revoke access to a shared contact folder, do this:
- Right-click the contact folder you are sharing and select Properties.
- In the Properties dialog box, go to the Permissions tab.
- Select the person whose access you want to change, and then either:
- To revoke access, click the Remove button.
- To change permissions, select the desired permission level from the dropdown list or manually select / unselect options under Read, Write, Delete, and Other sections.
This way, you can fine-tune the level of access to your contact folder granted to each recipient based on your collaboration needs.
How to add shared contacts to Outlook
If someone sends you a contact or an email list as an attachment, you can add it to your Outlook contacts in this way:
- Open the email containing shared contacts.
- Switch to People.
- Drag the attachment into the desired Contacts folder.
Tip. To save the contact list directly to your default Contacts folder, simply drag and drop the attachment onto the People button in the Navigation pane — no need to switch views.
How to access a shared contact folder in Outlook
When someone shares an Outlook contact folder with you, you'll receive an invitation email. To access the folder, click Open this Contacts folder on the Share tab of the message window or at the top of the Reading pane if you view it in place.
This will take you to the People tab in your Outlook, where you can find the folder under Shared Contacts:
Cannot share contacts in Outlook - troubleshooting tips
If you encounter issues while sharing or receiving Outlook contacts, try these solutions to resolve the most common problems.
Error when sharing Outlook contacts
When you see an error message while attempting to share contacts with someone outside your organization, this might be due to security policies or Exchange server settings. Contact your administrator or IT support team to confirm if external sharing is allowed for your email account.
Missing contact attachment
If the sharing invitation arrives without an attachment, your email program might be blocking certain file types for security reasons. In this case, ask the sender to resend the contact in the Business Card (VCF) format, which is more widely supported across different email applications.
Unable to open the contact file
If you're unable to open the shared contact file or add it to your address book, check whether your email client supports the file format:
- Use vCard (.vcf) format for better compatibility with most email programs.
- If the sender shared the contact as an Outlook Contact (.msg) file, make sure you're opening it in Microsoft Outlook. If necessary, request the contact in VCF format instead.
Contact not syncing
If the shared contact doesn't appear in your address book after saving, confirm you're adding it to the correct folder:
- If you dragged the contact to the People icon on the Navigation pane, it was saved in your default contacts folder.
- To place the contact in a specific folder, switch to the People view and drag the attachment into your desired folder.
In conclusion, sharing Outlook contacts – whether it's a single item, group, or folder – makes teamwork easier and helps everyone stay connected. While some methods are more straightforward than others, there's always a way to share the right information with your colleagues.