Using Microsoft Outlook?  Wondering how to share Outlook contacts? Whether you need to share a single contact or an entire address book, Outlook offers several methods to ensure the process is quick and efficient.

In this blog post, we'll walk you through the different ways you can share your Outlook contacts, making it easier for you and your team to stay connected and organized.

3 ways to share your Outlook contacts

There are three main ways for you to share contacts in Outlook, including creating a contacts folder, sharing your entire contact list, multiple contacts and individually.

1. Share Individual Contacts via Email

One of the simplest ways to share a contact is by forwarding one, or several of your contacts via email. This method is perfect for sharing contact details with individuals who may need to reach a specific person but don't need access to your entire contact list.

To share a contact via email, simply:

1. Open Outlook: Start by launching Microsoft Outlook on your computer.
2. Access Your Contacts: Navigate to the 'People' icon in the navigation pane at the bottom of the Outlook window.
3. Select the Contact: Browse through your contact list and click on the contact you wish to share.
4. Share the Contact: With the contact open, go to the 'Home' tab and click on 'Forward Contact' in the 'Share' group. You can choose to send the contact as an Outlook contact or as a business card.
5. Send the Email: Add the recipient's email address, tweak the message as needed, and hit send.

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2. Share with specific people in your organization using public folders

For those in an organization using Microsoft Exchange, public folders are a great way to share contacts. Before you share a contacts folder with specific people in your organization, note that The default Contacts folder in Outlook is created in each Outlook profile. This folder can't be renamed or deleted. You might have additional contact folders.

The following steps are for newer versions of Outlook:

1. Open Outlook
2. From People, in the folder pane, select the contact folder that you want to share with a person in your organization.
3. Click Home. Then, in the Share group, click Share Contacts.
4. Select the To box. When asked on the Address Book window, choose the Global Address List then look for the name of the recipient for your sharing-invitation message. You can choose to change the subject line.

4. You can also choose to request permission to view the recipient's default People folder. To do so, select the Request permission to view recipient's Contacts folder check box. This step will require you to send an email to that person requesting permission.

5. In the message body, type any information that you want to include, and then click Send. Review the confirmation dialog box, and then if correct, select OK.

6. The person in your organization will receive the sharing invitation in an email. They'll need to click Open this Contacts folder.

3. Share with specific people outside your organization

Similar to the previous step, this allows you to share the default Contacts folder in Outlook that is created in each Outlook profile.

The first few steps are similar:

1. Open Outlook
2. In People, in the folder pane, click the contact folder that you want to share with a person outside your organization.
3. Click Home. Then, in the Share group, click Share Contacts.
4. In the To box, enter the name of the recipient for the sharing invitation message. If you want to, you can change the Subject.
5. Again, if you want to you can request permission to view the recipient's default People folder. To do so, select the Request permission to view recipient's Contacts folder check box.

From here on there are a few new steps:

5. In the message body, type any information that you want to include, and then click Send. Review the confirmation dialog box, and then if correct, click OK.

Depending on your permissions, you might get the following message.

If you get an error display similar to the one above when you try to send the sharing invitation, this means that sharing contacts with people outside of your organization is not supported by the sharing policy for your organization. You'll have to contact an admin in your organization to change this.

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Conclusion

If you want to share Outlook contacts, you shouldn't have to spend time doing so. Fortunately with folk, you can automate this process without having to open Outlook every time by using folk's contact sync feature. It provides real-time support for Outlook and Gmail so you don't have to go through the process of having to import contacts and export contacts each time you update someone's contact information. You can also use folk to create new contacts lists, contact groups and keep an eye on your interaction with them. Try folk today, free.

FAQ

How do I find my contact list in Outlook?

Open People. In desktop Outlook, select the People icon on the navigation bar to view Contacts and address books. In Outlook on the web, open the app launcher and choose People. Use the folder dropdown or search to locate specific contacts.

How do I share a contact list in Outlook?

In People, select the contacts folder, choose Home > Share Contacts, add recipients, set permissions if needed, and send. The recipient gets an email to open your shared contacts. External sharing may be limited by your organization's policies.

Can Outlook share contacts outside an organization?

Yes, if allowed by your Microsoft 365/Exchange sharing policy. From People, open the contacts folder, select Share Contacts, enter the external email, and send. If blocked, Outlook shows an error; ask an admin to enable external sharing.

Can a CRM sync contacts between Outlook and Gmail?

Yes, but only CRMs that support both. Choose one with two-way sync. folk CRM syncs Outlook and Gmail in real time, reducing manual import/export and keeping lists up to date. See folk.