Removing Duplicate Contacts from Outlook by using export / import

Duplicate contacts occur occasionally in Outlook and with simple maintenance you can remove them.

The three steps are simple:

1. Move all your existing contacts to a safe place
2. Export the existing contacts
3. Import and ignore duplicatesSee below for screenshots and full instructions.

1. Move all your existing contacts to a safe place

1. Click People.
   
2. Right-click on your current Contacts folder and select New Folder.
   
3. Give your new folder a name, for example Duplicates.
4. Click back into your main Contacts folder.
5. Press Ctrl+A to select all of your contacts.
6. Either drag and drop your contacts into the Duplicates folder or use Ctrl+Shift+V to open the Move to Folder dialog and select your Duplicates folder.
   
7. Your primary contacts folder should now be empty and you are ready for step 2. – “Exporting existing contact”

2. Export the existing contacts

1. Select File > Open & Export > Import/Export.

   Note: In Outlook 2010, select File > Open > Export and skip to step 10.

   

2. Select Export to a File.
3. Select Comma Separated Values (Windows).
4. Select the Duplicates folder you created in Step 3.
   
5. Save the file somewhere you’ll be able to find it again.
6. Click Finish.

3. Import and ignore duplicates

1. Select File > Open & Export > Import/Export.

   Note: In Outlook 2010, select File > Open > Import and skip to step 3.

   

2. Select Import from another program or file.
3. Select Comma Separated Values (Windows).
4. Browse to find the file you created in the procedure above.
   
5. Select the option Do not import duplicate items.
6. Choose your main contacts folder as the destination folder. This is the folder that is currently empty.

7. Select Finish.