Adding people to contact list

Dear @suelee000,

I completely understand your frustration. Managing a large organization's membership list is a massive task, and having to add hundreds of contacts one by one is simply not sustainable.

To be completely upfront: The "New Outlook" (Outlook for Windows) is built on a different web-based architecture and currently does not support direct copy-pasting of bulk email lists into a Contact List (Contact Group) the way Classic Outlook did.

However, you do not have to add them one by one. You can efficiently handle bulk imports in the New Outlook ecosystem by using the Outlook on the Web (OWA) interface, which shares the same underlying data backend.

Here is the fastest way to handle your bulk list right now:

Step 1: Format your Excel Spreadsheet

For Outlook to read your bulk list properly, it needs to be saved as a CSV file.

1. In your Excel spreadsheet, ensure your columns have clear headers (e.g., First Name, Last Name, Email Address).
2. Click File > Save As.
3. Choose CSV (Comma delimited) (*.csv) from the file type dropdown and save it.

Step 2: Import the CSV via Outlook on the Web

Since the New Outlook client is still maturing, the web interface offers the most stable import tool for large databases.

1. Go to https://outlook.cloud.microsoft/mail/ and log in with your account.
2. Click the People icon (Contacts) on the left-hand navigation bar.
3. On the top right of the screen, click Manage contacts and select Import contacts.
4. Browse to select your saved CSV file and click Import.

Once imported, these names will instantly sync to your New Outlook client, and you can easily select them to populate your mailing lists or categories.

Please refer to this document: Import or export contacts in Outlook using a .csv file

As a forum moderator, I hope you understand that I don’t have the ability to modify or escalate product issues directly. However, I strongly recommend submitting your feedback through the Outlook · Community. This is the most effective way to ensure your voice reaches the product team and can be considered for future improvements.  

Once you've submitted your feedback, feel free to share the link here in the comments. I’ll be happy to upvote it to help bring more visibility. If you prefer, I can also submit this great idea on your behalf. Just let me know, and I’ll post it for you and share the link once it’s published. I’m here to help ensure your feedback gets the attention it deserves. 

Additionally, as other users have raised similar concerns and may not be aware of where to share their feedback, I hope this response helps clarify the situation and suggests a potential next step. Highlighting this information can make it more visible to others in the community who may be facing the same issue, making it easier for them to find guidance and contribute their feedback as well. 

I’m sorry that I’m not able to provide any additional direct assistance in this case, as I don’t have the ability to intervene or make changes to these kinds of product limitations myself. That said, I genuinely want to express my understanding and empathy for your situation, and I do support the view that improvements in this area would meaningfully help deliver a better overall user experience.

Thank you again for your time and for raising this important usability concern.

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