Share a Contact Group or Distribution List

Overview

Distribution lists are called “Contact Groups” in Outlook 2016. You are not able to export and import contact groups in the same way that you do address books; however, you may forward them to others (PC to PC only) as an email attachment. Follow these steps to e-mail your contact groups to another person.

You will also find directions on how to save a contact group you receive at the bottom of this page.

NOTE: Lists sent to others will not be automatically updated if you make changes to the list in your mailbox. You will need to re-send the contact group when changes are made. 

Directions - Sending Contact Groups

  1. Open your contact group from within your Outlook contacts/people.

     
  2. Click on the “Forward Group” button, and choose “As an Outlook Contact”.


     
  3. Outlook creates an e-mail message and turns the contact group into an attachment. Address the e-mail message as you normally do, type your message, and click Send.

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Receiving Contact Groups

  1. Open the e-mail message. 
  2. To save a distribution list sent to you by another person, do any of the following:

  • In the Reading Pane or message list, drag the distribution list attachment to the Navigation Pane and drop it on the Contacts tab.

  • Drag the distribution list attachment from the message into an open Contacts view.

  • Right-click the distribution list attachment from the message, click Save As in the shortcut menu, and save it to your desktop. You can then drag it from your desktop and drop it into Contacts.

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