Creating a contact group takes three steps in Outlook

A contact group in Outlook is a saved list of email addresses under one name. Instead of typing five email addresses every time you email your project team, you type the group name once. Outlook sends the message to everyone in that group automatically.

The steps differ slightly depending on whether you use Outlook on the web, Outlook desktop for Windows, or Outlook for Mac. All three let you create groups, but the menu locations are different. This guide covers the most common versions: Outlook desktop (Windows) and Outlook on the web.

Key Takeaways

  • In Outlook desktop, go to the People tab, right-click in the Contacts folder, and select New Contact Group to start building your list.
  • In Outlook on the web, click New in the left sidebar and choose Contact Group, then add members by typing their names or email addresses.
  • You can add people one at a time or paste multiple email addresses at once if you format them correctly.
  • Once saved, a contact group appears in your address book and autocompletes when you type its name in the To field.

Creating a contact group in Outlook desktop (Windows)

Open Outlook and click the People tab at the bottom of the window. In the left sidebar, right-click on Contacts (or whichever folder you want to save the group in) and select New Contact Group. A new window opens with a blank form.

Type a name for your group in the Name field at the top — something like "Marketing Team" or "Project Leads". This is the name you will type when you want to send an email to everyone in the group. Then click Add Members in the ribbon at the top. A dropdown menu appears with two options: Add from Outlook Contacts or New Email Contact.

If the people you want are already in your Contacts, click Add from Outlook Contacts. A dialog box opens showing your contact list. Click each person's name to select them (hold Ctrl and click to select multiple people at once), then click OK. Their names appear in the group form. If someone is not in your contacts yet, click New Email Contact instead, type their name and email address, and they are added to the group.

When you have added everyone, click Save & Close in the top left. The group is now saved and ready to use.

Creating a contact group in Outlook on the web

Log into Outlook on the web and click People in the left sidebar (or the icon that looks like a person). In the top left, click New and select Contact Group from the dropdown menu. A form opens with fields for the group name and members.

Type your group name in the Name field. Below that, you see an Add members field. Click in it and start typing a person's name or email address. Outlook shows matching contacts from your address book. Click the person's name to add them. Repeat this for each person you want in the group.

If you have a list of email addresses you want to add all at once, you can paste them into the Add members field separated by semicolons (like john@company.com; jane@company.com; bob@company.com). Outlook parses the addresses and adds each one. When you are done adding members, click Create at the bottom. The group is saved to your contacts.

Adding or removing people from an existing group

To change who is in a group after you have created it, open the group and click Edit. In Outlook desktop, double-click the group name in your Contacts folder. In Outlook on the web, click the group name in your People list, then click the pencil icon to edit.

In the edit view, you can add new members using the same method you used when creating the group. To remove someone, find their name in the list and click the X or delete button next to it. Click Save or Save & Close when you are done. The changes take effect immediately.

Using a contact group to send email

Once your group is saved, using it is simple. Open a new email and click in the To field. Start typing the group name — Outlook autocompletes it and shows the group name in the suggestions. Click the group name to add it. The email will be sent to everyone in that group when you click Send.

You can also see who is in the group before you send. In Outlook desktop, click the group name in the To field and a preview appears. In Outlook on the web, hover over the group name to see the member list. This is useful if you want to double-check that you are sending to the right people.

Organizing groups into folders

If you create many contact groups, you can organize them into folders to keep your Contacts area tidy. In Outlook desktop, right-click in the left sidebar under Contacts and select New Folder. Name the folder (like "Work Groups" or "Committee Lists") and drag your groups into it. In Outlook on the web, you can create subfolders in a similar way by right-clicking in the People section.

This organization does not change how the groups work — they still autocomplete when you type their names in an email. It just makes them easier to find if you need to edit them later.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add a contact group to another contact group?

Yes. When you are adding members to a group, you can select another group name just like you would select an individual contact. This creates a nested group — when you email the main group, it sends to everyone in all the groups inside it. Be careful not to create a loop where Group A contains Group B and Group B contains Group A, as this can cause errors.

What happens if I delete a contact group?

The group itself is deleted, but the individual contacts in it remain in your Contacts folder. Deleting a group does not remove the people from your address book — it only removes the saved list.

Can I share a contact group with someone else?

In Outlook desktop, you can export a group as a file and send it to someone, but Outlook on the web does not have a built-in share feature for groups. The easiest workaround is to give the other person the list of email addresses and have them create the group themselves.

Why is my contact group not showing up when I type its name?

Make sure you saved the group — unsaved changes are lost if you close the window without clicking Save. Also check that you are typing in the To field of an email, not in a search box. If the group is in a subfolder, it may take a moment to appear in autocomplete suggestions.

Can I create a contact group on my phone?

Outlook mobile apps do not have a built-in feature to create contact groups. You can create them on your desktop or web version, and they will sync to your phone, where you can use them to send emails. To add or edit groups, you need to use Outlook on a computer or web browser.