Categories
Technology Training

Import and Export Contacts in Outlook 2016

If you use Outlook for work, at some point you may need to import and export contacts from your account. Though it may seem complicated, it is actually an easy process if you use the tricks we lay out in this video.

Have you ever tried to import something into Outlook, only to have your file rejected, or your data imported incorrectly?  If you are trying to import contacts into Outlook from a file that isn’t using the same data fields that Outlook needs, you will get bogged down trying to make sure that your data is mapped correctly. If for example, your ‘first name’ data gets mapped to the ‘last name’ data field, your data will flow into Outlook incorrectly.

Before you import anything into Outlook, you will need to know what Outlook wants. Outlook considers a lot of data fields during the import process, and it can be difficult to determine which fields are necessary, or how to get them in the right format. For this reason, it is easier and more reliable to import data into Outlook using the spreadsheet it gives you.

To fix this problem, start by exporting a CSV file out of Outlook. This will give you a spreadsheet template with all of the fields that Outlook requires. Once you have exported a CSV file, you can begin entering the data you have regarding your contacts. If you carefully input your data into the correct fields, you will have a complete data set that is ready to be imported back into Outlook.

Importing is the same process as exporting. You will need to select the updated CSV file from your computer. Outlook will want to verify that the data fields match up, and this won’t be a problem since you are now using Outlook’s template. Now, you should be ready to start importing your contacts into Outlook.

If you follow these steps, you will soon be a master at importing and exporting contacts in Outlook!

To shortcut the export process, you can use this Excel Contacts Template that has all of the data fields that Outlook requires for contact import.

Categories
Training

How to get Gmail to work with Outlook 2016

Are you using both Outlook and Gmail? Maybe you want to separate your work life from your personal life. You may also want to access both accounts from one dashboard. This is possible but you need to get Gmail to play nice with Outlook and vice versa.

Gmail considers Outlook to be an insecure application, meaning that Gmail will not export mail to Outlook unless you give it express permission. This will require you to go into your Gmail settings and give permission to “allow less secure apps”. By doing this, you are telling Google that it is okay to export mail to another application that it deems less secure than Gmail.

Once you have this feature turned on, you can access your Outlook account and add in Gmail. After completing these steps you will be able to see your mail from your Gmail account in your Outlook dashboard. You can also choose to see these two mailboxes separately or together if you have a preference. For detailed instructions on how to make these mail application work together, watch our how-to video.

CW Portal