How to Add Custom Fields to Outlook Contacts and Export Them
Question details
Users need to create custom fields in Outlook contacts to store additional information and then export this customized contact data to a file for future use.
- Product
- Microsoft Outlook
- Device & OS
- Windows
- Scenario
- Storing specific, non-standard contact information (such as department or customer codes) and exporting the full data set to a CSV file.
- Observed behavior
- Custom fields can be created and mapped for export in classic Outlook, but these options are missing in the new Outlook or Outlook on the web. Additionally, legacy Business Contact Manager fields cannot be edited.
Ensure you are using the classic version of Outlook for Windows, as the new Outlook and Outlook on the web do not fully support creating or exporting user-defined contact fields.
Create and Export Custom Contact Fields in Classic Outlook
Use the classic Outlook desktop application to define custom fields for your contacts and export them properly mapped to a CSV file.
Because Microsoft 365 does not provide the same contact-field interface across all versions, you must use the classic Outlook for Windows desktop app to create and manage these user-defined fields.
Launch classic Outlook and navigate to your People or Contacts folder.
Double-click a contact to open their details. On the ribbon, locate the 'Show' section and click on 'All Fields'.
From the drop-down menu, select 'User-defined fields in this item' or 'User-defined fields in folder'. Click 'New' to create custom fields such as a customer code or secondary phone number.
Navigate to 'File' > 'Open & Export' > 'Import/Export' from the main Outlook window.
Select 'Export to a file', choose 'Comma Separated Values', and select the Contacts folder that contains your customized data.
In the export wizard window, click 'Map Custom Fields'. Drag and drop your newly created Outlook user-defined fields to correspond with the desired CSV columns, then complete the export.
Recreate Legacy Business Contact Manager Fields
If you are trying to edit custom fields originally created in older software like Business Contact Manager (BCM), you must recreate them in standard Outlook.
Manage Your Exported Contact Data with WPS Office
After exporting your Outlook contacts to a CSV file, you will need a reliable spreadsheet program to view, edit, and organize the data. WPS Office is a free, lightweight suite that offers full compatibility with Microsoft Office formats, making contact management effortless.
- 1. Open WPS Spreadsheet: Launch WPS Office on your computer and click on the 'Spreadsheet' module.
- 2. Import the Exported CSV: Go to 'Menu' > 'Open' and locate the Comma Separated Values (CSV) file you just exported from Outlook.
- 3. Organize Your Contacts: Use WPS Spreadsheet's built-in sorting and formatting tools to easily read, modify, and organize your custom contact fields.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can't I find the custom fields option in my Outlook?
The ability to create and map custom contact fields is currently only supported in classic Outlook for Windows. If you are using the 'new Outlook' desktop app or Outlook on the web, this feature is not available. You must switch back to classic Outlook to access it.
How do I ensure my custom fields are included when exporting Outlook contacts?
During the export process via 'File' > 'Open & Export' > 'Import/Export', select 'Export to a file' and choose CSV. Before finishing the wizard, click the 'Map Custom Fields' button. Here, you can manually drag your custom Outlook fields to match the CSV column headers.
Why is the Properties button disabled for my user-defined fields?
If those fields were originally created using the discontinued Business Contact Manager (BCM) add-in in older Office versions, they may appear in Outlook but remain uneditable. To resolve this, recreate the fields as standard user-defined fields in Outlook and copy the data over before exporting.
