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How to Show Outlook Contacts Instead of the Global Address Book
Question details
The user needs to configure Outlook to display their personal Contacts folder as the default address book, rather than the Global Address Book, when selecting email recipients.
- Product
- Microsoft Outlook
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Composing a new email message and attempting to select recipients from the address book.
- Observed behavior
- Outlook defaults to the Global Address Book instead of the user's personal Contacts folder.
Ensure you are using the Classic version of Microsoft Outlook, as the steps to modify address book priorities differ significantly in the New Outlook or Outlook on the Web interfaces.
Set Contacts as the Default Address Book
Configure your Address Book settings to prioritize your personal Contacts folder when opening the address book or checking names.
By default, Outlook in an Exchange environment will display the Global Address List. You can easily change this behavior in the Address Book options.
In Classic Outlook, press Ctrl+Shift+B on your keyboard, or click the 'Address Book' button located on the Home ribbon.
Click on 'Tools' in the top menu bar of the Address Book window, and select 'Options' from the drop-down list.
Locate the section titled 'When opening the address book, show this address list first.' Click the drop-down menu and select your 'Contacts' folder.
In the same Options window, look under 'When sending e-mail, check names using these address lists in the following order.' Select your 'Contacts' folder and use the up arrow to move it to the very top of the list.
Click 'OK' to save your new address book settings and close the window.
Enable the Contacts Folder as an Email Address Book
If your Contacts folder does not appear in the Address Book drop-down menu, you must first enable it in the folder properties.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my Outlook Contacts folder empty when I open the Address Book?
This usually happens if the 'Show this folder as an e-mail Address Book' option is disabled in your Contacts folder properties, or if the contacts you have saved do not contain valid email addresses in their profiles.
Can I change the default address book in the New Outlook for Windows?
In the New Outlook, the address book interface has been simplified and natively defaults to your primary account's contacts. To search the Global Address List, you typically need to type directly into the search bar or manually select the directory, as the classic address book prioritization options are currently limited.
Will these address book settings sync to Outlook on the Web?
No, changes made in the Classic Outlook desktop application regarding address book priorities do not sync to Outlook on the Web (OWA). The web version relies on server-side Exchange settings and its own intelligent directory search.
