How to Merge Duplicate Contacts in Outlook [Easy Methods]
Overview: Here is your one-stop solution to merge contacts in Outlook. If you are an Outlook user and constantly noticing multiple same contacts, then read this blog. Here we have simplified easy steps to merge duplicate contacts in Outlook in a short time.
Outlook is one of the most preferable email applications, which is provided by Microsoft. It is used by both large and small organizations. It is the first user preference when it comes to email clients for several reasons, such as an understandable user interface, being safe and secure, and some more advanced features.
Avid Outlook users who work with the application daily often have to face issues like “Outlook duplicate contacts.” The occurrence of multiple duplicate contact entries can lead to your Outlook running out of storage, and you may also get frustrated in finding your contacts. Therefore, in the upcoming section, we will discuss some simple strategies to merge duplicate contacts in Outlook 2021, 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, and 2007.
Before proceeding further, go through the following section that will help you understand the need to merge contacts and how Outlook combines duplicate contact entries.
The Need to Merge Contacts in Outlook
It is quite frustrating to have multiple entries for the same contact. You might call the wrong number. Or send emails to outdated addresses. Duplicate contacts create several such problems. Other known issues are as follows:
- Old contacts have outdated/wrong information
- A considerable time is wasted searching for the correct details
- More duplicates appear after each sync which keeps growing the contact list.
- Messy contact lists
- Storage space wasted
- Professional embarrassment
A clean contact list helps you stay professional. It makes communication more reliable. Take time today to merge those duplicate contacts.
Manual Methods to Combine Contacts in Outlook
There are multiple users on the web who are having trouble with multiple contacts of the same origin. In this section, we will explore two different ways to merge duplicate contacts in Outlook manually.
Method 1: Use People View
- Open Outlook Contacts, click on People icon.
- In the ribbon, switch to People view.
- Now, look for duplicate entries.
- Open the original contact.
- Click on the three dots and select Link Contacts.
- Now, type the duplicate contact detail like the same name in the Find a contact to link search bar.
- Click the contact to link it. You can select more duplicates to link them together.
If your need is only deletion of duplicates, then read this article: How to Remove Duplicate Contacts in Outlook
Method 2: Copy and Paste Method
- Open Outlook Contacts and find the duplicates.
- Now, open all the contact cards that represent a single entity.
- Compare their information.
- Click on New Contact and enter the information from all duplicates here.
- Save the new contact.
- Now, get rid of all the old and outdated contact cards.
The manual methods work well for small contact lists. It keeps your address book clean and prevents communication errors.
Expert Way to Merge Duplicate Contacts in Outlook
You can take the help of SysTools Outlook PST Merge software which allows you to efficiently merge contacts in Outlook. With the help of this tool, one can easily combine multiple address book entries in MS Outlook without any fear of data loss. This software furnishes an understandable interface that even a novice user can navigate easily.
This software helps you to manage multiple PST files in Outlook by merging contacts and combining duplicates into single entries. As for how? You can understand that by going through the steps in the next section.
How to Merge Contacts in Outlook: Step-by-Step
- Download and run the software on your machine.
- Add a PST file or folder that has duplicate contacts.
- Here, select the “Merge” tab.
- Choose to merge in a new file, existing file or Outlook.
- Must select “Contacts” to combine contacts.
- Tick “Skip Duplicate Items” checkbox and save specific criteria.
- Finally, merge duplicate contacts in Outlook PST file successfully.
You may also be interested in reading how to merge calendars in Outlook
Your Questions, Our Answers
Q1. How do I know which contact info is current?
Ans. Check the ‘Modified’ date. The most recent update is usually correct. Or verify with the person directly.
Q2. Will I lose any contact information?
Ans. No. The merge process combines all information. Nothing is lost.
Q3. What about contacts synced from my phone?
Ans. These methods work for all contacts. This includes synced contacts from mobile devices.
Q4. Can I undo a contact merge?
Ans. It depends on what method you used to merge Outlook contacts. In the case of the second manual method, you may find the entries in the Deleted Items folder. In the case of the expert solution, the source files should still be present with all duplicate entries. After all, it does not change the source files but works as per your selected option.
You may also be interested in knowing how to merge PST files without duplicates
Concluding Thoughts
It’s a common requirement for Outlook users to merge duplicate contacts in Outlook 2021, 2019, 2016, 2013, etc. In this article, we have discussed two approaches that will help execute the task positively. It is all up to the user’s requirements on what method to choose. However, we suggest the SysTools solution, as it offers an efficient way to merge contacts in Outlook.