What is Outlook?

Outlook is a versatile desktop application designed to facilitate email organization and management for its users. It offers a comprehensive suite of features that includes managing calendars, contacts, and tasks, all while ensuring security with its built-in features. With its search functionality, Outlook provides an efficient way to navigate through email messages and other information.

Additionally, Outlook is more accessible than before and caters to a wide range of users with different needs by offering a Lite option, which is optimized for low-resource phones or networks. The application is available at no cost, making it a widely accessible tool for personal and professional communication and organization.

The Outlook service is known for its reliability and is currently operational, ensuring that users have continuous access to their email and calendar services. Outlook also handles data with care, storing local copies of email account information, including emails, calendar data, contacts, and tasks on the user's computer. This local storage uses different types of data files, such as Offline Outlook Data Files (.ost) for IMAP accounts and Outlook Data Files (.pst) for POP accounts.

These data files enable users to back up or export items from their email accounts and are not restricted by mailbox size limits imposed by mail servers. By storing items locally, users can also alleviate storage space on their email servers. The synchronized copy of mailbox information is maintained in Offline Outlook Data Files, which are used by almost all account types. Outlook Group Storage Files store local Group conversations and data, which are also synchronized between the user's computer and the email server. Backing up important items like Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, and folders marked as 'Local only' is recommended to prevent data loss.

How to Export Outlook to a CSV File

Manual Approach

To export contacts from Outlook to a CSV file using the manual method, begin by opening Outlook for Windows. Navigate to the People option located in the left navigation bar. From there, proceed to select 'Manage contacts' followed by 'Export Contacts'. You will then be presented with options to export your contacts; select the desired one. Finally, click on the 'Export' option to initiate the process. The resulting CSV file will be saved to the Downloads folder. To ensure the export was successful, open the file with Excel and verify the contacts are present. Do not be concerned if you notice empty cells within the CSV file, as this is normal.

Expert Approach

Experts recommend using specialized software such as Corbett PST File Converter for exporting Outlook data to a CSV file. This method is favored due to its advanced features and more efficient conversion process. While this guide does not provide the detailed steps for using Corbett PST File Converter, users can refer to the official software documentation for a comprehensive tutorial. Note that after exporting your data, it is advisable to remove your account from any non-personal installations of Outlook to maintain privacy and security.

Automated Export with Nanonets

For businesses seeking an automated solution, Nanonets is an AI-based email parser that streamlines the process of exporting Outlook emails to Excel, which can then be saved as a CSV file. This method greatly reduces the time and effort required to manually extract business data from emails for analysis or backup purposes.

Streamline Your Workflow with Sourcetable

Forget the old, cumbersome process of exporting your Outlook data to a CSV and then importing it into another spreadsheet program. With Sourcetable, you can directly sync your live data from Outlook, eliminating the need for multiple steps. This seamless integration not only saves you time but also ensures that you're always working with the most up-to-date information.

Sourcetable's powerful platform is designed for ease of automation and enhanced business intelligence. By automatically pulling in data from multiple sources, you can effortlessly query and analyze your information using a familiar spreadsheet interface. This eliminates the manual effort typically associated with data management and allows you to focus on gaining insights and making informed decisions.

Common Use Cases

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  Importing contacts to another email account on Outlook for Windows
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  Using Excel to update contact information before importing to another email service
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  Transferring contacts to another computer with Outlook for Windows
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  Backing up Outlook contacts by saving them in a CSV format
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  Migrating contacts from Outlook to another email service using the CSV file

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I export emails from Outlook to a CSV file?

To export emails to a CSV file, open Outlook, navigate to Import/Export, click 'Export to File', choose CSV, and follow the upcoming steps until you click 'Finish'.

Why would I want to export my Outlook emails to a CSV file?

Exporting emails to a CSV file is useful for backing up your emails or if you are planning to switch to another email service. It can also be helpful if the Outlook PST file becomes corrupt.

Can I export emails from Outlook on a Mac to a CSV file?

No, on a Mac the only file type available for exporting emails from Outlook is the .OLM file.

Is the procedure to export emails from Outlook the same in all versions?

No, the procedure to get to the import/export wizard has changed in Outlook 2016, and it is also different on a Mac.

What can I do with my emails after exporting them to a CSV file?

After exporting your emails to a CSV file, you can import them to another email service.