How to Create a Contact Group in Outlook (Email Lots of People at Once)
If you regularly email the same group of people — your team, the committee, the parents of the football club — typing every address each time is a pain, and it's easy to miss someone. A contact group (called a contact list in new Outlook) lets you type one name and send to everyone.
New Outlook and Outlook on the web
1. Click People in the bar on the left.
2. Click the arrow next to New contact and choose New contact list.
3. Give the list a name, for example "Football Committee".
4. Add people: type their names or email addresses. You can add people who aren't saved as contacts.
5. Optionally add a description.
6. Click Create.
2. Click the arrow next to New contact and choose New contact list.
3. Give the list a name, for example "Football Committee".
4. Add people: type their names or email addresses. You can add people who aren't saved as contacts.
5. Optionally add a description.
6. Click Create.
Classic Outlook for Windows
1. Click People (the contacts icon) at the bottom left.
2. On the Home tab, click New Contact Group.
3. Type a Name for the group.
4. Click Add Members and choose:
• From Outlook Contacts
• From Address Book
• New E-mail Contact (for someone who isn't saved yet)
5. Select the people and click Members, then OK.
6. Click Save & Close.
2. On the Home tab, click New Contact Group.
3. Type a Name for the group.
4. Click Add Members and choose:
• From Outlook Contacts
• From Address Book
• New E-mail Contact (for someone who isn't saved yet)
5. Select the people and click Members, then OK.
6. Click Save & Close.
Outlook for Mac
Go to People, then File > New > Contact List (or New Contact List on the toolbar), name it, add members and save.
Send an email to the group
1. Start a new email.
2. In the To (or Bcc) box, start typing the group's name.
3. Pick it from the suggestions.
4. Write your email and send.
2. In the To (or Bcc) box, start typing the group's name.
3. Pick it from the suggestions.
4. Write your email and send.
In classic Outlook, click the + next to the group name to expand it and see (or remove) individual members for just this email.
Keep people's addresses private with Bcc
If the people in your group don't all know each other — parents, customers, volunteers — put the group in Bcc rather than To. Everyone gets the email, but no one sees the others' addresses. It's good manners and, in the UK, helps you stay on the right side of data protection rules.
• New Outlook: click Bcc on the right of the To line.
• Classic Outlook: if you can't see Bcc, go to the Options tab and click Bcc.
• Classic Outlook: if you can't see Bcc, go to the Options tab and click Bcc.
Put your own address in To.
Add or remove people later
Open People, find the list, open it and click Edit. Add or remove members and save. Every future email to the list uses the updated members.
Contact groups vs distribution lists
The contact groups above are personal — only you can use them. If the whole organisation needs a shared list (like sales@yourcompany.com), ask IT to create a distribution list or Microsoft 365 group. Those work for everyone and can receive email from outside too.
Wrapping up
People > New contact list (new Outlook) or Home > New Contact Group (classic). Type the list's name in To or Bcc — and use Bcc whenever the members don't know each other.
