How to Create and Use a Personal Distribution List (Contact Group) in Outlook

Overview

A distribution list is a collection of email addresses. Creating a personal distribution list is a method to send an email to a set group of people without having to manually enter each email address each time.

Environment

There are instructions below for the Outlook Application (Old Version), Outlook Application (New Version), and the web version of Outlook.

Steps

Creating a Personal Distribution Group

Outlook Application (Old Version)

1. Click the People icon on the far left

2. Click the arrow by New Contact. Then click "Contact Group"

3. Name the contact group

4. Click Add Members (located in the ribbon)

  • If the member you want to add is in the Global Address Book – choose From Address Book
  • If the member you want to add is from other contacts you have (like family members) - choose From Outlook Contacts
  • If you are going to type in each address (meaning it is not stored in Global address book or your contacts) - choose New Email Contact

5. Add all the members you want – then click "Save & Close" (located in the ribbon)

 

Outlook Application (New Version)

1. Click the People icon on the far left

2. Click the arrow by New Contact. Then click "New contact list"

3. Name the contact group

4. Add all the members you want - then click "Create"

 

Outlook Web Version

Same instructions as the Outlook Application (New Version)

 

Using a Personal Distribution Group

Once you have created a personal distribution group, you can email all the members of the group at once. To do this, put the name of the personal distribution group in the "To" field.