# Outlook Question
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlook-question/206108
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [October 7, 2003, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlook-question/206108 "2003-10-07T17:34:46Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@vpspdxn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vpspdxn)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2003, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlook-question/206108/1 "2003-10-07T17:34:46Z")
Dopers!
I need to create an email mailing list of my myriad business contacts. (no I am not spamming anyone) I know that I can export data from my contacts folder into a spreadsheet but I have niether the time nor the patience nor the disposable staff to enter every single business card that I have into a v-card in my contacts folder. I have however noticed that my outlook “knows” everyone to whom I have ever sent an email, because when I start to type “cec”, for example, it suggests Cecil Adams’ email address to me , as well as others with the same first three letters. It would be an enormous time saver if I could access this cached file of email address and export that! Any ideas? Anything would be sincerely appreciated.
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### Author:  [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2003, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlook-question/206108/2 "2003-10-07T17:45:46Z")
Ask and ye shall recieve:
> [@](#):
>
> Office programs you can use to make a list of names and addresses for a mail merge
>
> Before you create a list of names and addresses for a mail merge, you must determine which Office program is best suited to your task. For a mail merge, you can use a list you create in Word, Microsoft Access, Outlook, or Microsoft Excel.
> For a small- or medium-size list of names and addresses you don’t expect to make many changes to, you can use the Mail Merge Helper in Word. For more information, click .
> To use names and addresses of contacts in your Outlook contact list with the Mail Merge Helper in Word, first add your Outlook Address Book to your user profile. In Word, click Mail Merge on the Tools menu. Click Get Data, and then click Use Address Book. Click Outlook Address Book.
> For an automatically numbered list, use Word.
> For a longer list that you expect to add, delete, and change entries in, or for a list of numbers, use Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Access.
> For powerful sorting and searching capabilities, use Microsoft Access or Microsoft Excel.
> For a list with full relational database capabilities, for a large list, or for a list you can share with others, use Microsoft Access.
This was taken from asking outlook how to ‘export address book to a excel file’
Turns out you will be using your word mail merge feature instead of excel…
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### Author:  [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2003, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlook-question/206108/3 "2003-10-07T18:45:12Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by vpspdxn \*
> **I need to create an email mailing list of my myriad business contacts.**
This is a little unclear. Do you want to email all these people at once or just make a printed list of their names? In either case a distribution list may do what you want. In Outlook 2002 go to **Tools|Address Book** , then **File|New Entry**. Select **New Distribution List** and hit **OK**. You can then hit the **Select Members** button to choose the recipients you wish to include. This list can then be printed out.
The next time you want to send a mass email, click the **To** button and choose that distribution list.
This procedure varies slightly for other versions of Outlook.