Create distribution list in Outlook from Excel spreadsheet?

I have about 70 email addresses (non-profit assoc. members) in an Access
database that, if needed, I can convert to an Excel spreadsheet.

What I want to do is generate a distribution list in Outlook without having
to start from scratch and select each name in the Address Book. Can this be
done?

Thanks

Bruce wrote:

What I want to do is generate a distribution list in Outlook without
having to start from scratch and select each name in the Address
Book. Can this be done?

If you have a semicolon-separated list of addresses in a text file, you can
open a new DL, click "Select Members", then open the address list file and
copy-and-paste the list into the Members field in the address book window.
Click OK and they'll be added to the DL. I've done it so I know it works.
It may also work with a comma-separated list, but I haven't tried that.
--
Brian Tillman

Followup questions related to Bruce's original question. Context is
maintaining organizational (Org) member email information for use in
broadcast emails to members. The info currently lives in Excel.

1) Can an Outllook DL created directly, either by the copy-paste procedure
you suggest or by keying email addresses directly in the DL's Members list,
rather than created by selecting already-existing Outllook contacts, be
exported to a file for use by other people? If so, how? In my tries so far,
such exported files (in Excel or CSV format) have omitted all distribution
lists.

2) Can I import address/contact data from Excel (or CSV file) into a
separately-named Outlook address/contacts folder rather than to the general
Contacts folder? If so, how? Outlook doesn't seem to allow selecting a
particular destination contacts folder for imported data.

3) Considering that Outlook does allow opening a .pst file with
address/contacts data into a separately named contacts folder, can the
current Excel file be converted into a .pst file either directly or via an
intermediate CSV file? If so, how?

Thanks for all help.

"Brian Tillman" wrote:

Bruce wrote:

What I want to do is generate a distribution list in Outlook without
having to start from scratch and select each name in the Address
Book. Can this be done?

If you have a semicolon-separated list of addresses in a text file, you can
open a new DL, click "Select Members", then open the address list file and
copy-and-paste the list into the Members field in the address book window.
Click OK and they'll be added to the DL. I've done it so I know it works.
It may also work with a comma-separated list, but I haven't tried that.
--
Brian Tillman

m wrote:

1) Can an Outllook DL created directly, either by the copy-paste
procedure you suggest or by keying email addresses directly in the
DL's Members list, rather than created by selecting already-existing
Outllook contacts, be exported to a file for use by other people? If
so, how? In my tries so far, such exported files (in Excel or CSV
format) have omitted all distribution lists.

ARe these other people also using Exchange? If so, of course. If not, then
you can export it as a text file with will look like this:

Distribution List Name: yourlistname

Members:

member one address
member two address
member three address

with a tab between the member name and the address.
--
Brian Tillman

2) Can I import address/contact data from Excel (or CSV file) into a
separately-named Outlook address/contacts folder rather than to the
general Contacts folder? If so, how? Outlook doesn't seem to allow
selecting a particular destination contacts folder for imported data.

3) Considering that Outlook does allow opening a .pst file with
address/contacts data into a separately named contacts folder, can the
current Excel file be converted into a .pst file either directly or
via an intermediate CSV file? If so, how?

Thanks for all help.

"Brian Tillman" wrote:

Bruce wrote:

What I want to do is generate a distribution list in Outlook without
having to start from scratch and select each name in the Address
Book. Can this be done?

If you have a semicolon-separated list of addresses in a text file,
you can open a new DL, click "Select Members", then open the address
list file and copy-and-paste the list into the Members field in the
address book window. Click OK and they'll be added to the DL. I've
done it so I know it works. It may also work with a comma-separated
list, but I haven't tried that. --
Brian Tillman

Brian:
Re (1):
-- Not using Exchange.
-- HOW do I export the DL to a text file, considering that past text files
from Outlook's export process have omitted all DLs? And if DL export can
work, how can I select a particular Outlook address/contact folder to export
from rather than exporting all address/contact info from Outlook?

Re (2) & (3): Any chance of answers to these?

Thanks,

"Brian Tillman" wrote:


m wrote:

1) Can an Outllook DL created directly, either by the copy-paste
procedure you suggest or by keying email addresses directly in the
DL's Members list, rather than created by selecting already-existing
Outllook contacts, be exported to a file for use by other people? If
so, how? In my tries so far, such exported files (in Excel or CSV
format) have omitted all distribution lists.

ARe these other people also using Exchange? If so, of course. If not, then
you can export it as a text file with will look like this:

Distribution List Name: yourlistname

Members:

member one address
member two address
member three address

with a tab between the member name and the address.
--
Brian Tillman

2) Can I import address/contact data from Excel (or CSV file) into a
separately-named Outlook address/contacts folder rather than to the
general Contacts folder? If so, how? Outlook doesn't seem to allow
selecting a particular destination contacts folder for imported data.

3) Considering that Outlook does allow opening a .pst file with
address/contacts data into a separately named contacts folder, can the
current Excel file be converted into a .pst file either directly or
via an intermediate CSV file? If so, how?

Thanks for all help.

"Brian Tillman" wrote:

Bruce wrote:

What I want to do is generate a distribution list in Outlook without
having to start from scratch and select each name in the Address
Book. Can this be done?

If you have a semicolon-separated list of addresses in a text file,
you can open a new DL, click "Select Members", then open the address
list file and copy-and-paste the list into the Members field in the
address book window. Click OK and they'll be added to the DL. I've
done it so I know it works. It may also work with a comma-separated
list, but I haven't tried that. --
Brian Tillman

m wrote:

-- HOW do I export the DL to a text file, considering that past text
files from Outlook's export process have omitted all DLs?

Open the DL and and choose FIleSave As.

Re (2) & (3): Any chance of answers to these?

2) Can I import address/contact data from Excel (or CSV file) into a
separately-named Outlook address/contacts folder rather than to the
general
Contacts folder?

Yes.

If so, how? Outlook doesn't seem to allow selecting a
particular destination contacts folder for imported data.

FileImport and ExportImport from another program or fileComma Separated
Value (Windows)Next. Browse to the CSV, select it, click OK, select the
duplicate handling you want, and click OK. Select the folder into which you
want to import it and click Finish. Works for me.

3) Considering that Outlook does allow opening a .pst file with
address/contacts data into a separately named contacts folder, can the
current Excel file be converted into a .pst file either directly or via an
intermediate CSV file? If so, how?

You cannot convert a CSV file or a spreadsheet into a PST. You must import
into Outlook.
--
Brian Tillman

I created a DL however received a message saying that I used up too much
memory for the list to be created and saved. It wasn't clear on how many
names I had to take off. So I saved the file as a 'rich text format' thinking
I would be able to cut some names off the list and import them back into a DL
then paste the other names and do the same thing.
I tried FileImport export, however I was unable to find what I wanted. Is
there anyway I can import these names from a rich text document into a
distribution list?

VMfromWI wrote:

I created a DL however received a message saying that I used up too
much memory for the list to be created and saved. It wasn't clear on
how many names I had to take off. So I saved the file as a 'rich text
format' thinking I would be able to cut some names off the list and
import them back into a DL then paste the other names and do the same
thing.
I tried FileImport export, however I was unable to find what I
wanted. Is there anyway I can import these names from a rich text
document into a distribution list?

Open the new DL and click Select Members. Open the text file (which should
have two columns, one for name and one for address). Select the rows in the
text file, click Copy. Put your pointer in the Members field of the Select
Members dialogus and press Ctrl-V or right-clickPaste.
--
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]

"Brian Tillman" wrote:

Bruce wrote:

What I want to do is generate a distribution list in Outlook without
having to start from scratch and select each name in the Address
Book. Can this be done?

If you have a semicolon-separated list of addresses in a text file, you can
open a new DL, click "Select Members", then open the address list file and
copy-and-paste the list into the Members field in the address book window.
Click OK and they'll be added to the DL. I've done it so I know it works.
It may also work with a comma-separated list, but I haven't tried that.
--
Brian Tillman

I just copied the list of email addressess from my excel spreadsheet, and followed your steps above. However, I did not have any colons, semi-colons or coma separators. I did a test email message, outlook automatically added the semi-colon separator and my message went thru.

"hsvgal" wrote in message
...

I just copied the list of email addressess from my excel spreadsheet, and
followed
your steps above. However, I did not have any colons, semi-colons or coma
separators.

If you have name/address pairs, one pair per row, it will also work.
--
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]