Outlook keeps creating duplicate contacts – How to Fix it?

Introduction

Outlook is a popular email client known for its extensive features. People allows you to manage your contacts. Outlook allows you to create and modify contacts. Sometimes you may find multiple contacts with the same details. These are duplicate contacts.

Multiple contacts can lead to problems such as multiple emails being sent to the same person. Let’s now see what could be causing duplicate contacts.

Reasons – Why Outlook Keeps Creating Duplicate Contacts

Outlook can create duplicate contacts for many reasons. Here are some common reasons Outlook creates duplicate contacts.

  • Drag and drop an email into Outlook Peoples to create duplicate contacts.
  • Contact duplication can also be caused by multiple email addresses being saved for the same person.
  • Multiple Exchange Server address books will create duplicate contacts.

It is now time to address the problem of Outlook creating duplicate contacts.

How to Remove Duplicate Contacts in MS Outlook

There are many ways to remove duplicate Outlook contacts. You can choose any method that works for you, depending on how many duplicate contacts there are. The first method involves deleting each contact one at a time. This works best when there are fewer duplicate contacts. If you have a lot of duplicate contacts, however, this method is not recommended.

#1. Remove Unnecessary Contacts One by One

  • Switch to the People tab in the bottom of the Outlook app.
  • Select the Phone View from the Current section.
  • You can remove all unnecessary contacts.
  • Right-click and select the option to delete.

This method is only suitable for limited numbers of contacts. Outlook can also find duplicate contacts. If you have many contacts, and Outlook creates duplicate contacts frequently, then this method is for you.

#2. Filter Contacts While Importing

This process involves exporting your contacts, then importing them to Outlook and filtering out any unwanted contacts.

Related Software: Email Duplicate Analyzer

Step 1 – Export Contacts From Outlook

  • Start Outlook and click People.
  • Right-click the Contacts Folder and choose the New option.
  • Enter a name for the folder, and then press OK.
  • Move all of your contacts to the new folder.
  • Click on the Save button and select the Open & Export tab.
  • Now Click on Import/Export button.
  • Click on the Next link and select the Export option.
  • Select the Comma Separated Value (.csv), file option, and then again choose the Next link.
  • Click Next and choose the newly created Contact folder.
  • Browse the desired destination and hit Next button.
  • Finally, click the Finish link to close the process.

Step 2 – Import Contacts into Outlook

  • Start the Outlook app and click the File button.
  • Choose the Import/Export button in the Open & Export tab.
  • Click on the Import From Another Program or File Option and then press Next.
  • Then, select the Comma-Separated Value then hit Next.
  • Select Do Not Import Duplicate Items, and then click on the Next button.
  • Click on the Finish button and select the destination folder.

Outlook keeps creating duplicate contacts. We’ve given you enough information to help you remove duplicate contacts. This technique can be quite cumbersome for users, as you will see. We suggest a more sophisticated solution to remove duplicate contacts.

The Best Way to Delete Duplicate Contacts from Outlook

SoftMagnat Outlook duplicate remover is the best way to get rid of duplicate mailbox items. It has an intuitive GUI. This tool is easy to use for anyone without technical knowledge. You can also customize the results with many helpful features.

Conclusion

This article will help you understand why Outlook keeps creating duplicate contacts. There are many ways to get rid of identical items. The Outlook Duplicate Removal is the best option.