How to Merge Duplicate Contacts in Outlook—Best Solutions

Keeping Outlook contacts organized is essential for smooth communication. However, sometimes duplicates can start to pile up. These duplicates might appear when users import contacts multiple times across different devices. Therefore, having the same entries for users can be confusing. In this blog, find simple ways to merge duplicate contacts in Outlook. Furthermore, clean up Outlook space with the PST Merge Tool for direct output.

What is the Need to Merge Contacts in Outlook?

There are various reasons to remove duplicate contacts in Outlook including:

• In order to keep your contact list neat and easy to access.
• To save time while searching for the correct contact details.
• Avoid sending contacts to the wrong person or missing information.
• To prevent data from accidental deletion or any unauthorized access.

How to Merge Duplicate Contacts in Outlook?

In most cases, Outlook is enough to merge duplicate PST contacts. However, when large duplicates appear in Outlook then, users need a professional tool. Therefore, this section explains the manual method and the professional method. Also, describe the benefits and limitations of using both methods.

How to Combine Contacts in Outlook Manually?

Multiple users want to merge duplicate data in Outlook. Here, we explore two different manual methods to perform this process.

Method 1: Using Outlook Built-in Feature

1. Firstly, open MS Outlook on your device.
2. Now, open Tab and choose Option. Click Mail.
3. After that, select Empty-Auto Complete List in the send message section.
4. Lastly, select the Contacts folder.

When you import contacts, Outlook automatically merges duplicate contacts.

Method 2: Merge Duplicate Contacts in Outlook Use the People View

1. Firstly, open Outlook Contacts on your system.
2. Click on the People tab and now switch to People View.
3. Now, find the duplicate entries.
4. Click on any duplicate contacts to open it then, copy the details.
5. Further, open the second duplicate and paste any missing information.
6. Lastly, once the information is merged, delete the redundant contact.

Limitations of the Manual Method

• The manual method is available for small duplicate data.
• It is time-consuming, to merge only one duplicate contact at a single time.
• Outlook does not have a single button to merge all the contacts.
• Increase the chance of data loss while performing a merging process.

Dedicated Software to Merge Duplicate Contacts in Outlook

If you want to merge large duplicate data then, use the PST Merge Tool. It allows users to join multiple PST files and their data into one Outlook PST file. Along with that, it removes duplicate emails while merging multiple Outlook PST files. In addition, it merges all the data into new or existing PST files as per user choice. Furthermore, it merges PST files without losing any data or misinterpretations.

• Provide an option to merge contacts without attachments.
• Free PST Merge Software is available for performance evaluation.
• Also, highly compatible with all Windows OS versions.

Steps to Merge Duplicate Contacts in Outlook

1. Firstly, launch the PST Merge Tool as an admin.
2. Now, select Add Files or Add Folder to add the PST file. Click Next.
3. After that, select and preview the PST files.
4. Select Join PST or Merge PST based on your need. Hit Next.
5. Further, select the Item type and apply the Date Filter. Press Next.
6. Specify the Path to Save and apply optional features.
7. Lastly, click Join to merge all the duplicate data in a single file.

Conclusion

Managing Outlook data is important for keeping the contact list organized to increase productivity. Whether you choose a manual procedure or a professional tool, there are various options available. For small data, merging duplicate contacts in Outlook can be done by manual method. However, for large data, use a professional tool.

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