Outlook: cannot create contact list nor add contacts to list

Question

In Outlook, I cannot create a contact list; it requires at least one contact, and it does not recognize any names even though they are in my contacts

Answer 1

Hi,

Thanks for reaching out to the Microsoft Community and for sharing the details. I just want to clarify something first: when you try to create the contact list, are you picking contacts from the People (Contacts) folder, or are you using the names that pop up from AutoComplete in the email field?

This issue often happens when Outlook relies on AutoComplete suggestions instead of actual contacts, or when the list is being created in the wrong folder. To fix it, make sure your contacts are in the main Contacts folder and not in Suggested Contacts or another location. If they’re in a different folder, move them to Contacts.

When creating a contact group, try adding members from Outlook Contacts instead of the Address Book, and search by email address if names don’t resolve. You can also clear the AutoComplete cache under File > Options > Mail > Send Messages by clicking “Empty Auto-Complete List.

If none of these steps work, try creating the list in Outlook Web at outlook.com or your organization’s webmail. If it works there, the problem is likely with your local Outlook profile, and creating a new profile through Control Panel > Mail > Profiles should help.

Hope this helps! Let me know how it goes.

Kind regards,

Edward

Answer 2

New outlook has imported my contact lists from Classic Outlook but the contact list shows that there are no members. When I click edit, it shows the members below the place where I can add members. When I try to add members to the list, it cannot find any contacts and the add button is still grayed out.

Answer 3

This is not an acceptable solution. If there are more than 1 of us so far reporting this identical problem - I am -- this is a software problem, not an individual profile issue. When is the next hot software fix, Microsoft ?

Answer 4

I've got the same problem. My previous contact list. with 83 members now says it empty. Outlook won't allow me to create or add anyone to a new contact list. This is a classic case of releasing an update and letting your customers find out its issues before fully testing it.

Answer 5

I have the same problem and I am working with the new Outlook Contacts in my app on my computer. Seems like a simple thing to fix rather than create workarounds by going to Outlook.com as suggested elsewhere in this thread.