autocomplete addresses

Question

how do I change the list of autocomplete addresses

Answer 1

Hi Carol Becker,

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A forum.

I understand you want to change the auto-complete (suggested recipients) list in Outlook.com.

Since the earlier response already covered removing a specific suggestion from the recipient drop-down while composing an email, I wanted to add a bit of context about where those suggestions come from and what else you can control in Outlook.com. Recipient suggestions can be generated from people you have emailed before and from entries saved in your Contacts, so the list may change over time as you communicate with new recipients.

If you have not tried the earlier steps yet, please try removing the unwanted entry once and let me know whether it disappears from the suggestions.

If your goal is more than removing one entry, here are two additional options you can consider in Outlook.com:

1. Check whether the address is saved in your Contacts. If a suggestion is coming from an existing contact entry, you may need to update or delete that contact, so it no longer appears as a suggestion. (Saved contacts can still be suggested unless the contact itself is removed.)
2. Reset or turn off “Suggested people” (expanded suggestions). In Outlook on the web, go to Settings, then General, then Privacy and data. Under Suggested people, select Clear data and turn off (or similar wording). This disables the expanded suggestions based on prior interactions, but saved Contacts may still appear unless deleted.

Please let me know whether you are trying to remove one specific entry or reduce suggestions more generally, and what you observe after trying the option that best matches your goal.

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Answer 2

In Outlook, the list of suggested recipients (AutoComplete / Contact Suggestions) is managed automatically as messages are sent, but individual entries can be removed while addressing a message.

To change the list, remove unwanted entries one by one when composing mail:

1. Start a new email.
2. In the To, Cc, or Bcc box, begin typing the name or address.
3. When the suggestion list appears, move the pointer over the entry to remove.
4. Select the X (remove) icon next to that name/address.

Outlook will stop suggesting that removed entry in future messages. New recipients are added automatically as messages are sent to them.

In the new Outlook experience, the Contact Suggestions List shows up to five matching names or addresses as characters are typed, and recipients are added to this list as they are emailed. Removing them with the X icon is the supported way to change the list.

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References:

• Manage suggested recipients in the To, Cc, and Bcc fields in Outlook
• The Outlook AutoComplete list