sharing contact lists should be easy right?

Question

I'm hoping someone out there can help me sort this out finally...

Our org has a group of members, all external to our organization (none have an org domain name email), who we all email on a regular basis. I have created a "contact list" through the people tab in Outlook, and added all those contacts to the list. My question is very simple...

How do I share that contact list with my coworkers?

Answer 1

I was looking at this issue today (1/06/2025) and out of frustration, I switched the user back to classic Outlook. As it was switching, a survey popped up and asked me why I was switching so I typed in that there are issues with shared contact lists. Once I did that, a help box was displayed stating that new Outlook does not support shared contacts.

Once the switch back to classic Outlook completed, the shared contact list showed up as expected.

WTAF is Microsoft doing with this new Outlook garbage? Crippling the Outlook client and calling it "New" is absolute insanity.

I hope this helps someone

Answer 2

Work for an organisation with 12,000 staff. We have Office365 and licences. It's not available any longer which is a retrograde step, but then that seems to be the case at MS now.

Answer 3

Dear Jean Speck,

Thank you for posting in Microsoft Community.

Sharing contact lists in Outlook is indeed a straightforward process. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you share your contact list with your coworkers:

1. Open Outlook:
   • Launch your Outlook application and ensure you are signed in with your account.
2. Navigate to Contacts:
   • Go to the "People" or "Contacts" tab in Outlook.
3. Locate Your Contact List:
   • Find and select the contact list that you want to share.
4. Click on "Share Contacts":
   • Depending on your version of Outlook, there might be an option like "Share Contacts" or "Share Contacts List." Click on this option.
5. Choose Sharing Method:
   • Outlook typically provides various sharing methods. You might have options like:
     • Email: Send the contact list as an attachment via email.
     • Microsoft 365 Groups: Share the contact list with a specific Microsoft 365 group.
     • Via Link: Generate a link to the contact list that your coworkers can access.
6. Set Permissions:
   • Depending on the sharing method, you may need to set permissions. Choose whether your coworkers can only view the contacts or edit them.
7. Send the Invitation:
   • If you chose email or Microsoft 365 Groups, follow the prompts to send the invitation.
8. Confirmation:
   • Once shared, your coworkers will receive an invitation to access the shared contact list. They may need to accept the invitation to view or edit the contacts.

Thank you,

Answer 4

Thanks for replying...no such button is visible. not when I'm viewing single contact card either.

Answer 5

Did anyone ever figure this out?