Operelio
Outlook / Microsoft 365Zoho

How to import Outlook / Microsoft 365 into Zoho Contacts

13 of the 22 columns in an Outlook / Microsoft 365 export, mapped into 13 Zoho Contacts fields under Zoho's own names.

Download the Excel templateUse this template free

Free · 19 KB · Excel 365 or Google Sheets

Check your Outlook / Microsoft 365 export first

Built on Outlook / Microsoft 365’s export columnsChecked against Zoho’s import rulesUpdated October 3, 2026

One Outlook / Microsoft 365 row, through the templatecopied as it ischanged on the way
  • First Name to First NamePriya
  • Last Name to Last NameNair
  • E-mail Address to Emaillowercasedpriya.nair@westmarch.example.com
  • Business Phone to Phone+44 161 496 0064
  • Mobile Phone to Mobile+44 7700 900064
  • Company to Account NameWestmarch Trading
  • Job Title to TitleMarketing Operations Lead
  • Business Street to Mailing Street5 Canal Walk
  • Business City to Mailing CityBirmingham
  • Business State to Mailing StateWest Midlands
  • Business Postal Code to Mailing ZipB1 2HP
  • Business Country/Region to Mailing CountryUnited Kingdom
  • Notes to DescriptionPrefers calls before 10am.
Not imported: Home Phone, Home Street, Home City, Home State, Home Postal Code, Home Country/Region and 3 more. The template leaves these out; map any to a custom field in Operelio.

Check your Outlook / Microsoft 365 export before you import it

Looks for the 13 columns this template reads, and what Zoho would skip.

Drop your Outlook / Microsoft 365 CSV here

Runs in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, and results are counts only.

Outlook / Microsoft 365 to Zoho in three steps

Step 1Export from Outlook

In the new Outlook for Windows, select People, then Export contacts from the ribbon. Classic Outlook uses File, then Open & Export, then Import/Export.

  1. Select the People icon.
  2. Choose Manage contacts, then Export contacts.
  3. Pick All contacts or a folder, then select Export.
  4. The .csv file saves to your Downloads folder.
Microsoft: Export contacts from Outlook on the webMicrosoft: Import or export contacts in Outlook
Step 2Paste into the template
  1. Paste the export at A1 of Paste your export here.
  2. Start here checks all 13 columns were found.
  3. Save Zoho Contacts import as a CSV.

Works in Excel for Microsoft 365 and Google Sheets. Excel 2019 and older, Apple Numbers and LibreOffice can't run the formulas this file uses.

Just the 13 headers as a CSV

Step 3Import into Zoho
  1. Open the Contacts tab, click the down arrow next to the Create button and choose Import.
  2. Drop in or browse to your CSV, XLS or XLSX file, set the character encoding if needed and click Next.
  3. Choose Add as new, Update existing only or Both, and the field that identifies an existing record.
  4. Map each column to a Zoho CRM field; for a lookup, choose the field that identifies the linked record.
  5. Set the assignment, approval and automation options, accept the anti-spam policy and submit.
Zoho CRM's importer, screen by screen

Operelio, with the same template

Fixes the capitals in names, formats phone numbers, removes duplicate and blank rows, which the Excel file leaves to you. On every plan. Email verification from Starter.

Use this template in Operelio

Questions

Where does Outlook / Microsoft 365's export fill Last Name, which Zoho requires?

Last Name comes from Outlook / Microsoft 365's Last Name column. The checker above counts the rows with Last Name blank.

What about Outlook Categories?

Zoho uses tags instead of Outlook's Categories concept. After import, apply Zoho tags matching your Outlook Categories using a bulk-edit on the imported contacts.

Duplicates and undoing an import: Zoho CRM import questions.

Try this template free

Upload your Outlook / Microsoft 365 export and download a file Zoho can import. No credit card needed.

Use this template freeSee all templates