Outlook / Microsoft 365
Close Contacts6 fieldsHow to import Outlook / Microsoft 365 data into Close
Outlook and Microsoft 365 contact exports include business phone, mobile phone, and the full business address. This template combines First Name and Last Name into Close's single Name field, then maps email, business phone, company, title, and the per-contact Notes column. Close models prospects as Leads with associated Contacts; this template creates the Contact records.
Field-by-field mapping
This is the complete column mapping from Outlook / Microsoft 365 to Close. The left column is the header in your CSV export. The right column is the Close field it should map to.
| Outlook / Microsoft 365 column | Close field | |
|---|---|---|
| First Name + Last Name | Name*name Close uses a single Name field on the Contact, so we combine the two Outlook columns into one. TransformFirst Name and Last Name combined with a space | |
| E-mail Address | Emailemail TransformLowercased and trimmed | |
| Business Phone | Phonephone TransformStandardized to international format (+1, +44, etc.) | |
| Job Title | Titletitle | |
| Company | Companycompany | |
| Notes | Descriptiondescription Outlook's per-contact notes land in Close's native Description field on the contact. The free text is preserved verbatim. |
Required by Close.
Columns we don't use
Your Outlook / Microsoft 365 export includes 15 columns this template doesn't map. Each one below explains why, plus the workaround if you want the data in Close.
- Mobile Phone, Home Phone
Close contacts have a single phone field on the standard layout. Business Phone maps to it; Mobile Phone and Home Phone don't have a default home.
If you need it. Add custom phone fields on the Close Contact called Mobile and Home, then re-run this template to map them.
- Business Street, Business City, Business State, Business Postal Code, Business Country/Region, Home Street, Home City, Home State, Home Postal Code, Home Country/Region
Close contacts don't have a default address block. Addresses are typically captured on the Lead in Close's data model.
If you need it. Add custom address fields on the Close Lead, or update the matching Lead records' addresses after import.
- Web Page
Close contacts don't have a default website field. Websites are typically tracked on the Lead.
If you need it. Add a custom URL field on the Close Contact called Website, or update the Lead's website field after the Contacts are associated.
- Categories, Birthday
Categories and Birthday don't have default Close contact fields.
If you need it. For Categories, set the Lead Status on each associated Lead to match. For Birthday, add a custom date field on the Contact and re-run this template.
Formatting and cleanup
Outlook / Microsoft 365 exports rarely match the format Close expects. Fix these before you import.
- 1.Combines First Name and Last Name into Close's single name field
- 2.Lowercases and trims email addresses
- 3.Standardizes phone numbers to international format (+1, +44, etc.)
- 4.Maps Business Phone as the primary contact phone
Or skip the manual work
Operelio runs this cleanup and mapping for you. Upload your Outlook / Microsoft 365 export and download a clean, import-ready file for Close.
Outlook / Microsoft 365 to Close FAQ
How do I export contacts from Outlook?
In classic Outlook for Windows, go to File, Open & Export, Import/Export, then choose Export to a file as Comma Separated Values. In the new Outlook or Microsoft 365 web, go to People, click Manage contacts, then choose Export contacts.
Does this create Leads or Contacts in Close?
This template creates Contact records. Close models prospects as Leads with associated Contacts. After import, use Close's bulk-edit tools to associate the Contacts to Leads.
Why do you map Business Phone and not Mobile Phone?
Close contacts have a single phone field on the standard layout. Business Phone is typically the primary work contact, so we map it by default. Mobile Phone needs a custom field.
Why don't you import the Home address?
Close contacts don't have a default address block. Business address is more reliable for CRM purposes anyway since it's typically required. See 'Columns we don't use' below for the custom-field workaround.
Will this create duplicate contacts in Close?
Close groups contacts under their Lead (company) record. Within a Lead, Close dedupes contacts on email; across different Leads the same email can appear twice. If a Lead with the same Company name already exists, new contacts attach to it, otherwise a new Lead is created. Spot-check or use Close's bulk-merge tools if you re-import the same export.
