Do you find yourself frequently sending multiple emails to the same group of people? If so, this tip is for you!

Save time by creating a contact list, also known as a distribution list. Once the contact list is created, you only have to enter the name of the contact list in the “To” field to send the email to all of the members at the same time. Here’s how:

CREATE A NEW CONTACT LIST

1. Click the waffle  at the top and select the People App. The waffle may be on the upper left or on the right, depending on how your windows is expanded.
2. Once the People App is open, click the drop down arrow next to “New” at the top, and select “Contact List” from the context menu.
3. Type in a name for the group in the “List name” box. To add members, use the “Add members” box. You can type in a name to search from the directory, or you can type in the email address. It will try to search your contacts first and give suggestions. If it finds the correct one, select it to add it. If it is not in your contacts, just click on the email address from the pop up to add it. It will not check for validity, so be sure to type carefully. Notice the member count goes up as you add new members. When you are finished adding members, be sure to click the Save option at the top. Once you have saved the new contact list, it will show up in your list of Contacts.  

USE YOUR CONTACT LIST TO SEND AN EMAIL

1. Switch back to Mail by clicking on the waffle and selecting the Mail app, if necessary.
2. Open a New email message as you normally would. Click on “To” to open up your Contacts. Scroll through your contacts until you see the group you created.
3. Click the + symbol next to the group to add it. Then click Save at the top when you are done adding your contact(s).
4. At this point you will be taken back to the original email screen where you can write and send your email as usual. Notice that the group name has a + symbol to the left of it in the email. This indicates that you are sending to multiple emails. If you were to click the + symbol, it would expand to all the email addresses in that group (this action cannot be undone on the same email). I point this out because it is possible to just type in the name of the group in the To field, but if it does not have that + symbol to the left of it, it is not your contact list, and will not work. The first time you send an email to your contact list, you must search for it in your Contacts as described here. After your first email to the contact list, Outlook will remember it and then you can type in the name of the list – just be sure to look for the + symbol to the left of the name.