Outlook 2007: Create a Distribution List
Contributed by Rob Rogers 
Tagged: Microsoft Outlook If you frequently email the same group of recipients, a distribution list can be a real time saver. Instead of having to add each individual contact one-at-a-time, you can simply add the distribution list to your email and you have included all of those contacts in one step.
1. Go to the Standard toolbar and click New and select Distribution List (if you aren’t displaying the Standard toolbar, click File, mouseover New and select Distribution List).
2. A blank Distribution List will appear. In the Name textbox, input a name for your list.
3. Go to the Ribbon, in the Members section, and click Select Members.
4. The Select Members window will appear.
5. Double-click on each contact you wish to add to the list, they will appear in the Members textbox.
6. When you have selected all of the contacts you wish to add to the distribution list, click OK.
7. In the Distribution List window, go to the Ribbon and in the Actions section, click Save & Close.
8. The newly created distribution list will now appear in your contacts.
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eliz said on October 17, 2008
Anyone know how to cut & paste a long list of names from an email or document instead of selecting members one by one (in 2007)?
Archierb said on March 3, 2009
Copy them all (highlight & Crtl+C) – then when you get to the ‘Add members’ bity above, paste the list into the box at the bottom.
chasb said on April 2, 2009
That doesn’t work if the name displayed on the email that you copy them from only contained a name and not an email address. You get an error message: “Microsoft Office Outlook does not recognise [name]. Select the address to use: no suggestions”
I’ve tried getting into the internet headers and copying & pasting from there, but Outlook 2007 isn’t displaying the headers.
Very frustrating.
Ashley said on April 8, 2009
This is a fantastic step-by-step process. VERY pleased!
Alexis. said on June 9, 2009
This helped us at work very much. Thanks y’all for sharing the knowledge. *P.S… make sure to seperate each email address with a semicolon or Outlook gives an error messages saying it doesn’t recognize the email address
Anonymous said on August 31, 2009
Does anybody know if you can make a sublist for The distribution list. I have primary contacts and secendary contacts for different districts and I’m not sure if you can do that with Outlook 2007 or not.
Pat said on September 17, 2009
did you ever find a solution to this problem?
Anonymous said on December 16, 2009
I can follow your advice above up to the Select Members window that appears with “Seach” on the left side and Address Book on the right side – with the word “Contacts” in the box below it. However, there are no names that appear to allow me to add members to the DL list!
Note: All of my previous DL’s, and contact names therein, from Outlook 2003, are showing as separate folder lists under the “Contacts” listing. Do these names need to be moved?
Help!!
Karen said on February 10, 2010
does anyone know how to create a duplicate distribution list ?
Anonymous said on March 8, 2010
I want to create a distribution list from email inquiries that I receive but am having problems. I create this ‘Prospect’ Distribution list. I click ‘Select Member’ but I only get the selections from my contact list. How can I select members from those who have emailed me?
Gary said on October 1, 2010
This does not work for Outlook version 2007. I wish it did.
SheriL said on November 15, 2010
stupid MicroSoft…such a simple thing that would be so helpful…duplicating an already created distribution list so that it could be edited and renamed for another purpose (others added or removed)…sigh
Jack said on December 9, 2010
Did you get an answer to this. I do the same things with student emails. I don’t want them all in my address book, just copy and paste their email into a Disb list to use for the rest of the course.
Jack said on December 9, 2010
Did you get an answer to this. I do the same things with student emails. I don’t want them all in my address book, just copy and paste their email into a Disb list to use for the rest of the course.
Landfill321 said on January 4, 2011
copy the names, follow the above steps, click on select members then paste in the “Members field” worked for me….
Taya said on January 8, 2011
Does anyone know what the maximum number of names you can put on a distribution list is? It seems I often have to break up my lists and send out in smaller groups to get it to send? ANy suggestions??
Jere said on January 30, 2011
It has been my experience that the ISP (Verizon in my case) sets the maximum number of recipients. I use hosted exchange.
Jere said on January 30, 2011
This would be very useful. I have 1000’s of emails from job applicants and have been trying to find a way to build a DL without adding each individual to my contacts. Seems so obvious.
Maria said on March 21, 2011
does anyone now the max number you can put in a distribution list with Microsoft outlook 2007
Greg said on March 28, 2011
I have finally discovered a “trick” to add names easily into a Distribution List. Let’s say you have received an email from someone sending a “broadcast” email with names you want to select, you’ll need to REPLY TO ALL or open the message and RESEND to get all the names in the To box. However, do not try to copy directly from this email message since the addresses are not properly formatted and look like this “John Doe .” Instead, you’ll need to click on the To box in your open email (either REPLY TO ALL or RESEND) to open the To box up to the “Select Names: Contact” box. You’ll see the same names in the To box EXCEPT that the names will all be underlined. This means that the email addresses are embedded into the names shown. You can then copy these names and proceed with the directions given in this column.
Ktkec324 said on March 28, 2011
I created the list but as said the address is not getting displayed as DL instead it shows up individual names in the sent items. Also not showing up for others. How to make it permanent/uneditable in global address book and make it look as DL instead of individual names?