Outlook Contacts sync

Outlook Contacts syncs automatically with your Notion database through 2sync. Create or edit a contact in either app and the change appears on the other side within minutes. You choose which contact folders to include, how fields map between apps, and whether sync runs in both directions or just one.

How do I get started?

Connect Outlook Contacts

1. Go to the Outlook Contacts & Notion Sync onboarding
2. Click Connect Outlook Contacts
3. Sign in with your Microsoft account
4. Grant permissions for 2sync to access your contacts
5. Select which contact folders to sync

Connect Notion

You can connect Notion in two ways:

Using the 2sync template:

1. Click Connect with Notion
2. Select Use a template provided by the developer
3. Click Allow access

Notion duplicates the default Contacts template to your workspace, and 2sync automatically detects the database. See setting up a Notion database for more options.

Using your own database:

1. Make sure your database is connected to 2sync: click (•••) > Add connections > 2sync on the database page
2. Copy the database link from (•••) > Copy link
3. Paste the link when prompted

How do I map fields between Outlook Contacts and Notion?

Field mapping controls how data transfers between Outlook Contacts and Notion. You can set the sync direction for each field independently. For a complete reference of every supported field, see Outlook Contacts fields.

Sync directions

• 2-way Sync: Changes in either app update the other
• 1-way to Notion: Outlook changes update Notion, but not vice versa
• 1-way to Outlook Contacts: Notion changes update Outlook Contacts, but not vice versa

For a detailed comparison, see two-way vs one-way sync.

Available fields

Adding fields

Click + Add Field in the Field Mapping section to add additional fields. Not all fields are shown by default.

How do contact folders work?

Outlook organizes contacts into folders instead of labels. The folder a contact belongs to syncs as a Select property in Notion.

Syncing multiple folders

Select multiple contact folders during setup. Use a Select property to identify which folder each contact belongs to. You can include folders from multiple Microsoft accounts in the same automation.

Filtering by folder

Sync only specific folders by configuring filters:

1. Go to the Filters section in your automation
2. Add a condition: Contact Folder is [Folder Name]
3. Only contacts in that folder sync to Notion

Categories

Outlook categories (color-coded tags) sync to a Multi-select property in Notion. Categories are bidirectional, so you can assign or rename them in either app and they sync automatically.

• Category names sync, though colors are Notion-specific (Outlook's color mapping does not transfer)
• Adding a category in Notion creates it in Outlook on the next sync cycle
• Use categories for filtering and organizing contacts in Notion views

Contact photos

Map Photo to a Files & Media property to sync profile pictures:

• Photos sync from Outlook to Notion
• Adding photos in Notion syncs back to Outlook
• Large photos are optimized during sync

How do I build a contact database?

Outlook Contacts + Notion creates a powerful CRM. For a step-by-step walkthrough, see the Notion CRM guide.

Combining with Outlook Calendar

Run both Outlook Contacts and Outlook Calendar automations to build a complete interaction history:

1. Sync Outlook Contacts to a Notion contacts database
2. Sync Outlook Calendar to a separate Notion events database
3. Map the Attendees (Relation) field in the calendar automation to your contacts database
4. Open any contact page in Notion to see every meeting with that person via rollups

Adding CRM fields

Beyond synced fields, add Notion-only properties:

• Status (Prospect, Customer, Partner, etc.)
• Lead Source
• Account Owner
• Custom notes and follow-up dates

Creating views

Build views for different use cases:

• All Contacts: Complete directory
• By Category: Grouped by Outlook category
• Needs Follow-up: Filtered by custom status
• Birthday Calendar: Sorted by birthday

How do I handle shared contacts?

Personal vs organizational

Microsoft 365 may have personal and organizational contacts. Choose which to sync based on your needs:

1. Check which folders appear in your folder selection during setup
2. Toggle on only the folders you want
3. Use a Select property to identify the source of each contact

Shared mailbox contacts

If you have access to shared mailbox contacts, they appear in your folder selection. Sync them to create a team contact directory using shared connections.

Common scenarios

Professional contact management

Sync work contacts from Microsoft 365 to track interactions, add relationship data, and build meeting history in Notion.

1. Set up an Outlook Contacts automation with your work contact folders
2. Add Notion-only properties like "Status", "Account Owner", and "Last Contact Date"
3. Combine with an Outlook Calendar automation and use the Attendees relation to link events to contacts

Team contact directory

Sync your organization's contact folders to a shared Notion workspace using shared connections.

1. One person creates the automation and shares the connection link
2. Team members connect their individual Microsoft accounts
3. Use contact folders or categories to control which contacts sync
4. Create Notion views filtered by category or department for each team's needs

Unified address book

Combine Outlook and Google Contacts syncs (separate automations) to one Notion database for a complete address book.

1. Set up an Outlook Contacts automation to your Notion database
2. Set up a separate Google Contacts automation to the same database
3. Map a Source field (Select property) to identify where each contact came from
4. Use Notion views to see all contacts together or filtered by source

Calendar integration

Combine with Outlook Calendar sync for a connected view of meetings and contacts:

1. Set up both an Outlook Contacts and Outlook Calendar automation
2. Map the Attendees (Relation) field in the calendar automation to your contacts database
3. Click through from events to contact pages in Notion
4. Use Notion rollups to see all meetings with a contact

Deleting contacts automatically

Map the Trigger deletion field to a Checkbox property. When checked, the contact deletes from Outlook on the next sync.

Tips and best practices

Sync frequency

• Solo plan: Syncs every 5 minutes
• Premium plan: Syncs every 3 minutes
• Pro plan: Syncs every 2 minutes

Click Sync Now on your automation to trigger an immediate sync.

Contact deletion settings

By default, deleting a contact un-syncs it rather than removing it from both apps. Enable Allow deletion in Sync Settings to delete contacts in both places.

Categories for organization

Use Outlook categories consistently:

• Create a category system (Clients, Vendors, Internal, VIP)
• Apply categories in Outlook or Notion
• Filter views by category in Notion

Regular cleanup

Microsoft 365 contacts can accumulate from email interactions. Periodically:

• Review and clean contacts in Outlook
• Use filters to sync only relevant contacts
• Remove duplicates using the bulk editing tools

Multiple accounts

If you have multiple Microsoft accounts (personal and work), create separate connections within the same automation or use separate automations. Use a field to identify the source account.

Working with large databases

First syncs of large contact databases take longer as 2sync builds initial links. If sync remains slow:

• Consider filtering to specific folders only
• Check the troubleshooting guide

What should I do next?

Now that your Outlook Contacts sync is set up:

1. See every field that syncs between Outlook Contacts and Notion
2. Build a Notion CRM with your contacts
3. Configure sync direction per field
4. Set default values for empty fields

Related

• Outlook Contacts fields for a complete reference of every supported field
• Create a Notion CRM for a step-by-step CRM setup guide
• Relations for linking contacts to calendar events and projects
• Sync direction and field mapping for controlling data flow per field
• Two-way vs one-way sync for understanding sync direction options
• Filters overview for understanding how to filter which contacts sync
• Delete behavior for understanding what happens when contacts are deleted
• Default values for setting fallback values on empty fields
• Notion property types for choosing the right property for each field

FAQ