ARCHIVED: In Outlook, how do I address email?

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In Microsoft Outlook, you can address email in one of two ways:

Using the "To..." field

In the "To..." field, you can do one of the following:

  • Enter a complete email address in the form username@domain (e.g., jdoe@hotmail.com).
  • Enter the username only (without @domain) of someone listed in the Exchange Address Book. If the user does not have an Exchange account, the Exchange server will try to resolve the username against the Global Address List (GAL). If it succeeds, the message will be delivered to the preferred email address of that user. If it cannot resolve the username, a red line will appear under the username or address in the "To..." field.
  • Enter a name that appears in the Exchange Address Book, in the GAL, or in your Contacts. If the name is unique, the message will be sent. If the name is not unique and appears in the Exchange Address Book, you will be presented with a list of matches from which to choose.

Note for Outlook 2003 and 2002 users: The AutoComplete feature in these versions can interfere with Exchange when it tries to resolve the address against the GAL; you may wish to disable it.

When entering multiple addresses for recipients, separate the addresses with a semicolon.

Using the Address Book

  1. In Outlook 2010 or 2007, with the message window open, click the Message tab. Then, in the Ribbon, click Address Book.

    In Outlook 2003 or earlier, with the message window open, from the Tools menu, select Address Book.... You can also click To... to open the Address Book.

  2. Find the name of the intended recipient by selecting from the list or typing a name into the search box.
  3. Highlight the name and click the appropriate box (i.e., To-> for primary recipient, Cc-> for carbon copy, or Bcc-> for blind carbon copy).
  4. When finished, click OK.

This is document adsp in the Knowledge Base.
Last modified on 2021-09-07 17:12:07.