To avoid typing a host of recipients every time you email them all, you have set up a group in Outlook. Find out here how to, well, avoid typing all the recipients when you email a contact group in Outlook for Mac ⤓ legacy.
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How to Send an Email to a Contact Group in Legacy Outlook for Mac
⚡ Quick Fix
Press Command Option N to start a new message, click Bcc:, then type the name of the contact group and select from auto-complete suggestions.
Time needed: 2 minutes
To create and send a new email to a distribution list (contact group) in legacy Outlook for Mac:
- Start a new email message in Outlook for Mac.
Keyboard shortcut: Press Command Option N to start composing a new message.
- Go to the Bcc: field in the message header.
Does it have to be BCC: You can also use the list in the other address fields, of course; unlike the To: and Cc: fields, Bcc: does hide individual recipients and their addresses from each other.
- Start typing the name of the Outlook for Mac contact group you have created.
- Use auto-complete to enter the list.
- Compose and eventually send your group email or newsletter.
Their word: Microsoft include information on contacts groups in Outlook for Mac help.
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Send to a Group from Outlook for Mac People
You can also start your message with the group of recipients right in Outlook for Mac People:
- Go to People in Outlook for Mac.
Keyboard shortcut: Press Command 3 to switch to People. - Find and highlight the desired distribution list.
- Click Email on the ribbon’s Home tab.
Hover menu: You can also click the email icon that appears when you hover the mouse cursor over the list’s entry.
Use BCC: Outlook for Mac will create a new message with the list in the To: or Bcc: field depending on the list’s Use Bcc setting. - Compose the email to the list and, eventually, send it.
Special recipients, special signature:
How to Add or Change an Email Signature in Outlook for Mac
How to Send an Email to a Contact Group in Outlook for Mac: FAQ
Can I set up groups or lists in (new) Outlook for Mac as well?
Yes.
In New Outlook for Mac, you can set up contact lists and add them as Bcc: recipients.
Can I edit the members of a list — say, exclude someone or add an address — when sending a group email?
Yes.
To expand the list of recipients and remove or edit individual members when you write a group email in Outlook for Mac:
- Click ⊕ in front of the distribution list name in the address field.
- Add, edit, or remove individual recipients as needed.
Edit members: Double-click an entry to edit the name or address.
(Tested with Outlook for Mac 16.63; first published December 2023, last updated October 2026)