Compose one, send a dozen: distribution lists make it easy to spread information by email. Learn here how to send group email in Outlook for Windows.
First, Why No Shadow?
If you want to escape your shadow—all you have to do is wait for a cloudy day (or find some shade).
There is still plenty of light, though, and even through the clouds it still comes directly from the sun. Why, then, you might wonder with me, are there no shadows to be seen on a cloudy day?
While the light comes still from the sun, only part of it comes straight from the sun. The rest is scattered in all directions by the clouds. So, it turns out on a cloudy day, there are (weak) shadows all around, and they pretty much equal out.
Now, with that in mind, how about scattering an email in many directions from one sole source? Here you go—it’s a sunny Outlook:
How to Send Group Email in Outlook for Windows
Time needed: 1 minute
To send an email to a group using Outlook for Windows:
- Create a contact group for the distribution list you want to use.
Mail a group without a list: Of course, you can also email a group of recipients without first setting up a list; if you will use the same group repeatedly, the one-time setup quickly pays off, though.
- Start a new email in Outlook.
Here’s how: Click New Email on the Home ribbon in Outlook mail.
Outlook keyboard shortcut: You can also press Ctrl N to start composing a new message. - Type the name of the contact group in the To, Cc or Bcc field.
Which to use: Use the To field for a limited number of group recipients and CC for larger groups; both To and CC recipients are visible to everybody. Use BCC to hide a group of recipients from all (other) recipients.
No Bcc: If you see no Bcc field, you can make it visible using the ribbon to add BCC recipients.
- Use auto-completion to insert the group.
What a group looks like: The distribution list will appear as the name with a squared ‘+’ in front (⊞).
- Compose and send the email as you usually do.
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How to Send Group Email in Outlook for Windows: FAQ
Can I remove recipients from the group for sending?
Yes.
To change the group of recipients for an email you are composing in Outlook:
- Click the squared plus (⊞) in front of the group in the To, Cc or Bcc field.
No immediate way back: This will replace the list with its individual parts altogether; you cannot go back to the list as a whole (except removing all recipients and starting over with inserting the group again). - Highlight individual recipients and press Del or Backspace to remove them.
Does not change the list: These changes apply only to the current email, of course, and not to the contact group itself.
Can I add recipients to the group?
Yes.
You can add further recipients to the To, Cc and Bcc fields like you do for any other email.
What happens if I enter the group under “Bcc” and leave the other fields blank?
When you use only a group in the Bcc field, the message will go to the group members with no visible recipients. it will be delivered fine (except in some very rare circumstances where an email server enforces a deprecated standard).
While email messages with only CC or BCC recipients are not okay to send and should be delivered fine, historically the “To” field and at least one entry in it have been mandatory.
(How to send group email tested with Outlook for Windows Version 2212–2402; updated March 2024)