How to Create a Sharepoint Contact List in Microsoft 365

Adding a SharePoint Contact List: What You Need to Know

A Sharepoint contact list for Office 365 (now Microsoft 365) gives you a collaborative contact database with enterprise-grade permissions, custom fields, and seamless integration with Teams and other Microsoft 365 tools.

SharePoint Lists have evolved significantly. The modern interface you’ll use today is the same technology that powers Microsoft Lists – so you’re getting current, actively developed functionality. The classic ‘Contacts’ list template has been retired, but modern SharePoint Lists provide enhanced capabilities for contact management.

Key capabilities for contact management:

• Custom field validation and data types
• Granular permission controls for different user groups
• Direct embedding in Teams channels as tabs
• Automated notifications and approval workflows via Power Automate
• Rich formatting and multiple view options
• CSV import/export for data migration

Important limitation: SharePoint contact lists do not sync to iPhone/Android native contact apps. Contacts remain accessible through web browsers and the SharePoint mobile app.

If your organization needs contacts on mobile devices with caller-ID, see the CardDAV deployment section at the end of this guide.

SharePoint Lists for Contact Management

SharePoint Lists are structured databases within Microsoft 365 that function like sophisticated contact management systems. Each contact becomes a “list item” with customizable fields for name, email, phone, department, and any other information your organization needs.

The modern SharePoint Lists interface uses the same technology as the standalone Microsoft Lists app. This means your contact lists automatically benefit from Microsoft’s latest AI enhancements, including autofill columns that use natural language prompts to extract contact information from uploaded documents, and Copilot integration that lets you query your contact data conversationally.

Collaborative Features

Multiple users can edit simultaneously without conflicts. Version history tracks all changes for audit purposes. Team members can add comments and discussions to individual contacts for context and follow-up tracking. Set up approval workflows using Power Automate for new contact additions or changes.

Analytics & Reporting

Connect your contact lists to Power BI for advanced analytics and dashboard reporting. Export data to Excel or CSV for regular reporting cycles. Track contact interaction patterns and identify data quality issues across your organization.

Security & Governance

Configure granular permission controls for different user groups. External sharing restrictions prevent accidental data exposure. Audit trails maintain compliance records. Data retention policies automatically manage contact lifecycle according to organizational requirements.

Tip 💡: For a deeper dive into large-scale, multi-system contact strategies, see our Enterprise Contact Management guide.

The Mini-CRM Approach

This combination creates lightweight CRM functionality. You can track interactions, create filtered views by department or location, automate notifications when contacts change, and embed everything directly in Teams channels. This structured approach provides better data management than spreadsheets or basic contact applications.

How to Create a Shared Contacts List in SharePoint Online

Prerequisites & Planning

Licensing Requirements

• Microsoft 365 Business Basic or higher includes SharePoint Online and Microsoft Lists functionality

Access Requirements

• Site member or owner permissions on a SharePoint site
• Consider creating a dedicated “Company Directory” site for organization-wide contacts

Recommended Column Structure

How to Create a Sharepoint Contacts List in (Step-by-Step Guide)

Step 1: Creating your Sharepoint List

1) On the site home, click New > List.

2) In the ‘How would you like to start’ page choose List

3) From the screen that follows name your list. I’ve used ‘Company contacts’ > Leave ‘Show list in site navigation ticked’. Hit ‘Create’

Step 2: Rename ‘Title’ to ‘Full Name’

In my example the first column will be ‘Full Name’.

1) In the new list, click the Title column header > Column settings > Rename.

2) Change Title to Full Name > Save.

Step 3: Configure Basic List Settings

Now we’ll create the contact fields your directory needs. Every organisation is different, so use this section to understand the main column types you can mix and match.

1) Click + Add column > Choose ‘Text’ when you need a simple one-line field (for things like Email Address, Job Title or Company) > Rename the column and hit ‘Save’

2) Click + Add column > ‘Choice’ when you want a drop-down menu of preset options (for example Department or Office Location). You can then select your options from the drop down

5) For phone numbers > Click + Add column > Choose ‘Text’ for phone numbers. Even though it looks numeric, a phone number should always be stored as text. This keeps the formatting flexible and ensures characters like +44 or (0) display correctly.

4) Click + Add column > ‘Multiple lines of text’ when you want a free-text notes area for longer notes or details.

5) Click + Add column > ‘Yes/No’ to create simple toggles (for instance an ‘Include on Devices’ switch or a ‘Verified’ flag).

Note:
When you’re in the Create a column panel, click More options to access extra settings such as:

• Require that this column contains information → forces users to fill it in (useful for critical fields like Email Address).
• Enforce unique values → ensures no duplicates (handy for IDs or account numbers).

Importing or Adding Your Contacts

Your contact list only becomes valuable when it reflects the people your teams actually communicate with. Whether that’s internal staff, contractors, or project partners, getting those contacts into SharePoint is what turns a static framework into a working directory your organisation can depend on.

There are two fundamentally different ways of getting contacts into SharePoint:

1. Manual or file-based imports (CSV/Excel) – static data, good for initial population or smaller teams.
2. Directory-based or automated syncs – dynamic data pulled from Microsoft 365 / Entra ID / GAL that can stay in sync automatically.

Sync existing Microsoft 365 or domain contacts (for internal directories)

If your organisation already manages employee details in Microsoft 365, Entra ID (Azure AD), or Exchange, you can bring that information into SharePoint to build a unified company directory.

Important:💡 SharePoint won’t automatically stay synced with Microsoft 365 or the Global Address List (GAL) unless you implement a dynamic option.

For organisations that need live or automated contact updates, there are two advanced approaches that can achieve this. Each is a specialist setup and a topic in its own right:

• Automated sync into a SharePoint list: Use Power Automate or the Microsoft Graph API to keep your SharePoint contacts aligned with changes in Microsoft 365 or Entra ID.
  Use SharePoint and Power Automate to build workflows – Microsoft Learn
  Microsoft Graph overview – Microsoft Learn
• Display live directory data (read-only): Use People web parts or Graph-powered cards to show live directory data from Microsoft 365 without storing it in the list.
   Show people profiles on your page with the People web part – Microsoft Support
  Working with users in Microsoft Graph – Microsoft Graph API Reference

For most organisations, though, the quickest and most reliable way to start building your company directory is to import contacts from a CSV or Excel file. This static method is easy to set up, works in every Microsoft 365 tenant, and forms the foundation for more advanced syncs later.

Import from a CSV or Excel file (recommended for first setup)

Option A: Paste rows in Grid view

For this to work you have to make sure the columns in your CSV match exactly with the ones in the Sharepoint list we created before. You also need to make sure that the data is valid, for example if your CSV contains a field with ‘Site operations’, wheras the department category you created in Sharepoint is ‘Site Operations’ it will throw up an error.

1) In Excel or Google Sheets open you’re CSV and select your data rows (no headers) > Right click ‘Copy’

2) In your Sharepoint list, click Edit in grid view.

3) Click the ‘+ Add new item’ and a blank row will appear. Click on the first cell once and it will go grey > Click again until it goes white and then hit Cmd/Ctrl + V to paste your data. It took a few tries to get this right, but it does work.

4) Fix any red/invalid cells (usually mismatches between your CSV data and the columns you ) > adjust values to match your options.

5) Click Exit grid view to save changes.

Option B: Create a new list via CSV import

Use this when you have a contact spreadsheet ready and want SharePoint to build a new list from it.

1) From your SharePoint site home, click New > List.

2) On the ‘How would you like to start?’ screen, click CSV under Import from. Hit the ‘Upload file’ button and select your CSV.

4) Review the column preview. SharePoint insists on you having a Title column on import so leave that as is. It will appear correctly when imported.
It will likely suggest a ‘Person or Group’ category for your ’email address’ column – This only works if all your contacts are users in your directory. Any external emails will not resolve so change this to ‘Single line of text’.
Change any other columns to match with the data types you are importing e.g. ‘Choice’ for drop downs etc.

Hit ‘Next’.

5) Enter a List name and click Create.

Create useful views

Views let you control how your contact data appears — whether that’s a simple list, a grouped gallery, or even a calendar of key dates. They’re a powerful way to make large directories easier to navigate and to highlight the information your teams actually need.

Consider creating a few purpose-built views, such as:

By Department – group contacts by department so teams can quickly find colleagues.

By Office Location – useful for distributed companies or regional branches.

Phone-Ready – show only contacts marked Include on Devices = Yes for syncing to mobiles.

Partners & Vendors – filter by Contact Type = External to manage non-staff contacts.

Recently Added – a simple QA view showing the most recent changes.

You can switch between these views at any time without affecting the underlying data, or set one as the default so everyone lands on the most useful layout.

1) Click the ‘+ Add view’ button at the top right of your list.

When you do this, you’ll see several layout options:

• List – the standard table view (perfect for directories and filtering by department or name).
• Gallery – shows each contact as a card, ideal for more visual layouts like team profiles.
• Board – displays items in columns (similar to a Kanban board). You can drag and drop items between categories such as departments or contact types.
• Calendar – displays items by date, useful if your contacts include renewal dates or project start dates.

Each of these options represents a different view layout. You can switch between them anytime without changing your underlying data.

Enter a ‘View name’ (for example, By Department), keep List selected, and tick ‘Make this a public view’ if you want others to see it. and hit ‘Create’

You can now customize the new view. Here are some examples

Column settings > click any column drop down arrow > Hover over ‘Column settings’ for options such as ‘Hide this column’

Sort > click the Sort icon > choose Full Name (A → Z).

Group By > click the Group icon > choose Department (or Office Location) to create collapsible groups.

Filter > click the Filter funnel > add quick filters (e.g., Include on Devices = Yes, Contact Type = Staff/Partner).

Save the view > open the view menu (e.g., By Department) > Save view as (or Save if available).

Configure List Permissions

In this example our plan is to give a small group edit rights while everyone else can view, without messing with site-wide access.

💡 Tip: Always share lists with Microsoft 365 or SharePoint groups, not individual accounts — it’s easier to manage over time. See Microsoft Learn – Manage site permissions and groups for official guidance.

Keep external sharing off for company directories (site owners can control sharing and access requests in site settings). Microsoft Support

Version history is on by default—use it to audit changes/roll back if needed (open an item > Version history).

Set SharePoint List Permissions for Editors and Viewers

1) In your Company Contacts list, click ‘Share’ in the command bar.

2) I’ve already created a ‘Contact Managers’ Microsoft 365 group in the admin centre, so I can add the Contact Managers members here > select it > set Can edit.

If you also want everyone else to have read-only access:

1) Click Share again.

2) Type Everyone except external users.

3) Before sending, click the dropdown > select Can view instead of edit.

4) Click Send.

Integrate SharePoint Contact Directory with Microsoft Teams Channels

Putting your SharePoint company directory in a Teams tab puts the directory where people already work. One click to search, filter, and view contacts without opening SharePoint.

1) In Microsoft Teams, go to the team channel where you want the directory > Click + (Add a tab) on the top tab bar.

2) Search for Apps > Select ‘See All’ > Choose Sharepoint

3) It can take a while for your created list to appear in the Teams area, so a sure fire way to do this is to click the ‘Any SharePoint site’ button and then add the exact link to your list and hit To find your list open the list in share point > Select the gear icon > Choose ‘List Settings’ > Copy the URL from ‘Web Address’

Your Share point contact list will now show in your new Teams tab:

Set Up Automation on your Sharepoint Contact Directory

Once your contact directory is live, automation is what keeps it up to date and consistent. Using Power Automate, you can create simple workflows that react when contacts are added, edited, or removed. It’s an easy way to reduce manual updates and keep your list aligned with other systems.

Triggers approval steps before publishing new or sensitive information.

Examples of what you can automate

• Send an email or Teams message when a new contact is created.
• Update linked records in other Microsoft 365 lists.
• Automatically archive contacts marked “Inactive” after a set period.

You can start from your list in SharePoint by selecting Integrate > Power Automate > Create a flow, then choosing a prebuilt template to get started.

Learn more:

Use SharePoint and Power Automate to build workflows

Create a flow for a list or library

• Microsoft Learn: Automate tasks in Microsoft Lists

Getting Sharepoint Contacts on to Mobile Devices

Once your contact directory is set up, the next question is usually how to make those details available on staff phones. While SharePoint works well for storing and sharing contact information across the organisation, it isn’t designed to feed those contacts directly into native phone apps.

Why SharePoint Doesn’t Sync to Phone Contacts

SharePoint Lists operate within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem — they’re accessible through browsers, Teams, or the SharePoint mobile app — but they don’t integrate with the contact frameworks used by iOS or Android.

iPhone and Android Contacts apps expect data from CardDAV or Exchange ActiveSync protocols — standards built specifically for personal contact synchronization. SharePoint Lists expose data through REST APIs and Microsoft Graph — designed for collaborative database access, permissions management, and workflow integration.

There’s no built-in bridge between these systems. SharePoint prioritizes collaborative access, version control, and data security over personal device integration.

Deploying SharePoint Contacts to Devices with Contactzilla

For organizations needing to bridge SharePoint contact management with mobile device access, Contactzilla provides a CardDAV platform designed specifically for enterprise deployment.

Here is how it works:

1. Export your SharePoint List data (one-time or via scheduled automation)
2. Import contacts into Contactzilla address books
3. Configure permissions and selective sync rules
4. Deploy to devices via MDM or individual provisioning profiles

Contactzilla generates .mobileconfig files that upload directly to Intune, Jamf, Mosyle, or other MDM platforms. Once deployed, contacts sync to the native Contacts app on iOS and Android devices, providing full caller-ID integration and offline access.

Permission-Based Contact Distribution

Set read-only, read/write, or label-based sync permissions for different user groups. Field teams can receive read-only contacts while management maintains full editing rights centrally.

Selective Contact Sync by Department or Location

Deploy entire address books or use selective read-only sync to push only contacts with specific labels. Assign contacts tagged “department:sales” to sales staff or “site:manchester” to the Manchester team — each user receives only relevant contacts.

MDM Deployment for iOS and Android Devices

Push contacts individually via QR code for quick setup, or deploy at scale by uploading .mobileconfig files to your MDM platform. Changes made in the central dashboard propagate automatically to all connected devices.

Native device integration

Contacts appear in the native iOS Contacts app or Android Contacts (via the Contactzilla Sync app) with full integration for dialing, messaging, and third-party app lookups.

Migrating from SharePoint to CardDAV Contact Management

For mobile device deployment, Contactzilla becomes your primary contact management platform rather than SharePoint.

SharePoint Lists remain valuable for collaborative database management, workflows, and browser-based access. But if mobile caller-ID and native device integration are critical requirements, purpose-built CardDAV platforms handle this use case more effectively than attempting to bridge SharePoint’s collaborative architecture with mobile contact protocols.

Learn more: Setting Up MDM Deployments of your contact lists in MS Intune

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I enable external users to access my SharePoint contact list?

Yes, SharePoint allows external sharing if enabled by your administrator. Click Share on the list, enter external email addresses, and set view-only or edit permissions. External users receive an invitation link to access the contact list through their browser without needing a Microsoft 365 license.

Are there any templates available for creating contact lists in SharePoint?

Microsoft retired the classic Contacts template in modern SharePoint. Instead, create a blank list and add custom columns for names, email addresses, phone numbers, and departments. Modern SharePoint Lists provide enhanced features including field validation, permissions controls, and Teams integration that the old template couldn’t support.

What happened to the SharePoint Contacts template?

Microsoft retired the classic “Contacts” template in modern SharePoint. Instead, you create a blank list and configure it with custom columns for contact management. Modern SharePoint Lists provide enhanced capabilities including field validation, choice columns, Power Automate workflows, and Teams integration that the old template couldn’t support.

Can SharePoint contacts sync to iPhone or Android?

No, SharePoint Lists do not sync natively to iPhone or Android contact apps. Contacts remain accessible through web browsers and the SharePoint mobile app, but won’t appear in your phone’s native contact directory or provide caller-ID integration. For mobile device sync, you need third-party CardDAV solution like Contactzilla that bridge SharePoint data with mobile contact apps.

How do I create a contact list in SharePoint Online?

Navigate to your SharePoint site and click New, then select List. Choose Blank list, name it, and click Create. Add columns for Full Name, Email Address, Phone Number, and Department using the Add column button. Start adding contacts by clicking New or import from CSV.

Can SharePoint contact lists sync with Outlook or the Global Address List (GAL)?

No, SharePoint Lists do not automatically sync with Outlook or the Global Address List. They operate as separate databases. To sync data between systems, use Power Automate flows or Microsoft Graph API to create scheduled updates. This requires manual setup and technical configuration.

Why don’t SharePoint contacts appear on iPhones or Android devices?

SharePoint Lists use Microsoft Graph API for data access, while mobile contact apps require CardDAV or Exchange ActiveSync protocols. These systems are incompatible. SharePoint contacts remain accessible through browsers or the SharePoint mobile app but won’t sync to native device contact apps without third-party CardDAV services.

Can you sync SharePoint contacts with Outlook?

SharePoint Lists can connect to Outlook using the ‘Connect to Outlook’ feature in classic experience, but this functionality is being phased out. Microsoft has announced eventual deprecation with at least 12 months’ notice. For modern deployments, SharePoint Lists are primarily accessed through browsers, Teams, or the SharePoint mobile app rather than syncing to Outlook’s contact folders.

What’s the difference between SharePoint contacts and Microsoft 365 contacts?

SharePoint contacts are stored in SharePoint Lists – collaborative databases designed for team access with permissions, workflows, and custom fields. Microsoft 365 contacts (in Outlook/Exchange) are personal contact folders designed for individual email use. SharePoint contacts don’t automatically sync with the Global Address List or Exchange contacts without Power Automate or Microsoft Graph API integration.

Is it possible to synchronize SharePoint contacts with other apps?

Yes, SharePoint contacts can sync with other apps using Power Automate workflows or Microsoft Graph API. These tools enable automated data synchronization with CRM systems, email platforms, and third-party applications. For mobile device contact apps, third-party CardDAV services provide native sync capabilities that SharePoint lacks.

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