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Seeing the same contacts twice in Outlook can be confusing and frustrating. Your address book becomes cluttered, searching for the right person takes longer, and you may even end up emailing the wrong duplicate entry. If you’re asking, “Why am I getting the same contacts twice in Outlook?”, the issue is usually related to syncing, importing, or using multiple contact sources at the same time.

In this article, we will cover how to solve getting multiple duplicate contacts in Outlook mailbox using both manual and automated solutions.

Common Reasons for Duplicate Contacts in Outlook

Outlook is often connected to more than one account or service. For example, you might sync contacts from Exchange, Microsoft 365, Gmail, iCloud, or a mobile device. When two sources try to add the same person, Outlook can create a second copy instead of updating the original.

Here are the most frequent causes:

• Importing the same contacts file more than once
• Syncing the same contacts through multiple accounts
• Using both desktop Outlook and another app that syncs contacts separately
• Sync conflicts between devices (PC, phone, web)
• Multiple Contacts folders inside Outlook data files

In many cases, the duplicates are not truly identical entries in one folder, but separate copies stored in different folders.

Check Where the Duplicates Are Stored

Before deleting anything, find out where the extra contacts are coming from.

1. Open Outlook and go to People (Contacts view).
2. In the left pane, expand all accounts and data files.
3. Click each Contacts folder one by one.

You may notice the same name appearing in two different folders, such as:

• Contacts (This Computer Only)
• Contacts (your email account)

If this happens, Outlook shows both in your combined view, which looks like duplicates.

Manually Remove Duplicate Contacts

For a small number of duplicates, manual cleanup works well.

1. Open the main Contacts folder you want to keep.
2. Change the view to List for easier sorting.
3. Click the Full Name or Email Address column to sort.
4. Hold Ctrl and select the extra copies.
5. Press Delete.

Be careful to keep the most complete version of each contact (the one with phone numbers, address, notes, etc.).

Merge Duplicate Contacts Instead of Deleting

Sometimes, each duplicate contains different information. Instead of deleting one, you can merge the details.

Simple method:

1. Open both duplicate contacts in separate windows.
2. Copy missing details from one contact.
3. Paste them into the other contact.
4. Save the updated contact.
5. Delete the extra copy.

This keeps all information in a single clean entry.

Fix Problems Caused by Contact Import

Many users get duplicates after importing a CSV or PST file more than once. When importing contacts in Outlook, always choose the correct option:

• Do not import duplicates – skips any contact that already exists
• Replace duplicates with items imported, updates existing contacts

Avoid selecting Allow duplicates to be created, unless you truly need copies.

If duplicates already exist because of a bad import, delete the imported folder and re-import using the correct settings.

Review Account and Sync Settings

If you sync the same contacts through multiple services, Outlook may download them twice.

For example:

• Your phone syncs Google Contacts to Outlook
• Outlook also syncs the same Google account directly

This creates two identical sets.

To fix this:

• Choose one primary sync source for contacts
• Disable extra contact syncing in other connected accounts or apps
• In Outlook, remove any unused or old accounts from Account Settings

Keeping only one active sync path prevents new duplicates from appearing.

Clean Up Multiple Contacts Folders

If contacts are split across folders, consolidate them.

1. Decide which Contacts folder will be your main one.
2. Open another Contacts folder.
3. Select all contacts (Ctrl + A).
4. Drag them into your main Contacts folder.
5. After confirming everything is there, delete the now-empty extra folder (if not needed).

This ensures Outlook displays each contact only once.

Use an Automated Duplicate

When you have hundreds or thousands of duplicates, manual work is slow and error-prone. A dedicated SysTools Outlook Duplicate Remover Tool can:

1. Scan one or multiple folders
2. Detect identical or similar contacts
3. Merge or delete duplicates safely

These tools compare fields like name, email, and phone number to keep the best version automatically.

How to Prevent Duplicate Contacts in Outlook

To avoid seeing the same contacts twice again:

• Don’t import the same contact file multiple times
• Use only one service to sync contacts
• Regularly review connected accounts and remove duplicate contacts in Outlook
• Before importing, always select the “no duplicates” option
• Periodically clean and organize your Contacts folders

Final Thoughts

If you’re wondering why am I getting the same contacts twice in Outlook, the answer usually lies in multiple sync sources, repeated imports, or extra Contacts folders. By identifying where duplicates come from, merging or removing extra copies, and simplifying your sync setup, you can restore a single, organized contact list.

Once cleaned up and properly configured, Outlook will manage your contacts smoothly without creating confusing duplicates.