If you have a Word Table or an Excel Spreadsheet with a column of e-mail addresses, this is how to convert it quickly into an e-mail distribution list that you can use without manually typing e-mails into Outlook.

For OUTLOOK users starting from Excel or Word:

1. Copy the entire column of e-mail addresses desired.
2. Paste the column into the TO / CC / BCC of a blank Outlook E-mail message. 
3. Click out of the field you pasted the information in, and click into another field.  The list of e-mail addresses will automatically convert into the e-mail format that Outlook requires to send the message.

Note:  Depending on how often the list is updated, you may want to save this list in Word for future use.  Or you may want to copy and paste it into the notes portion of an Outlook Contact named with the distribution list title for easy use and retrieval again later.

Here is another way to create an e-mail distro list if the steps listed above don’t work for your e-mail editor program.

From Excel:

1. Copy the entire column of e-mail addresses desired.
2. Paste the column into a BLANK Word document.

Continuing From Word:

In Word 2003:

1. Make sure each cell has only one e-mail per cell in the column of information.  If it has two per cell, add a row and give each e-mail address it’s own cell in the column. Remove any commas or other punctuation that was separating the two e-mail addresses in the cell.
2. Select or highlight the column of e-mail addresses.
3. Click on Table
4. Click on Convert
5. Click on Table to Text
6. Click on Separate Text With Paragraph Marks and Click OK
7. Click on Edit Menu
8. Click on Replace
9. In the Find What field enter “^p” or click on the special button and select the Paragraph Mark from the list.
10. In the Replace With Field enter whatever symbol your e-mail program uses to separate multiple e-mails in a series (i.e. the semi-colon or the comma).
11. Click on Replace All
12. You should have a list of e-mail addresses separated by the desired punctuation ready to copy and paste into the To, CC, or BCC lines of your e-mail program.
13. If you want to save this list in Word for future use, you may.  Or you may want to copy and paste it into the notes portion of an Outlook Contact named with the distribution list title for easy use and retrieval again later.

In Word 2007

1. Make sure each cell has only one e-mail per cell in the column of information.  If it has two per cell, add a row and give each e-mail address it’s only cell in the column.
2. Select or highlight the column of e-mail addresses.
3. Click on Table Tools Layout Tab
4. Click on Convert to Text Icon
5. Click on Separate Text With Paragraph Marks and Click OK
6. Click on Home Menu
7. Click on Replace
8. In the Find What field enter “^p” or click on the special button and select the Paragraph Mark from the list.
9. In the Replace With Field enter whatever symbol your e-mail program uses to separate multiple e-mails in a series (i.e. the semi-colon or the comma).
10. Click on Replace All
11. You should have a list of e-mail addresses separated by the desired punctuation ready to copy and paste into the To, CC, or BCC lines of your e-mail program.

This tech tip will save you hours of work when you don’t have to enter each e-mail manually, especially if you are working with large group distribution lists.

For questions about this tech tip, to share a tech tip, or to request a tech tip you’d like to learn more about, please send an e-mail to Julie Perrine CPS/CAP at Julie@julieperrine.com.