Can I validate an Outlook contacts CSV before importing it?+
Yes. This local preflight maps each source column to an Outlook contact heading, checks headers, delimiters, UTF-8, emails, phones, and dates, and creates a small test file. It cannot see your mailbox or guarantee that Outlook accepts the import.
Does the validator upload or save my contacts?+
No. Parsing, mapping, validation, masked evidence, and downloads stay in the current browser tab. Contact values are not sent to Microsoft or csvtodashboard.
Can Outlook import an Excel workbook directly?+
Microsoft says Outlook can import comma separated value files but not workbooks with multiple sheets, so save the one sheet you need as CSV. The validator reads one selected sheet locally and writes CSV without uploading the workbook.
What column headings does Outlook expect?+
Microsoft says Outlook requires column headings in the first row and that they must match Outlook's default language. Microsoft's sample contact CSV uses headings such as First Name, Last Name, E-mail Address, Mobile Phone, Birthday, and Categories.
Why do accented or non-English names import incorrectly?+
Microsoft recommends UTF-8 encoding and warns that characters such as Greek, Cyrillic, Arabic, or Japanese can cause problems otherwise. Save as CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited) and restart the import if the preview looks wrong.
Will Outlook skip duplicate contacts?+
Only classic Outlook documents a choice: Replace duplicates with items imported, Allow duplicates to be created (the default), or Do not import duplicate items. Microsoft's Outlook.com and new Outlook steps do not describe duplicate handling, so inspect results.
What date format should Birthday use?+
Microsoft's sample file writes dates as month/day/year, such as 1/20/1981. The validator accepts that or YYYY-MM-DD, blocks impossible dates, and asks you to confirm slash dates that are valid in either order.
Does a ready verdict prove the import will work?+
No. A ready verdict means the file passes local checks and both acknowledgments. Mailbox choice, heading language, duplicate behavior, and the final result still need a test import and inspection.