Quick answer: If classic Outlook shows an error when you right-click your Contacts folder and choose Share > Share Contacts, it’s a known issue Microsoft confirmed in November 2026. The sharing invitation relied on Exchange Web Services (EWS), which is now turned off in Exchange Online. Microsoft says a fix is rolling out. Until it reaches you, share the folder directly: right-click Contacts, select Properties, open the Permissions tab, add the person and choose a permission level. They then open it with File > Open & Export > Other User’s Folder.
In this guide
Why sharing Contacts fails
Microsoft’s known-issue page, last updated November 4, 2026, says some users get an error when sharing their default Contacts folder in classic Outlook for Windows. The steps that trigger it are the usual ones: open People, right-click the default Contacts folder, select Share > Share Contacts, add a recipient and select Send.
| Detail | What Microsoft says |
|---|---|
| Cause | The standard contact-sharing invitation in classic Outlook relied on EWS, and EWS is disabled in Exchange Online |
| Affected | Classic Outlook in Outlook for Microsoft 365, 2024, 2021, 2019 and 2016, with an Exchange Online mailbox |
| Status | Fix rolling out: an updated contact-sharing method that doesn’t use EWS |
| Workaround | Give the person access through the folder’s Permissions tab |
Microsoft shows the error as a screenshot and doesn’t publish its exact wording or a fixed build number. If your error appeared after October 2026 and you’re on Microsoft 365, this is very likely the cause. For the wider EWS change and what else it broke, see Exchange Online EWS disabled: why apps stopped working.
Keeping Office updated is the way to get the fix once it reaches your PC: in Outlook, select File > Office Account > Update Options > Update Now.
Workaround: share with folder permissions
This gives the same access as the invitation, without sending one. Microsoft’s steps:
- In classic Outlook, go to People (Contacts).
- Right-click the Contacts folder and select Properties.
- Select the Permissions tab.
- Select Add, find the person in the address list, and add them.
- With their name selected, choose a Permission Level (see below).
- Select OK, then tell the person you’ve given them access.
You can also reach the same box from the ribbon with Folder > Folder Permissions. Sharing works between people in your organisation; sharing outside it depends on your organisation’s sharing policy, so ask your admin if an outside address won’t add.
Which permission level to pick
| Level | What the other person can do |
|---|---|
| Reviewer | Read your contacts only. The safe choice for most sharing. |
| Author | Read contacts, add new ones, and edit or delete the ones they created. |
| Editor | Read, add, edit and delete any contact in the folder. |
| Owner | Everything Editor can do, plus change who else has access. |
Microsoft’s sharing page lists further levels, such as Publishing Editor, Contributor and Nonediting Author, for finer control. If you’re not sure, start with Reviewer; you can raise it later.
How the other person opens it
Without an invitation email, the recipient adds the folder themselves. Microsoft’s workaround steps for classic Outlook:
- Select File > Open & Export > Other User’s Folder.
- Select Name and find the person who shared their Contacts.
- Under Folder type, choose Contacts.
- Select OK.
Another route, from Microsoft’s guide to opening someone’s Exchange contacts, is People > Home > Open Shared Contacts, then enter the name. Either way, the folder appears under Shared Contacts in the folder pane. Only the default Contacts folder can be opened like this. To remove it later, right-click it and select Delete Folder; that removes it from your view, not from the owner’s mailbox.
Change or stop sharing
Go back to Properties > Permissions on your Contacts folder, select the person and change their permission level. To stop sharing, set it to None or select Remove. Leave the Default and Anonymous entries as they are unless you mean to change access for everyone.
New Outlook and Outlook on the web
This known issue is about classic Outlook. Don’t switch apps expecting a workaround: Microsoft’s contact-sharing page says sharing or viewing a shared contacts folder isn’t supported in Outlook on the web, and new Outlook for Windows has no Share Contacts option either. Users on Microsoft Q&A have asked for it, but Microsoft hasn’t announced it. If you’ve moved to new Outlook and need classic Outlook for this, see how to get classic Outlook back.
For contacts that a whole team needs, a shared mailbox is often simpler than sharing a personal folder. See how to add a shared mailbox in Outlook.
If the workaround doesn’t work
- The person can’t be added: they may be outside your organisation, or your sharing policy blocks it. Ask your admin.
- The recipient gets an access error: check you shared the default Contacts folder, not a subfolder, and that they chose Contacts as the folder type.
- The shared folder doesn’t show up: have the recipient restart Outlook. If it still doesn’t appear, creating a new Outlook profile often clears it.
- You use an Outlook.com or non-Exchange account: folder sharing needs an Exchange (work or school) mailbox, so it isn’t available. Send contacts as vCards instead.
Related guides
- Exchange Online EWS disabled: why apps stopped working and how to fix it
- How to add a shared mailbox in Outlook (Windows, Mac, web and mobile)
- Classic Outlook download: how to get it back on Windows 11 and 10
- How to reset Outlook to default settings (classic and new Outlook)
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