How to save contact file as first last name or company in Outlook?

Author: Kelly Last Modified: 2025-04-18

As you see, when creating a contact in Outlook, the File as field will be filled automatically by first/last name or company. In some cases, it may require to change the file as name and name the contact different. Here I will describe several methods to save contact file as first last name or company in Outlook.

Change one contact file as first last name or company

Change default file as order of Contact as first last name or company in Outlook 2010 and 2013

Change default file as order of Contact as first last name or company in Outlook 2007

Change one contact file as first last name or company

If you want to change one contact’s file as name, you can easily do it with following steps.

Step 1: Shift to the People view (or Contacts view), and double click to open the contact whose file as name you will change.

Note: In Outlook 2013, make sure the contact folder is not in the People view. If in People view, please change it with clicking the "Change View" > select any view option except the "People" on the "View" tab.

Step 2: In the opening Contact window, click the "arrow" in the "File as" box, and select one of file as names from the drop down list. See screen shot below:

the screenshot of step about changing one contact file as first last name or company 1

Note: The Last, First and the Company fields should be filled in order to have them shown in the File as drop-down list.

Step 3: Click the "Save & Close" button.

Change default file as order of Contact as first last name or company in Outlook 2010 and 2013

This method will guide you to change the default file as order of contact as first last name or company name in Microsoft Outlook 2010 and 2013.

Step 1: Click the "File" > "Options".

Step 2: In the Outlook Options dialog box, click the "People" (or "Contacts") in the left bar, then click the "Default “File As” order" box and select the proper order from the drop down list.

the screenshot of step about changing default file as order of Contact as first last name or company in Outlook 2010 and 2013 1

Step 3: Click the "OK" button to close the Outlook Options dialog box.

After changing the default “File As” order of contacts in the Outlook Options dialog box, the new contact will be filed as the default order you specified automatically, as long as you enter the new contact’s first name, last name, and company.

Change default file as order of Contact as first last name or company in Outlook 2007

If you are using Outlook 2007, you can change the default file as order of contact easily as following.

Step 1: Click the "Tools" > "Options".

Step 2: In the Options dialog box, click the "Contact Options" button on the "Preferences" tab.

the screenshot of step about changing default file as order of Contact as first last name or company in Outlook 2007 1

Step 3: Now in the Contact Options dialog box, click the "Default “File As” order" box, select the proper order from the drop down list, and click the "OK" button.

the screenshot of step about changing default file as order of Contact as first last name or company in Outlook 2007 2

Step 4: Click the "OK" button to close the Options dialog box.

From now on, when creating a new contact with this contact’s first name, last name, and company filled, it will automatically file this contact as the default order.