Skip to main content

Using BusyContacts with Office 365 (Microsoft Graph)

BusyContacts now supports syncing with Office 365 and Outlook.com accounts using Microsoft Graph API, Microsoft's modern cloud service platform.

Setting up Personal Outlook Accounts​

For personal accounts (outlook.com, hotmail.com, live.com):

  1. Open BusyContacts > Settings > Accounts
  2. Click the + (plus) icon to add a new account
  3. Select Office 365 (Microsoft Graph) from the Server Type menu
  4. Enter your email address and click OK
  5. Follow the authentication prompts in your web browser
  6. Once authenticated, BusyContacts will begin syncing your contacts

Setting up Enterprise Office 365 Accounts​

For work or school Office 365 accounts:

  1. Open BusyContacts > Settings > Accounts
  2. Click the + (plus) icon to add a new account
  3. Select Office 365 (Microsoft Graph) from the Server Type menu
  4. Enter your work email address and click OK
  5. Authenticate with your organization's login page
Admin Consent Required

If you see an "Admin Consent Required" message during setup, your IT administrator needs to grant BusyContacts permission to access your organization's contacts. Share our admin consent guide with your IT team.

Microsoft Contact Limits​

Microsoft limits how many phone numbers and postal addresses a contact can store. These limits also apply to contacts imported or copied from another address book.

FieldMaximum per contact
Home, Work, Mobile, and Other phone numbersTwo of each type
Assistant, Home Fax, Work Fax, Other Fax, Pager, and Radio phone numbersOne of each type
Home, Work, and Other postal addressesOne of each type

Custom labels do not create extra room on Microsoft's server. Several labels can map to the same Microsoft type. For example, callback, text, and tty phone numbers count toward the Other phone limit; car numbers count toward Mobile. The upcoming update also correctly counts iPhone numbers as Mobile, including imported mobile numbers labeled Home or Work.

An upcoming BusyContacts update will send only the first values that fit each limit, in their order on the contact card. It will leave the local fields unchanged when sending, but Microsoft will store only the supported values. A later update from Outlook or a fresh download of the contact can replace the local card with that reduced server copy. Keep a vCard export of any extra information you need to retain.

Troubleshooting​

Too Many Phone Numbers or Addresses​

If the alert says “The following cards could not be stored to the server” and mentions too many entries, Microsoft has rejected the listed contacts because they exceed a field limit. OtherTelephone means an Other phone number; postalAddresses means a postal address.

In the current release, iPhone and some imported mobile labels can be sent as fax types by mistake. If an alert mentions OtherFax, HomeFax, or BusinessFax for mobile numbers, change their labels to the built-in mobile label. This mapping is also corrected in the upcoming update.

To fix this in the current release:

  1. Export the affected cards before editing them using File > Export > Selected Cards.
  2. Open each listed contact in its Microsoft address book and click Edit.
  3. Keep no more than the number of entries shown in the table above. Change a label only when another built-in label accurately describes that phone number or address. Save extra details in the contact's notes or another address book before removing the extra fields.
  4. Save the changes, then choose View > Refresh (⌘R).

Renaming several fields with different custom labels may still leave them all counted as Other. Edit the labels and values on the affected cards; clearing saved label choices does not change those cards.

Contacts Not Syncing​

If some contacts aren't appearing:

  1. Ensure you're signed in with the correct account
  2. Check that contact syncing is enabled in your Office 365 settings
  3. Try refreshing: View > Refresh or ⌘R

Authentication Issues​

If you're having trouble signing in:

  1. Clear your browser cookies for login.microsoftonline.com
  2. Try using a different browser for authentication
  3. Ensure your Office 365 account has contact access enabled

Migration from Exchange (EWS)​

Before removing an Exchange (EWS) account, export any information that has not synced. Then switch to Microsoft Graph:

  1. Remove the old Exchange account from BusyContacts
  2. Add a new Office 365 (Microsoft Graph) account
  3. Your contacts will sync with the new connection
  4. Check that the downloaded contacts contain the fields you need. Microsoft's contact limits still apply.
Future-Proof Your Setup

Microsoft has deprecated Exchange Web Services (EWS). Switching to Microsoft Graph ensures continued access to your Office 365 contacts.

Last updated on