Easiest Way to Open OLM File in Excel Spreadsheet

Why Import OLM to Excel?

For IT admins conducting mailbox activity audits, data managers working to prepare migration sheets, and analytical power users, Excel serves as the hub to:

• Sort large email datasets
• Extract metadata
• Analyze communication trends
• Prepare migration records and 
• Create user-level activity reports

Thus, the migration of OLM files into Excel is more than just an option; it’s a necessity. 

Convert OLM to Excel: Technical Challenge

An OLM file is a proprietary archive format created by Microsoft Outlook for Mac. It is an archive of emails, contacts, tasks, calendars, notes, and other folder contents stored in a way that only Mac Outlook can understand. Excel, on the other hand, can accept structured formats such as CSV, XLSX, XML, or through database imports. 

Problem: Since OLM is not in a tabular structure, Excel will not process the data unless conversion is made to one of its structured formats.

Thus, to summarize, “OLM is a mailbox container & Excel is a spreadsheet reader.”

Solution: Simply, Open OLM emails in Microsoft Excel either manually or use an automated software for the conversion. 

Top Free Method to Open OLM File in Excel

When you have crucial Outlook OLM files that you need for analysis and data sorting, but do not want to use third-party software. This method will work so long as you have access to Outlook for Mac. The steps are divided into two parts:

Part 1: Exporting Data from Mac Outlook

1. Open Outlook and from Tools, select Export on your Mac.
2. Then, choose Mail, Contacts, Calendar (whichever is needed).
3. Tap Export, and all data is saved in an .olm file.

Note: If you already have an .olm file, you can skip this step. 

Part 2: Export Mailbox Items to CSV

Outlook does not export .olm files in CSV directly, so you will need to move the mailbox items to either a local mailbox or an IMAP account before exporting them through Windows Outlook. While this seems lengthy, here are the simpler steps:

1. First, sync Mac Outlook with an IMAP account (i.e., Gmail or cPanel)
2. Transfer the OLM files into the synced IMAP account.
3. Then, import the same email account into Windows Outlook.
4. Further, click File -> Open & Export-> Import/Export in Outlook.
5. Afterward, choose Export to a file -> Next -> Comma Separated Values -> Next.
6. Pick the folders to export and click Next to choose the destination for CSV. Click Finish.
7. Finally, open Mac Outlook OLM in Excel with the created CSV.

Shortfalls of the Method

• Requires Mac and Windows Outlook.
• Time-consuming when working with large databases.
• Some of the metadata is not consistent and preserved.
• Need for technical expertise and manual effort. 

Optimum Method to Open OLM File in Excel Spreadsheet

For professionals, teams, and other end users, the smart choice is to use the dedicated MailConverterTools OLM File Converter. It directly extracts structured email data in CSV (an Excel-ready format) in bulk. Additionally, the software handles large OLM archives with ease, preserves complete data and structure in its user-friendly interface, and provides full data security. Moreover, you get a clean, table-friendly output ready for use directly in Excel in no time. 

 

How to Import OLM to Excel Speedily?

1. Launch the OLM File Converter and click Continue.
2. Further, import all your OLM files into the software and click Next.
3. Afterward, choose folders after previewing from the tree format. Tap Next.
4. Now, select the CSV format from the output list and use the built-in filters.
5. At last, choose the Path to Save your new Excel file and click Convert. 

Note: 

• This method to open OLM file in Excel gives you the best results, ready to sort, validate, analyze, and import into multiple business tools. Whether you are working on a Power BI dashboard, CRM, or other DMS, you can easily access the OLM emails. 
• You also get additional beneficial advanced filter options for a steadier CSV.
• A One-Time Service facility to perform the conversion without software installation.

Add-On: How to Open Mac Outlook OLM in Excel?

Once you have secured a CSV either manually or professionally, you can import it into Excel for access. The steps are:

1. Open Microsoft Excel and click on Data >> Get Data.
2. Next, choose From Text/CSV and select the CSV file from earlier.
3. After that, verify the delimiter is set to Comma and choose where to load.
4. Lastly, click Load to access the OLM file data in Excel.

Conclusion

It is not directly possible to open OLM file in Excel, but converting it to an Excel-compatible format for easy access is definitely possible. This blog states a feasible manual method to save a few OLM emails as CSV and later access them in Excel. In addition, it defines the best automated OLM to Excel Import Tool for bulk conversion of OLMs to Excel CSV. The latter gives you precision, scalability, accuracy, 24*7 Technical Support, and speed all within time and with no effort. 

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