How to Clear the Outlook GAL Cache

To refresh the Global Address List (GAL) cache in classic Outlook for Microsoft 365 on Windows, select Send/Receive > Send/Receive Groups > Download Address Book, choose the relevant address book, and select OK. If that does not fix stale entries, close Outlook and remove the local Offline Address Book files so Outlook can download a fresh copy. The GAL is managed by your organization, so clearing its local cache cannot add or change directory information on the server.

What Outlook’s GAL cache contains

The GAL is your organization’s directory of people and other recipients, such as shared mailboxes and distribution groups. Outlook can display directory information while you are offline by using a locally stored Offline Address Book (OAB). In classic Outlook, the OAB is the part of the local cache that is most relevant when directory searches show old details or fail to reflect a recent change.

Outlook may also show names from other sources: your personal Contacts folder, an address book provided by an account, or the Auto-Complete list that suggests recipients as you type in the To, Cc, or Bcc field. These are separate from the GAL. That distinction matters: deleting Auto-Complete suggestions will not refresh the directory, and refreshing the OAB will not necessarily remove a remembered email suggestion.

When someone says “clear the GAL cache,” they usually mean one of two things: ask Outlook to download an updated offline address book, or remove the local OAB files and let Outlook rebuild them. Try the built-in download first. Deleting the local files is a more forceful reset, but is usually unnecessary.

Check whether the issue is really the GAL

Before resetting anything, compare the stale entry with what you see in Outlook on the web or another organization-approved directory view. If the person’s name, email address, or title is incorrect there too, the problem is probably not your local Outlook cache. The directory may not have been updated yet, or the change may still be synchronizing from your organization’s identity system to Exchange.

Also check which result Outlook is showing. Search the organization directory or select the directory address book rather than relying on a suggested recipient or a contact saved in your own Contacts folder. A suggestion in the address field may be an old Auto-Complete entry, even when the GAL itself is current.

Only one remembered address is wrong: it may be an Auto-Complete suggestion or a personal contact.
Several directory entries are old in classic Outlook but current online: the local OAB may need an update.
The same information is wrong in Outlook online and desktop: ask your IT administrator to check the directory record and its synchronization.

Download a fresh address book in classic Outlook

In classic Outlook for Microsoft 365 on Windows, use the built-in download command before deleting files. Outlook needs to be connected to the account, and the account must use an Exchange address book for this process to apply. If Outlook is offline, the command may not be available or may not complete.

Open classic Outlook and select the Send/Receive tab.
Select Send/Receive Groups, then Download Address Book.
In the dialog, select the relevant address book if a choice is offered. For a company directory, choose the applicable Offline Address Book or the entry associated with the Global Address List.
To request a full download rather than just incremental changes, clear Download changes since last Send/Receive, if that option appears.
Select OK and allow the download to finish. Then search the directory again.

Names and options can vary with the Outlook build and the organization’s Exchange configuration. If you cannot find the command, confirm that you are using classic Outlook rather than new Outlook, and that the correct account is an Exchange or Microsoft 365 work account. A personal Outlook.com account does not have your employer’s GAL.

Reset the local Offline Address Book files

If a full address-book download does not help, resetting the local OAB files can make classic Outlook recreate its downloaded copy. This does not erase your organization’s directory, mailbox, or personal contacts. It does remove the locally stored offline address book, so directory lookups may be incomplete until Outlook downloads the replacement.

Close Outlook completely. Check that it is no longer running before changing its files.
In File Explorer’s address bar, enter %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Outlook\Offline Address Books and press Enter.
Open the folder inside that location, which may have a long identifier as its name, and delete the contents of the Offline Address Books folder. If you prefer, move the contents to a temporary backup location instead of permanently deleting them.
Start Outlook again, make sure it is online, and use Send/Receive > Send/Receive Groups > Download Address Book to request a new copy.

Do not delete the entire Outlook profile or unrelated folders as a first step. If the Offline Address Books location is missing, do not create folders or remove other Outlook data to compensate; your account or Outlook configuration may not use that local OAB path. Ask your organization’s support team for account-specific guidance.

New Outlook and Outlook on the web

New Outlook for Windows and Outlook on the web do not use the classic Outlook ribbon workflow described above. In particular, the classic Download Address Book command and the local OAB folder reset are not general instructions for those clients. Directory data there is accessed through the connected service, and the available controls can differ as Microsoft updates the apps.

If a result is stale in new Outlook or the web app, first check it in another approved client or directory view. Confirm that you are signed in to the correct work account, then refresh the page or restart the app. Signing out and back in may help with a session-specific display problem, but it cannot force your administrator’s directory to update. If the same incorrect record appears across clients, report it to IT rather than deleting local Outlook files.

On a Mac, Outlook’s interface and available address-book controls differ from classic Outlook for Windows. Do not assume the Windows OAB folder path or ribbon steps apply. Use the refresh options available in your Outlook version, and contact your administrator if the directory remains inconsistent.

Why a refreshed GAL may still look out of date

Refreshing the local copy only helps when the problem is that Outlook has an old copy. It cannot bypass the timing of changes elsewhere. For example, a new employee may be added to an identity directory first, then synchronized to Exchange, and only afterward included in an updated offline address book. The timing depends on the organization’s systems and settings, so there is no reliable universal number of minutes or hours to promise.

Other causes include Outlook being disconnected, a download that was interrupted, an incorrect address book selected in the download dialog, or a directory search that is returning a personal contact instead of a GAL entry. Some organizations also limit which recipients are visible in a particular address list. A person may therefore be present in the company’s systems but not shown to every user in every directory view.

Give a requested update time to propagate, then check whether the record is correct in the authoritative directory or Outlook on the web. If it is wrong there, provide IT with the affected person’s name, the incorrect field, the expected value, and the client where you see the issue. That information helps separate a directory-data problem from a local cache problem.

Clear Auto-Complete suggestions separately

If the GAL is correct but Outlook keeps suggesting an obsolete address while you type, clear or remove the Auto-Complete suggestion instead. In classic Outlook for Windows, go to File > Options > Mail. Under Send messages, select Empty Auto-Complete List to remove the saved suggestions, or remove an individual suggestion using the X beside it when it appears. Clearing the whole list affects all saved suggestions, not just the one bad address.

Auto-Complete is a convenience feature, not the authoritative directory. Removing its suggestions does not delete a mailbox or contact from the organization. Conversely, if an old address is saved as a personal contact, remove or edit that contact in the Contacts folder; emptying Auto-Complete alone may not fix searches that continue to find the contact.

Safety and when to contact IT

Refreshing or rebuilding the OAB is generally a low-risk troubleshooting step, but it is worth taking the least disruptive option first. Downloading an address book is preferable to deleting local files. If you do remove the OAB files, close Outlook and limit the deletion to the Offline Address Books location. Do not delete mailbox data, profile files, or folders you cannot identify.

Contact your help desk if the download repeatedly fails, the directory is wrong in multiple clients, the download command is unavailable for a work account, or you cannot access the folder safely. An administrator may need to correct the source directory record, check synchronization, or investigate Exchange address-book settings. A local cache reset cannot repair those server-side issues.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does clearing the Outlook GAL cache delete contacts?
No. Removing local Offline Address Book files does not delete contacts or change the organization’s directory. It only removes a locally stored copy that Outlook can download again. Personal contacts and Auto-Complete suggestions are separate data.

How do I force Outlook to update the Global Address List?
In classic Outlook for Windows, select Send/Receive > Send/Receive Groups > Download Address Book. Select the relevant address book and, if available, clear the option to download only changes since the last Send/Receive for a full download.

Why is one old email address still appearing after I refresh the GAL?
It may be an Auto-Complete suggestion or a saved personal contact rather than a GAL result. Remove the individual suggestion or correct the contact, then test by searching the organization directory directly.

How long does it take for a GAL change to appear?
There is no single wait time that applies to every organization. The change may need to reach Exchange and then the offline address book, and synchronization schedules vary. If it is still wrong in Outlook on the web or other clients, ask IT to verify the directory record.

Can I clear the GAL cache in new Outlook?
The classic Windows Download Address Book command and OAB-folder reset are not general new Outlook procedures. Refresh or restart the app and verify the record in another approved directory view; contact IT if it is still incorrect across clients.

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