Exporting contacts from Gmail can be useful for creating backups, transferring contacts to another email service or organizing your contacts offline. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to export your contacts from Gmail:
Step 1: Access Gmail Contacts
- Open Gmail: Go to and log in to your account if you haven’t already.
- Go to Contacts: Click on the Google Apps icon (nine dots in a grid) at the top right corner and select "Contacts". This opens the Google Contacts interface.
Step 2: Select Contacts to Export
- Select Contacts: In Google Contacts, check the box next to each contact you want to export. To select all contacts, click the checkbox at the top left corner to select all contacts on the current page.
- Note: If you want to export all contacts, you may need to repeat the export process for each page of contacts.
Step 3: Open Export Menu
- Click More: After selecting the contacts, click on the "More" button (three vertical dots) located at the top.
- Choose Export: From the drop-down menu, select "Export".
Step 4: Choose Export Format
- Select Export Format: A pop-up window will appear with export options. Choose the format in which you want to export your contacts:
- Google CSV: This format can be imported into another Gmail account or other email services that support CSV files.
- Outlook CSV: Choose this if you plan to import your contacts into Microsoft Outlook or other email clients that support CSV files.
- vCard format: This format is widely supported and can be used to import contacts into various email clients, including Apple Contacts.
Step 5: Export Contacts
- Click Export: After selecting the export format, click the "Export" button. Depending on your browser settings, the CSV file will either download automatically or prompt you to save it to your computer.
Step 6: Save the Exported File
- Save File: Choose a location on your computer where you want to save the exported CSV or vCard file. Give the file a descriptive name for easy identification.
Step 7: Verify Exported Contacts
- Open File: Once downloaded, open the exported file to verify that your contacts have been exported correctly.
Additional Tips
- Update Contacts: Before exporting, ensure your contacts are up-to-date in Gmail.
- Backup Regularly: Consider exporting contacts periodically to create backups.
- Importing Contacts: To import contacts into another email service, refer to their specific instructions for importing CSV or vCard files.
Conclusion
Exporting contacts from Gmail is straightforward and allows you to create backups or transfer contacts to other email services easily. By following these steps, you can efficiently export your Gmail contacts in CSV or vCard format and manage them outside of Gmail as needed. This ensures you have a secure backup of your important contacts and facilitates smooth transitions between email platforms.