How to Import Outlook Contacts to Gmail Easily and Safely?
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Quick Summary: You can import Outlook contacts to Gmail by first exporting from Outlook and then importing to Google Contacts. The manual process generally exports contacts in CSV format but the exact steps may vary depending upon the version you are using such as Classic Outlook, New Outlook or Outlook on the web.
For users who handle a large number of contacts and want the contacts with photographs, an automated solution is suggested as an alternative way. In this article, you will learn how to export Outlook contacts to CSV and import them directly to Gmail using different ways. So that you can choose the method that best matches with your migration requirements.
How to Import Outlook Contacts to Gmail Manually?
The manual process to transfer Outlook contacts to Gmail involves two steps. Below you can find separate steps to follow for Classic Outlook, New Outlook and Outlook Web versions. However the second step is common for all.
Method 1- Export Contacts from Outlook Classic to CSV
- Open Outlook Classic on your device.
- Go to File menu and select Open & Export, choose Import/Export option.
- After that, simply press Export to a File and choose Comma Separated Values file type. Hit the Next button.
- Now, select the contacts folder > click Next > browse a destination path to save the resultant file.
- Lastly, click Finish to export your Outlook contacts.
That’s it now you will get all the Outlook contacts in CSV format at the selected location.
Method 2- Export Contacts from New Outlook & Outlook Web
- Open New Outlook/ Outlook Web.
- Go to the People section
- Now click on the Export Contacts option located at the right corner.
- Finally, press the Export button to save all the contacts in CSV format.
After successfully exporting all your contacts into a CSV file, follow these steps:
- Open Google Contacts
- Sign in with your Gmail account where you wish to access the Outlook contacts.
- Next, hit the “Import” icon from the left panel.
- Select the exported CSV file and click on Import. You’re done.
Your Outlook contacts are now added to Google Contacts and can be easily accessed through the Gmail account.
Note: If some names or special characters appear incorrectly after the import process then must check the CSV file encoding. Using UTF-8 encoding can help preserve characters that are used in different languages and alphabets.
Automated Method to Import Outlook Contacts to Gmail
The above discussed manual method export Outlook contacts in CSV format that is suitable for many standard contacts transfers. Whereas some users prefer to convert their Outlook contacts to VCF (vCard) format for richer contact information such as photographs and additional details that may not be handled in the same way through CSV based migration.
For users who specifically want to import Outlook contacts to Gmail using vCard files, BitRecover PST Converter will provide you an alternate solution. The software allows you to export Outlook contacts to VCF format which can be further imported into Google Contacts easily. This tool will provide you more control over the conversion and help you batch convert contacts with all the details preserved.
How to Transfer Outlook Contacts to Gmail Automatically?
- At the start, run and install the export tool on your PC.
- Next, choose Convert configured Outlook mailbox data option.
- Then, select the contacts folder from the Outlook data tree.
- After that, click on the Contacts option above. The saving option is selected as default (vCard).
- Thereafter, choose the destination path and hit Next button to start exporting Outlook contacts.
- Now, go to the Google Contacts and click on the Import option.
- Finally, click on Select File to browse the exported VCF and click Import to successfully access Outlook contacts in Gmail.
CSV vs VCF: Which Format Should You Use?
Both CSV and VCF files can be used to transfer Outlook contacts to Gmail but they are suitable for different purposes.
CSV file is a simple and widely used format to transfer standard contacts details such as names, email addresses, phone numbers and other text-based details. It is suitable for users who want to export contacts from Outlook and import them directly to Google Contacts.
A VCF or vCard file is specifically designed for storing contact information with richer details such as photographs and other properties that CSV cannot handle. Therefore VCF is more reliable than CSV for data accuracy.
Why Import Outlook Contacts to Gmail?
Here in this section we have explained some of the common reasons why moving Outlook contacts to Gmail becomes useful.
- Users who want to switch and want Google to be the primary email and cloud platform for further communication.
- This process helps to move your existing contacts from Outlook to Gmail instead of adding them again
- To keep your contacts available through the Google/Gmail account across all the connected devices.
- It helps to maintain personal or business contacts in one account rather than managing the contacts lists separately.
- The import Outlook contacts to Gmail method enables users to keep contact data accessible even when they no longer use Outlook on a regular basis.
Final Thoughts
Contact plays an important role in our professional as well as personal life. Also, it helps to share information and schedule meetings in real time. Importing Outlook contacts to Gmail is a straightforward process. If you have a standard set of contacts then performing manual methods can be simple whereas in case of richer contact information, work with VCF format followed by the professional software. It will handle data in batches and more reliably. At last choose the right method depending upon your Outlook version and requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Can I import Outlook contacts to Gmail in bulk?
Ans. Yes you can import Outlook contacts to Gmail in bulk using the manual method. It allows you to batch export contacts to a CSV file and then import them to Google Contacts at once.
Q2. Why are some Outlook contact details missing after importing them into Gmail?
Ans. This happens when some fields from Outlook are not mapped directly to the Google Contacts field. So always check the exported file before importing it, also if your contacts contain richer information then consider using the vCard format to retain the data.
Q3. Can I import Outlook contacts to Gmail with their photographs and other details?
Ans. Yes, using the above mentioned dedicated software you can hassle-free transfer Outlook contacts to Gmail with photographs and all the other details. It supports VCF (vCard) which is a contact-focused format that preserves all the information intact that makes it a suitable choice for any user who wants to transfer more than the basic names, email address or phone numbers.
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