With the first batch of T-Mobile G1 Android phones shipped to expectant first adopters all across the country, many Android fans are looking to Google to start managing their contacts. Since the G1 has built in sync capability with Gmail and other Google services, why not migrate your contacts completely over to Google’s system?
If you’ve given this a try yet, you’ve no doubt been introduced to the Gmail contacts double whammy. First, if you upload a CSV contact file extracted from Outlook, you may have noticed that the Name fields come out muddled when you try to import it into Google. This proves truly obnoxious to anyone with a large address book. The second problem is that Google adds anyone that you email to your contacts list, adding anything from acquaintances to customer service lines as valid contacts in your library.
So your choices are to either sync to a service such as Funambol, or modify your CSV file from Outlook to use Gmail’s CSV format.
Guide to importing contacts into Gmail from CSV
- Export your contacts from your Email client such as Outlook or Entourage to a CSV file.
- In Outlook you can go into your contacts and select ‘File,’ ‘Import and Export,’ then ‘Export to CSV.’
- Save this file to your desktop and open it in Outlook.
- Next download our handy Gmail CSV Template
- Copy and paste the data from your contacts into the proper columns in the Gmail CSV Template and save it.
- Now log into Gmail, click on ‘Contacts’ in the left hand navigation. Click on Import in the top right corner.
Now your contacts will be in Gmail and should have all the relevant fields. You’ll still have to deal with any random contacts that Gmail has automatically added in the past, but after that it’s smooth sailing.
Update 10/29:
Here’s an updated version of the CSV file that includes virtually every field you should ever need. Get it here.
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[...] page - because there is no export feature. With a little ruby I parse the file into Gmail’s CSV format and import the file via the Gmail contacts [...]
If you use Verizon and are stuck with no way to export your contacts, I’ve written a little ruby script to generate a GMail formatted CSV of your Verizon contacts.
http://binaryelysium.com/blog/2008/10/23/exporting-contacts-from-verizon-to-gmail/
I used your template but needing more instructions.
Do you keep the “Section - 1″ in the header or replace it. When I add a phone number under Section - 1 Phone, I get an imported value of the phone number under “other”.
Can you help please ? I”ve been trying this and others for days.
Dave,
When I save my contacts as a CSV file I can not open it in Outlook but can open it in Excel. The first name and last name are in seperate columns. On your Gmail template the first and last name are both listed under “Name”. How do I get both the first and last name from 2 seperate fields copied into your single “Name” field?
Hi Chad,
You’ll want to export your contacts from outlook in CSV format and make the file look like this one in order for it to be loaded into Gmail correctly.
Once you open the CSV file in Excel, you can write a formula to combine the first and last name then paste them into the correct column in this spreadsheet.
First create a column in your Outlook Export for the combined fields. Then write a function that looks something like this:
=CONCATENATE(F1, ” “, L1)
F1 should be whatever field the first name is in and L1 should be whatever field the last name is in. The part in the middle with a space between the question marks will add a space between the two. Then you can copy this field and paste it down the rest of the column to perform the same function on the rest of your contacts. Now copy this entire column and then right click on the column in my template under the Name column and select ‘Paste Special’ then ‘Values’ and it should automate it for you.
Does that help?
Dave,
I found a concatenate formula to get the first and last name into one name field. However, when I import into Google it is not including anything except for the name and email address - no phone numbers, etc. I have copied an pasted all of the information. Any suggestions?
Thank you.
Chad,
Can you try the new file I just uploaded to help illustrate the fields? It’s a slight modification and should solve any missing IM accounts since the format is kind of weird.
If you can make your file look like this, it should work perfectly. I’m not sure if you’re having a problem with phone numbers too, but hopefully this will work.
[...] can also download our CSV template file and mangle the one you export from your contacts to look like [...]
[...] Manually adjust your contact CSV file after our template of Google’s format [...]
I agree with Chad… I put the information in the format you gave = nothing. Name and email address only. No phone numbers. Any suggestions?
Ok… follow up. I created a new contact inside of G-mail. Then I exported it. Then I changed the NAME only… and turned around an imported it back into G-mail.
I got the new name & the email address BUT NO PHONE NUMBERS!!!
Using their export file. I am very frustrated… anyone have a suggestion?
Dave,
Kudos to you for helping out us poor schleps. I’m going to give your template a try.
Do you have a translation table handy? Something that explains, for example, the difference between the plain ol’ “email” field and the “section 1 - Email” field?
For that matter, what is “section 1,” “section 2″ and “section 3″? These labels do not appear in Gmail contacts.
Many thanks for your work on this.
Nope. Didn’t work. Only the name and e-mail address fields imported. All other fields failed to import.
My list was importing only names and emails for all but one contact where it was importing everything. The only difference was The “Section 1 - Description” Column said “Personal”, I tried copying that into that field for all contacts and it worked, it imported everything. So if you’re using any of the section 1, 2, or 3 fields make sure the description column is not blank for that section.
Been trying to figure out this import/export problem and am totally confused by the “Section concept.
Can you explain what it is and how to use it?
Thns for the help…