How to Add Contacts to Gmail Using a CSV File

You can easily import a large number of email addresses into your Google account by using a .CSV (comma-separated values) file. You can create a CSV contact file, export it from your email client, or refer to the accepted data fields in Gmail's empty CSV template and manually add your contacts. Once done, log into Google Contacts and import the CSV file. Be sure to review the imported contacts to confirm everything is correct.

Export Exporting_a_Backup_sub| CSV File from Gmail. This will provide a template with the data fields that Gmail accepts when importing a CSV file.

• If you encounter any issues exporting, try manually adding contacts to generate the extraction file.
• If importing a CSV from another email service, skip this step and proceed to the next section.
• If you'd like to create a CSV from scratch, you can refer to the full list of header fields here.

Open the CSV file using a spreadsheet or text editor. The first row of the CSV file will display various fields for data input, such as First Name, Last Name, Email, etc. A spreadsheet will separate these into different cells, while a text editor will list these values in the first row, separated by commas.

• You can open the file with Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets to work in a spreadsheet, or use Notepad or TextEdit for plain text editing.

Add contacts to the CSV file. Enter the details in the corresponding fields or value lists. For fields that do not require any input, you can leave them blank or place a comma (,) if working in a text file.

• For instance, name, surname, phone number, and email in a text file might appear like this: "John,,,john@email.com".
• Ensure you do not delete any fields or add extra commas to empty fields in the text file. Gmail will scan all fields, and missing data could cause issues during the import process.

Open the “File” menu and select “Save”. The changes will be saved, and the CSV file will be ready for import into your Gmail account.

Log into your Google/Gmail account. Enter your username and password, then click on 'Sign in'. You will be directed to the Google Contacts page.

Click on the 'Import Contacts' button located in the left panel. A contact import window will pop up.

• If you are using the Contact Preview mode, this button will display as 'Contacts'. Since the preview mode no longer supports contact import, you need to switch back to the old interface and repeat this step.

Click on the 'Choose File' button.

Select the CSV file to upload. Browse for the file you exported or created, and click 'Open'. The file will be added to the pop-up window.

Click on 'Import'. Once complete, your contacts will appear on the Contacts page.

• If the contact list doesn't import correctly (e.g., if data is entered in the wrong fields), it could be that a data field was deleted or there is a missing comma in the CSV file. If you're importing multiple contacts and need to fix the file, it's recommended to delete all the previously imported contacts and re-import them, rather than editing individual contacts.

• Currently, CSV files cannot be imported using mobile devices.
• CSV files are often one of the available options for exporting contacts from various email services. These files are typically pre-formatted with your contact information, allowing you to easily import them into your Google account.

• If you create your own CSV file, it's essential to double-check that the information is correctly placed into the appropriate data fields. For instance, names and email addresses should be correctly aligned and linked to the respective contacts.