Import Google’s contacts from a CSV file using Outlook or OWA | Part 1#2

In the current article, we review the process of:

1. Export information from our Google mail account to a CSV file.
2. Import the contents’ information stored in the CSV file using Outlook and OWA mail client.

What is a CSV file?

A CSV file (comma separated file), is a file format that enables us to keep data in a “table format” which include column headings and rows.

In case that we need to import Google’s contact to “Exchange mailbox” using Outlook or OWA client, the CSV data field, should be created using a predefined row column name.

The good news is – that we don’t need to be worrying about the “right format column names” need for Exchange mailbox because Google “know” how to export the contact information in the required format that Exchange use.

Exporting Google contacts information English and non-English characters

In the current article, we review the process of export Google’s contact information, and in the second phase – import the CSV file content to Outlook/OWA, based on the assumption that our contact information includes only standard English characters.

In the next article, we will learn about a little trick that will help us to import Google’s contact information that uses “non-English characters.”

Exporting Google contact information to CSV file

In the following step, we review the process of Exporting Google contact information to a CSV file, by creating the required format (table structure) that can be used when we import the data into our Exchange mailbox by using Outlook/OWA mail client.

When using Google account, the “contacts” are implemented a separate application.

• Login to your Google account and click on the Google squares icon.

• In the icon menu that appears, click on the More link

• Select the Contacts icon

• On the left side menu, select the option – More

• Select the menu – Export

At the time when the article was written, the “New Google web interface” doesn’t include the option to export contact data.

To be able to export the contact data, we will need to use the “old interface.”

• Select the option – GO TO OLD CONTACTS

• On the top menu bar, choose the option – More

• Select the menu – Export…

In the “Export windows” that appear, we will need to define two option settings.

1. What contact to export?

The Google export contacts wizard enables us to export only a particular group of contacts or all of our Google contacts. In our example, we choose to export all the Google contacts by selecting the option All contacts (A).

2. The CSV row header format

The Google export contacts wizard enables us to define the CSV file format that we want to use based on the “target mail system” to which we are going to import the data.

In our example, we want to import the data using Outlook/OWA mail client.

For this reason, we will select the option – Outlook CSV format (for importing into Outlook or another application)

• Click on the Export button

• In our example, we will save the CSV file in C: drive on a Temp folder
• The Google export contacts wizard exports the information as a CSV file format.
• Click on the Save button to save the CSV file

In the following screenshot, we can see an example of the CSV file that was created.

We can see that the CSV file includes:

1. Column header names which are used by Outlook/OWA mail client for storing information about a “contact.”
2. The information about the contact such as display name, E-mail address, etc.

Import the information from the CSV file (Google exported contacts) using Outlook

In the following section, we review how to import the Google contact who was exported to the CSV file using Outlook mail client.

• Select the File menu

• Select the Open & Export menu

• Click on the Import/Export icon

• Select the option – Import from another program or file and click Next

• Choose the option – Comma Separated Values and click Next

• Click on the Browse… button

• Select the CSV file that you want to import and click OK

• Click Next to continue the import process

Select the Outlook folder which will contain the imported data.

• In our scenario, we will choose the Contacts folder and click Next

• Click on the Finish button

In the following screenshot, we can see that the Google contacts were successfully imported from the CSV file to Outlook contacts (people).

Import the information from the CSV file (Goggle exported contacts) using OWA.

In the following section, we review how to import the Google contact who was exported to the CSV file using Office 365 OWA mail client.

• Login to your Office 365 account
• Select the People icon

• Select the Manage menu and the Import contacts sub menu

• Click on the Gmail icon

• Click on the Browse button

• Select the CSV file that you want to import
• Click Open

• Select the Upload menu

The import process successfully completed

In the following screenshot, we can see that the Google contacts successfully imported from the CSV file to OWA contacts (people)

In the next article, we will Import Google’s contacts with non-English characters to Office 365 mailboxes |Part 2#2.