How to Import Google Contacts to Office 365 Properly?
You are switching from Google to Microsoft, but you cannot transfer your contacts. To move your contacts, a CSV file method is easier. In this article, I will explain the CSV and other workarounds to import Google Contacts to Office 365.
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Why Move Contacts from Google to Microsoft 365?
Before going through the procedure, you should know about the need to move Google contacts. There are several factors, such as:
- Your company or organization is switching from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365. In that case, you have to move all the data, including the address book.
- Outlook is your primary email client. That’s why you are moving your contact list from Google Contacts.
- Combining contacts from mulitple platform into one for better management.
These are the common reasons why users need to move their contacts. Now that you understand the purpose, let’s see how to perform the migration.
How to Import Google Contacts to Office 365 Manually?
The manual method has multiple steps. For easy understanding, I am going to split the procedure into two stages: Export the contacts and then import them into Office 365.
Stage 1: Export Google Contacts to Desktop
Follow these steps to export Google contacts to CSV file:
- First, log in to your Google account by entering your email ID and password.
- Now, open Gmail, then click the down arrow next to it and expand the menu.
- Select Contacts and then click on More and select the Export option.
- After that, in the next window, select All contacts and Outlook CSV format options.
- Which contacts do you want to export? Option: Select All contacts.
- Which export format? Option: Select Outlook CSV format.
- Finally, click the Export button. If prompted, choose Save As and select the destination location.
After saving Google contacts in a CSV file, go to the next stage to import them into Microsoft 365.
Stage 2: Move CSV File into Office 365
- First, open Outlook in Office 365 on your system.
- Now, click File >> Open and Export >> Import/ Export.
- The Import/Export wizard will open. Select the Import from another program or file option, and then you have to click on the Next button.
- Choose Comma-Separated Values as the file type and then click on the Next button.
- Now, browse and select the CSV contacts file that you exported in Step 1.
- Choose the action to take with duplicate contacts and then click on the Next button.
- After that, the Select a Destination folder option will appear. Select the Contacts folder and then click on the Next button.
- Click on the Finish button. All your Google Contacts will be moved to Office 365 Outlook.
Read Also: How to Transfer Google Contacts to Another Account?
Use GWSMO to Sync Google Contacts to Microsoft 365
Google Workspace Sync for Microsoft Outlook can allow you to move Google contacts to Outlook 365. But it only works in the classic Outlook desktop app. So, if you have this program, follow the steps below.
- Start by installing GWSMO from the official site. Sign in to your Google Account.
- Create a Google Workspace profile. While creating it, choose Import data.
- Select the existing Outlook profile or PST file to move the data.
- Click on the Contacts checkbox and hit the Start Microsoft Outlook option.
Shortcomings of Manual Migration Methods
The manual solution is associated with some drawbacks. Users have faced some issues while migrating contacts from a Google account to O365 manually. Some of the limitations of this method are:
- Sometimes the contact fields do not map correctly after migration.
- In some situations, phone numbers, notes, or any important data may be missing.
- There are chances of having duplicate contacts. As Microsoft 365 already had the same contacts, or you accidentally imported a contact two times.
- If your Google contacts contain special characters, they may display incorrectly after transfer.
- Migrating a very large number of contacts may cause the import process to fail.
So, you see, the manual method is nice for individuals, but for professionals, it can be a nightmare. That’s why they use this next method.
Import Google Contacts to Office 365 for Professionals
To avoid these drawbacks, professionals or businesses use professional tools like SysTools Google Workspace to Office 365 Migration Tool. With this tool, users can easily move their entire Google Workspace data, including contacts, to Office 365. It is a great software to bulk migrate as well as selective migration by applying the date filter option. The tool is designed with a user-friendly interface so that users can work with it even without having technical knowledge.
How Tool Works?
- Download and run the tool and activate it on your Windows system.
- Select G Suite and Office 365 as source and destination migration platforms.
- Select Contacts and apply date filter settings, and click Next.
- Enter source and destination credentials and validate them.
- Import the user list from a CSV file or fetch users.
- Click Start Migration to begin migrating your G Suite contacts.
Summing Up
Sometimes, the need arises to switch between cloud-based platforms. Many people want to move their Google contacts to Office 365 for various purposes. Therefore, to help out all the users, we have discussed manual as well as automated methods in the above section. However, the manual method is associated with some limitations. If you also find it difficult, the professional software would be a reliable option.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Can I auto-sync Google Contacts with Outlook 365?
Ans. There is no direct real-time auto-sync option in native Outlook 365. But using GWSMO can easily sync Google contacts in a Microsoft environment.
Q. My Google contacts CSV is not importing into Office 365. What could be the reason?
Ans. The problem is due to incorrect CSV format, wrong column mapping, unsupported fields, or file encoding issues. While importing it, make sure the CSV file matches the Microsoft template.
Q. Why are some Google contacts missing after importing into Office 365?
Ans. If your Google contacts are missing after importing to Office 365 because of duplicate filtering, invalid fields, special characters, or incomplete column mapping.
Q. Is it possible to import Google contacts without a CSV file?
Ans. If you don’t want to use the CSV file method, then use the GWSMO tool to directly sync your contacts from Google to Microsoft 365. But it only works in the classic Outlook app.