How to Export Contacts to CSV for Your CRM

Nookesh Karri

To export contacts to CSV for a CRM, use Google Contacts or Outlook on the web, which both download a CSV file directly. iPhone and Android phones export a vCard (.vcf) instead, so import that file into Google Contacts first and export it from there as a CSV. Then clean the columns and import the file into your CRM.

Where can you export contacts to CSV directly?

Google Contacts and Outlook on the web can export contacts to CSV directly, while iPhone (iCloud) and the Android Contacts app only give you a vCard. That one difference decides how many steps you need.

Where your contacts live	What it exports	Extra step for a CRM
Google Contacts (Gmail)	CSV or vCard	None
Outlook.com or Outlook on the web	CSV	None
iPhone with iCloud	vCard only	Convert through Google Contacts
Android Contacts app	.VCF file	Convert through Google Contacts

Every route ends in Google Contacts or Outlook, because those are the tools that write the CSV.

How do I export contacts to CSV from Google Contacts?

Google Contacts exports a CSV from its More actions menu on a computer. Google’s export help page says to download contacts “as a CSV or vCard file” when you move them to another account.

Go to Google Contacts on your computer.
Tick the box next to one contact, several contacts, or pick Selection Actions then All.
At the top right, click More actions, then Export.
Choose Google CSV.
Click Export and save the file.

One catch for work accounts: Google notes that if you use Google Contacts for work or school, “you can’t select all contacts in the Directory.” Export your own saved contacts instead.

How do I get contacts off an iPhone or Android phone?

Phones export contacts as a vCard file, not a CSV, so the first job is getting that .vcf file onto a computer. Our explainer on what a vCard file is covers the format.

iPhone (iCloud). Apple’s iCloud contacts guide covers this on icloud.com/contacts:

Sign in at icloud.com/contacts.
Select one contact, hold Command (Mac) or Control (Windows) to pick several, or choose Select All Contacts.
Choose Export vCard.

Apple says that if you select several contacts, “Contacts exports a single vCard containing all of them.” Selecting several by clicking only works on a computer.

Android. Google’s Android export steps are short. Open the Contacts app, tap Fix & manage, then Export to file. Choose the accounts, then tap Export to .VCF file.

If your Android contacts already sync to your Google Account, skip all of this and export the CSV from Google Contacts.

How do I convert a vCard to CSV for free?

Import the vCard into Google Contacts, then export it as a CSV. Google Contacts reads both formats, so it works as a free converter without uploading your list to a random website.

Per Google’s import help page:

Go to Google Contacts on your computer.
On the left, click Import, then Select file.
Pick your .vcf file and click Import.
Export the contacts as Google CSV, using the steps in the section above.

If a detail seems missing after the import, Google says to check the contact’s notes section. Fields it can’t place often land there.

My take: if your main Google account is already full of contacts, do the conversion in a separate one. The converted batch stays clean and exports on its own.

How do I export contacts from Outlook?

Outlook.com and Outlook on the web export contacts as a CSV from the People page. Microsoft’s Outlook export guide lists three steps:

Open the People page from the side panel.
On the toolbar, select Manage contacts, then Export contacts.
Choose All contacts or one folder, then select Export.

Microsoft says the contacts “are saved as a .csv file in your computer’s Downloads folder.”

How do I prepare the CSV before a CRM import?

A contact CSV imports cleanly when it has one header row, one contact per row, and one column per field. HubSpot’s quick import rules spell this out, and they’re a good checklist for most CRMs. The file must:

Contain contact data only, with no notes rows or totals.
Be a .csv, .xlsx or .xls file.
Include a header row and one contact per row.
Use a separate column for each property, for example First name and Email.

Before you upload, open the CSV in a spreadsheet and delete the columns you won’t use. Google CSV files carry a lot of empty columns, and each one is something to map or skip.

HubSpot then asks you to review each column mapping. For an unmapped column, pick the right property or click Create new property. You need import permissions on the account.

Say you met a buyer at a trade show and saved their card on your iPhone. Export the vCard from iCloud, import it into Google Contacts, export Google CSV, trim it to name, email, phone and company, and upload it. If you’re still typing up paper cards, see how to turn business cards into contacts first.

Can you skip the export step entirely?

You skip the phone export when the contacts are captured somewhere that already exports CSV. That’s the case for a lead form on a booth tablet, which we cover in collecting leads at a trade show.

QRCard works this way for people who view your digital card. With Mutual Exchange on the Pro plan, viewers can choose to share their name, email, phone and a message. Those leads appear in your dashboard and export to CSV. See Pro pricing for what’s included.

The limitation: QRCard only exports the leads it captured. Contacts already in your phone still need the vCard-to-CSV route. And a CSV is a one-time copy, so edits you make later in Google Contacts never reach your CRM.

For what to send once they’re in, our guide on following up after a networking event has message templates.

FAQ

Can I export iPhone contacts straight to CSV?

Not with Apple’s own tools. Apple’s iCloud guide says Contacts on iCloud.com exports a vCard, and a multi-contact export comes out as one vCard file. Import that file into Google Contacts, then export it as a CSV.

Which CSV format should I pick in Google Contacts?

Google says to select Google CSV when you back up your contacts. For a CRM, Google CSV is usually the safer pick, because you will map the columns yourself during the import anyway.

What does a CRM need in a contact CSV file?

HubSpot’s import rules are a good baseline: contact data only, a header row, one contact per row, and a separate column for each property, such as First name and Email.

Where does Outlook save exported contacts?

Microsoft says contacts exported from Outlook.com or Outlook on the web are saved as a .csv file in your computer’s Downloads folder.

How Do I Export Contacts to a CSV for My CRM?