# Importing contacts

Import contacts from a CSV file into any contact book that isn't synced with an email provider.

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Open the contacts panel**

Click your avatar in the bottom-left corner of the sidebar and select **Contacts**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Start the import**

Right-click on the contact book where you want to import and select **Import contacts (CSV)**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Select your file**

Choose the CSV file from your computer. The import begins automatically.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Wait for completion**

A progress indicator shows the import status. Large imports may take a few minutes.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

{% hint style="warning" %}
CSV import is not available for contact books synced with Google or Office 365. Use the provider's interface to import contacts instead - they'll sync to Missive automatically.
{% endhint %}

## Supported CSV formats

Missive supports CSV files in **Google** and **Outlook** formats. If your contacts come from another source, adapt your file to match one of these formats.

### Google format (recommended)

The Google format is more flexible and supports **groups** and **custom fields**.

{% file src="/files/0uSIcZSmGf3lAI9zSAb3" %}

**Supported columns:**

| Column                       | Description                                          |
| ---------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| Name Prefix                  | Dr., Mr., Mrs., etc.                                 |
| Given Name                   | First name                                           |
| Family Name                  | Last name                                            |
| Name Suffix                  | Jr., Sr., III, etc.                                  |
| Nickname                     | Nickname                                             |
| Gender                       | Gender                                               |
| Notes                        | Free-text notes                                      |
| Group Membership             | Groups separated by `:::` (e.g., `VIPs ::: Clients`) |
| E-mail 1 - Type              | Label: Work, Home, etc.                              |
| E-mail 1 - Value             | Email address                                        |
| E-mail 2 - Type / Value      | Additional email                                     |
| Phone 1 - Type               | Label: Work, Mobile, Home, etc.                      |
| Phone 1 - Value              | Phone number                                         |
| IM 1 - Type / Value          | Instant messaging handle                             |
| Organization 1 - Name        | Company name                                         |
| Organization 1 - Title       | Job title                                            |
| Organization 1 - Department  | Department                                           |
| Organization 1 - Location    | Office location                                      |
| Website 1 - Type / Value     | Website URL with label                               |
| Address 1 - Type             | Label: Work, Home, etc.                              |
| Address 1 - Street           | Street address                                       |
| Address 1 - Extended Address | Apt, Suite, etc.                                     |
| Address 1 - PO Box           | PO Box                                               |
| Address 1 - City             | City                                                 |
| Address 1 - Region           | State/Province                                       |
| Address 1 - Postal Code      | ZIP/Postal code                                      |
| Address 1 - Country          | Country                                              |
| Custom Field 1 - Type        | Custom field label                                   |
| Custom Field 1 - Value       | Custom field value                                   |
| Photo                        | URL to contact photo                                 |

{% hint style="info" %}
You can add multiple emails, phones, addresses, and custom fields by incrementing the number (E-mail 2, Phone 2, Custom Field 2, etc.).
{% endhint %}

### Outlook format

{% file src="/files/7wdlYw5MG9A0ETC9TuNC" %}

**Supported columns:**

| Column                                                    | Description             |
| --------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------- |
| First Name, Middle Name, Last Name                        | Name parts              |
| Title                                                     | Prefix (Dr., Mr., etc.) |
| Suffix                                                    | Jr., Sr., etc.          |
| Nickname                                                  | Nickname                |
| E-mail Address, E-mail 2 Address, E-mail 3 Address        | Email addresses         |
| Home Phone, Home Phone 2                                  | Home phone numbers      |
| Business Phone, Business Phone 2                          | Work phone numbers      |
| Mobile Phone                                              | Mobile number           |
| Pager                                                     | Pager number            |
| Business Fax, Home Fax                                    | Fax numbers             |
| Job Title                                                 | Job title               |
| Department                                                | Department              |
| Company                                                   | Company name            |
| Office Location                                           | Office location         |
| Business Street, City, State, Postal Code, Country/Region | Work address            |
| Home Street, City, State, Postal Code, Country/Region     | Home address            |
| Web Page                                                  | Website URL             |
| Notes                                                     | Free-text notes         |

## Exporting contacts for import

### From Gmail

1. Open [Google Contacts](https://contacts.google.com)
2. Click **Export** in the left sidebar
3. Choose which contacts to export (all or a specific label)
4. Select **Google CSV** format
5. Click **Export**

### From Outlook

1. Open Outlook and go to **File** > **Open & Export** > **Import/Export**
2. Select **Export to a file** and click **Next**
3. Choose **Comma Separated Values** and click **Next**
4. Select your **Contacts** folder and click **Next**
5. Choose a save location and click **Finish**

## Troubleshooting

### Import fails or contacts are missing data

* Ensure your CSV uses UTF-8 encoding
* Check that column headers exactly match the supported formats
* Remove any extra columns not in the supported list
* `E-mail X - Type` and `E-mail X - Value` are interdependent -- both columns must be present and non-empty. The same applies to `Phone X - Type` and `Phone X - Value`. Having one without the other will cause the import to fail.

### Special characters appear incorrectly

Your CSV file may not be UTF-8 encoded. Open it in a text editor and save with UTF-8 encoding, or re-export from the source application with UTF-8 selected.


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