Migrate Contacts from One Gmail Account to Another: 2 Ways
Migrating contacts from one Gmail account to another is useful when you’re moving from a personal Gmail account to a new account, switching to a business Google Workspace account, or consolidating users during a Google Workspace migration.
You have two main options:
- Do it yourself: manually export/import contacts through CSV
- Use a migration tool such as CloudFuze Migrate to automate and scale the entire process
In this guide, we’ll cover both approaches so you can choose the right method for your Gmail to Gmail migration with Google contacts.
Key Takeaways
Method 1: Manual Gmail to Gmail Contact Migration: CSV Export/Import (For Desktop)
If you’re looking for how to move contacts from one Gmail account to another, Google Contacts provides a built-in export and import method.
Here’s how to export/import Gmail to Gmail Google Contacts:
- Sign in to your source Gmail account and open Google Contacts.
- Select the contacts you want to transfer or choose all contacts.
- Click More actions, then go to Export, and select Google CSV.
- Then Export the CSV file.
- Now, to import, sign in to the Gmail account where you want to move the contacts and open Google Contacts.
- Click Import and then Select file. Upload the exported CSV and click on Import.
- Your contacts will be added to the destination account.
If there are duplicates, you can clean them up using the Merge & fix feature in Google Contacts.
Pros and Cons of Manual Gmail Contact Migration
| Advantages | Limitations |
|---|---|
| Free | Requires manual export and import |
| Easy for a small number of contacts | Repetitive for multiple users |
| Uses Google’s native tools | User mapping must be handled manually |
| No third-party migration platform required | Validation is largely manual |
| Suitable for simple Gmail-to-Gmail transfers | More difficult to manage at enterprise scale |
Best for: Individuals and small contact lists.
Method 2: Automated Gmail to Gmail Contact Migration with CloudFuze (For Enterprises)
Now, if you’re doing migrations for a business, university, or some multi-user environment, the manual approach gets complicated. That’s where CloudFuze Migrate is helpful.
Our Gmail email migration tool automates Gmail to Gmail transfer including all Google contacts, emails, files, calendars, etc., between Google Workspace (or other cloud) accounts.
What Can CloudFuze Migrate Transfer?
Depending on the migration scope, CloudFuze can support the transfer of Google Workspace data such as:
- Contacts
- Emails
- Calendars
- Google Drive files
- Shared data
- Other supported Google Workspace workloads
This makes it useful when contacts are only one part of a larger Gmail or Google Workspace migration.
How to Migrate Gmail Contacts at Enterprise Scale with Email Migration Tool
For large-scale Gmail or Google Workspace migrations, CloudFuze Migrate simplifies contact migration across multiple user accounts:
- Connect source and destination accounts using secure, authorized authentication.
- Map users to ensure each source account’s contacts are transferred to the correct destination account.
- Migrate contact data, including names, email addresses, phone numbers, labels/groups, and supported custom fields.
- Monitor and validate migrations using centralized dashboards, migration logs, and detailed reports.
Transfer Google Contacts Between Gmail Accounts Using CloudFuze
Before Migration
This is the source Gmail account prior to migration. It displays only the current contacts (Ravi C and Steven S), which will be chosen for migration with our Gmail to Gmail migration tool.
After Migration
This is the target Gmail account after migration. It now has the migrated contact (Steven S with email, phone number, and job title), which indicates successful migration with all information in place.
Why Enterprises Choose CloudFuze for Gmail Contact Migration
- Migrate contacts for hundreds or thousands of users at once.
- Preserve supported contact fields, labels, notes, structure, and metadata.
- Manage migration errors, retries, and validate migration results through detailed reports.
- CloudFuze is SOC 2 Type II compliant and built for secure enterprise migrations.
- Get white-glove assistance with migration planning, setup, deployment, and execution.
Manual vs. Automated Gmail Contact Migration
| Feature | Manual Google Contacts | CloudFuze Migrate |
|---|---|---|
| Optimal Scale | 1 to 10 users | 10 to 10,000+ enterprise |
| Export/import CSV | Yes | Not required (Direct API-to-API transfer) |
| Multiple-user migration | Manual | Centralized multi-threaded bulk migration |
| User mapping | Manual | Automated (Entra ID, UPN, & CSV) |
| Contact labels and fields | Supported through Google Contacts | Supported according to migration configuration |
| Bulk migration | Highly limited & labor-intensive | Designed for large-scale migrations |
| Data Loss Risk | High (human error, truncated text) | 100% data integrity |
| Validation | Manual | Supported through migration reporting and verification |
| Larger Google Workspace migration | Difficult to manage manually | Designed for enterprise migration projects |
| Migration support | Self-managed | Managed migration support available |
For a few contacts, manual export/import is usually the simplest option. For multiple users or a broader Google Workspace migration, a dedicated migration platform like CloudFuze Migrate can reduce repetitive administrative work.
What common problems might occur when migrating contacts between Gmail accounts?
Common issues include duplicate contacts, incorrect or incomplete contact information, user mapping errors, formatting problems, and missing fields. These issues become more difficult to manage when migrating contacts for multiple users or across Google Workspace accounts.
What should I do if some contacts are missing after migrating from Gmail?
First, check whether the missing contacts were included in the original export or migration scope. Review the destination account for duplicate or incorrectly imported contacts, then re-export or re-migrate the missing contacts if necessary. For enterprise migrations, review migration logs and reports to identify failed or skipped items.
How can I confirm that all contacts were successfully migrated to my new Gmail account?
After migration, compare the number of contacts in the source and destination accounts and verify important fields such as names, email addresses, phone numbers, labels, and custom fields. For large migrations, use migration reports and validation logs to identify errors or missing data.
How do I transfer contacts for multiple Gmail users?
For multiple Gmail users, manually exporting and importing contacts for each account can be time-consuming. For larger migrations, a dedicated migration tool can help IT teams map users, migrate contacts in bulk, monitor progress, and validate results across multiple accounts.
Migrating Contacts from One Gmail Account to Another is Easy!
If you’re only transferring your own contacts and have a handful of dozens of entries, the manual approach will suffice. But if you are an IT admin, Google Workspace partner, or handling multi-user migration, CloudFuze is the way to go. It’s quicker and removes the hassle from bulk contact imports.
Ready to migrate in bulk? Speak to CloudFuze experts and receive a tailored migration plan for your organization.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the most effective way to move contacts between Gmail accounts without losing data?
The best method for copying contacts from one Gmail account to another without data loss is by using a professional email migration tool. Our Gmail to Gmail migration tool, CloudFuze Migrate, automates the process, supports multiple accounts or bulk contacts, and eliminates the chance for errors or omissions. Our solution is particularly useful when importing 1000+ contacts or if you require complete data integrity and speed.
2. What are the key drawbacks of CSV file exports for contact migration?
CSV file exports for contact migration have some significant limitations, particularly in business or enterprise-level situations:
- Limited complexity of data
- Loss of metadata
- Compatibility and formatting concerns
- Scalability issue
- Manual and error-prone mapping
- No rollback or version control
Although CSV export/import is easy to use and available, it is most appropriate for simple, small-scale migrations and not suitable for advanced or enterprise-level contact transfers where data integrity, metadata, and scalability are paramount.
3. Why manual contact transfer techniques may fail or create problems during migration?
Manual contact transfer techniques can be risky and inefficient for business or large-scale migrations due to the following reasons:
- Human error and inefficiency
- Data quality issues
- Complexity and compatibility issues
- Lack of testing and validation
- No error handling or automation
- Security concerns
- Scalability issues
4. What is the process for migrating contacts from one Gmail account to another for enterprises/business?
In case of a business or an organization, the steps include setting up the source and destination accounts, performing user mapping, performing export or migration of contact information, and finally verifying the process. In the case of smaller migrations, Google Contacts Export/Import can suffice. However, in case of large Google Workspace migrations, use of migration tools such as CloudFuze Migrate would help.
5. How do I export contacts from my current Gmail account?
Go to Google Contacts, select the contacts that need to be migrated, and then click on More actions and then Export. You should now choose the Google CSV option and save the file. You can export all contacts or only selected contacts.
6. How do I import contacts into my new Gmail account?
Sign into the destination account of Gmail, go to the Google Contacts, select Import, choose the CSV file that was exported from the source account, and then click on Import.
7. What best practices should I follow when migrating contacts between Gmail accounts?
Before proceeding to migrate, clean up any duplicates or old contacts, verify that the source and destination accounts are valid, backup necessary data, and perform a test migration on a few contacts. Following migration, check the outcomes and troubleshoot any problems before retiring the source account.








