How to share Google contacts between accounts

Sharing Google contacts can be useful, whether you're in sales, marketing, recruitment and more. But the time lag between requesting someone's contact information and receiving it can be difficult if it's an urgent matter. In this blog, we walk you through a step by step guide on how you can share Google contacts by delegating access and using Google contacts manager, and how you can automate this process so you no longer have to rely on the Google contacts interface or wait around if you're under a time crunch.

Method 1: Using Google Contacts Manager

This method will help you export your chosen contacts using a CSV.

Step 1: Access Google contacts

• Open your web browser and open Google Contacts.
• Sign in with the Google account whose contacts you want to share.

You can also access them using the icon menu pictured below.

Step 2: Select the contacts you want to share

• Click on ‘Contacts’ from the sidebar and select the contacts you want to share. You can select individual contacts from your Gmail contacts list by checking the boxes next to their names or select all by checking the box at the top of the list.

Step 3: Export contacts

• Click on the ‘Export’ option from the sidebar. This opens a dialog box where you can choose the export format.
• Select ‘Google CSV’ format for transferring contacts to another Google account.

Step 4: Save the file

• Click ‘Export’ and save the CSV file to your computer.

Step 5: Import contacts to another account

• Log out from the current account and sign in to the other Google account.
• Navigate back to Google Contacts.
• Click on ‘Import’ in the left sidebar, then ‘Select file’ and choose the CSV file you just saved.
• Click ‘Import’ to add the contacts to the new account.

Method 2: Using Google Contacts Delegation

If you use Workspace, you can give someone else in your domain access and manage your shared contacts. They'll be able to add and update your contacts with information like names, phone numbers, and addresses. They will only have access to your contacts and not your inbox.

Before you get started, make sure that:

• Your delegate is in the same Workspace domain as you.
• Your Directory administrator turns on contact sharing. If you’re an admin, learn how to turn the global Directory on or off.
• You and your delegates must be signed in to your accounts with your work domain.
• You and your delegates must be on a computer, not a phone or tablet

How to delegate your shared contacts

Delegating your contacts takes a few simple steps. However, you will need a Google Workspace account as it can only work if the person you want to delegate your contacts to is in the same work domain as you.

Once you've signed into your Google workspace account, simply:

1. Open Google Contacts. Make sure that you're signed in with your work account.
2. At the top right, click Settings then go to Delegate access.
3. Click Invite delegate.
4. Enter the name or email address of the person you want to give permission to manage your contacts. You can enter up to 25 names, separated by commas.
5. Click Send.

The delegates you invited should now have access to your shared contacts. However, they can't view and edit delegated contacts with the Google contacts app from a mobile device. There are also some limitations your delegate is restricted to.

They will be able to:

• Add new contacts with the “Create contact” or “New contact” buttons.
• Edit or delete contacts in the delegated contacts list.
• Search for contacts in the search bar.
• Undo changes.
• Add, edit, and delete labels for contacts in the delegated contacts list.
• Manage Other contacts.

But they cannot:

• Import contacts.
• Export or forward contacts.
• Find and merge duplicates.
• Change the settings or preferences.
• Find and delete contacts from trash.

Method 3: Using folk to sync contacts

If you fancy automating the process of shared Google contacts, folk is the solution for you. It's a CRM that can create a shared contacts system that support Gmail contacts, Outlook and more.

How to import contacts from Google and Outlook

When you connect your Google accounts or Outlook account, folk will automatically sync with emails & calendar events. All the details of contacts you have already interacted with will be included in the import automatically. You'll be able to create custom fields including a custom contact label such as Google contacts label or Outlook contacts label.

Automatic contact management and sync

The sync is ongoing and in real time which means folk will capture any new contacts automatically. You will then be able to browse them from the search bar, to add them to the right groups.

If you want to add contacts manually, folk also has an option for you to manually upload contact files.

You can import a whole list of contacts at once, in few clicks, in any of your groups. Import your file in a new empty group, or in an existing group with contacts.

• In your empty group, just click on 'Import people from a file'

• In your existing group with contacts, just click the 3 dots on the top right and then Import CSV

folk's csv importer will automatically match your file fields with folk fields. All you have to do is make sure the fields are correctly matched by reviewing them and editing as needed.

How to create custom fields from your profile

In order to import custom fields from your file, you need to create these fields in your group first, so that you can match them with your file during the import. You can also leave it up to folk during your import, as it will automatically recognize custom fields and offer you to create them during the import  Note that it will only create these fields as text fields.

Conclusion

Sharing Google contacts between accounts doesn't have to be complicated. Although it can be rather cumbersome having to open Google contacts every time. Fortunately folk can support Gmail users and Outlook users create a contact list to share selected contacts without having to access the Outlook or Google contacts interface.

More resources

Keen to learn more about shared Google contacts? Check out more of our content in this series.

• Video guide: How to import your contacts into folk
• Best CRMs for Google Workspace