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How to import Google Contacts into Close

7 of the 17 columns in a Google Contacts export, mapped into 6 Close fields under Close's own names.

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Free · 18 KB · Excel 365 or Google Sheets

Check your Google Contacts export first

Built on Google Contacts’ export columnsChecked against Close’s import rulesUpdated October 3, 2026

One Google Contacts row, through the templatecopied as it ischanged on the way1explained below
  • Given Name, Family Name to Name1joinedSarah Pentland
  • E-mail 1 - Value to Emaillowercasedsarah.pentland@meridian.example.com
  • Phone 1 - Value to Phone+44 20 7946 0073
  • Organization 1 - Name to CompanyMeridian
  • Organization 1 - Title to TitlePartner
  • Notes to DescriptionMet at the Bristol legal tech forum.
Not imported: E-mail 2 - Value, Phone 2 - Value, Address 1 - Street, Address 1 - City, Address 1 - Region, Address 1 - Postal Code and 4 more. The template leaves these out; map any to a custom field in Operelio.

Where Google Contacts and Close don’t line up

1

Given Name and Family Name become one Name

Google Contacts keeps Given Name and Family Name apart, and Close has one Name field.

The template joins them, leaving out any that are empty.

ExportGiven Name Sarah
Family Name Pentland
CloseSarah Pentland

Check your Google Contacts export before you import it

Looks for the 7 columns this template reads, and what Close would skip.

Drop your Google Contacts CSV here

Runs in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, and results are counts only.

Google Contacts to Close in three steps

Step 1Export from Google Contacts
  1. Open Google Contacts.
  2. Check the contacts, or choose Selection Actions, then All.
  3. Click More actions at the top right, then Export.
  4. Select Google CSV and click Export.

In a work or school account you can't select every contact in the Directory.

Google: Export contacts
Step 2Paste into the template
  1. Paste the export at A1 of Paste your export here.
  2. Start here checks all 7 columns were found.
  3. Save Close Contacts import as a CSV.

Works in Excel for Microsoft 365 and Google Sheets. Excel 2019 and older, Apple Numbers and LibreOffice can't run the formulas this file uses.

Just the 6 headers as a CSV

Step 3Import into Close
  1. Click your name at the top right and choose Import data.
  2. Upload a CSV or Excel file, or paste straight from a spreadsheet.
  3. Choose where each column goes, or check Skip to leave it out, and click Next.
  4. Choose a column to group rows into leads, such as Company.
  5. Set the duplicate matching and choose to add missing information, replace the lead or skip it, then start the import.
Close's importer, screen by screen

Operelio, with the same template

Fixes the capitals in names, formats phone numbers, removes duplicate and blank rows, which the Excel file leaves to you. On every plan. Email verification from Starter.

Use this template in Operelio

Questions

Where does Google Contacts' E-mail 1 - Value column go in Close?

To Email on the contact.

Does this create Leads or Contacts in Close?

Contacts, and Close keeps every contact inside a lead. When you import the file, Close asks for a column to group rows into leads, such as a company column if your file has one, and each contact lands on that lead. Contacts in the same group that share an email or phone are merged into one.

Duplicates and undoing an import: Close import questions.

How this page was checked

Try this template free

Upload your Google Contacts export and download a file Close can import. No credit card needed.

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