Export contacts from the previous service in a supported format such as UTF-8 CSV or vCard. Keep the original file unchanged and make a working copy for cleanup. Remove records you are not authorised to transfer and review duplicate or obsolete addresses.

1. Open Zoho Contacts and select the intended personal or organisation area.
2. Choose Import and select the source or local file.
3. Review the field mapping, particularly first and last name, email, phone, company and notes.
4. Import a small sample first. Check non-English names, multiple phone numbers and contacts with more than one email address.
5. If the sample is correct, import the remaining records and review the result or rejected entries.

Find several contacts by name and address, then open a new email and verify autocomplete selects the intended recipient. Check that private notes have not been placed in a shared organisation field.

Save the following as a UTF-8 .csv file for a small import test. These are sample source-column names, not a required Zoho header template:

GivenName,FamilyName,EmailAddress,Company
Ada,Okafor,[email protected],Example Services
Chloé,Martin,[email protected],Example Supplier

Select the intended Contacts category, choose Import > Local File and upload the file. On the Field Mapping page, map GivenName and FamilyName to the corresponding name fields, EmailAddress to email and Company to company. Leave an input field unmapped if it should not be imported.

Check both records, the accent in Chloé and the addresses offered by autocomplete. A correct two-record result is the signal to prepare the remaining file with the same mapping. Importing these contacts creates address-book entries, not employee mailboxes or Zoho licences.

Garbled characters usually require the correct text encoding. Misplaced data requires a mapping correction, not manual editing of hundreds of records. If duplicates appear, inspect whether the same file was imported twice or whether one person has legitimately separate addresses.

Do not delete the previous address book until the new records have been checked and an independent export retained. File import creates a copy at a point in time; it should not be assumed to create ongoing synchronisation. If you need continuing sync, use the provider's documented integration and define which system controls future edits before enabling it.

• Using contact categories and groups in Zoho Mail
• Migrating existing messages into Zoho Mail using IMAP
• Creating a Zoho Calendar event and tracking responses
• Preparing an exit plan for a business email provider

• Zoho Help: Import And Export Contacts
• Zoho Help: Sync Contacts From Google