This guide shows you how to manually import contacts from Gmail to Mozilla's Thunderbird.
If you have decided to go from using Gmail in your browser to using Mozilla’s Thunderbird, you may want to import your contacts to make life easier. After install, Thunderbird will ask you if you want to import settings but this only works with other clients or if you have the data already available to you. You can import your contacts from Gmail and other e-mail providers, too. You just have to do it manually.
This guide will show you how to import contacts from Gmail to Thunderbird.
Login to Gmail.
Click on the “Drop Down Arrow” next to Gmail in the left hand pane.
Then, click “Contacts.”
This will load your contacts in the main Gmail window.
Click on “More” above that list.
Now, click “Export….”
You can choose how you export your contacts, such as all of them or certain groups. Select one.
Then, you want to choose “Outlook CSV format.”
Finally, click “Export.”
Save the export file somewhere convenient and open Thunderbird for the next step.
Open “Tools” in the menu bar at the top of Thunderbird.
Now, click “Import….”
Click “Address Books,” then “Next” to continue.
Choose “Text file” and click “Next” to move forward.
You will then choose which file to import, so track down what you exported from Gmail and click “Open.”
Then, Thunderbird will try to merge the way Gmail lists contacts and the way it lists them. You will need to go by field by field and line up information so that the lists import properly. This can take some time, but if you do not take the time to do so, you may find what you import will be jumbled and unreadable in Thunderbird.
Click “Ok” when you’re ready to complete the import.
Thunderbird will import the contacts. Click “Finish” when it is complete.
Now, you have access to your Gmail, contacts in Thunderbird.
If you have a large address book or contacts list, importing your Gmail contacts into Thunderbird is the way to go. While you can manually create your address book, this can be a pain for users who need to import a lot of contacts. By taking just a few moments to import your Gmail contacts to Thunderbird, you can save yourself the headache of starting over again.
