How to Share Gmail Contacts

Let’s start by addressing the elephant in the inbox – what exactly are Gmail contacts? Some users mistakenly think they’re separate from Google Contacts, but they’re actually two sides of the same coin. Back in the day, you had to manually save every email address you interacted with – quite the chore! Luckily, those days are long gone. Now, any contact that finds its way into your Google account is automatically saved in the Google Contacts app, and its contact details become available anywhere inside the user’s Google Workspace.

When we talk about Gmail contact sharing, we’re essentially talking about sharing Google Contacts. The good news is there are three straightforward ways to do it: exporting a CSV file, using specific permission under the delegation feature, or taking advantage of a tool like Shared Contacts Manager that allows you to create directories and share entire contact lists. Let’s take a look at each option.

How to Share Google Contacts with a CSV File

Exporting a CSV file might sound technical, but it’s simpler than it seems. A CSV file is just a spreadsheet format that stores contact details like names, emails, and phone numbers. It’s an old-school yet still popular way to share contacts.

Here’s how you can export and share your Google Contacts as a CSV file:

1. Gitmek Google Kişiler.
2. Select the contact label, individual contacts, or select all contacts depending on what you’re sharing.
3. Tıklayınız İhracat icon on the right.
4. Choose the format (usually “Google CSV”) and export the file.

Now, you can send the CSV file as an email attachment, via cloud storage, a messenger of your choice, or any other preferred method. This is how to share your Gmail contacts by exporting the file. This method works great if you’re collaborating on a project or sharing a list of people with a team. However, it’s not the most dynamic solution for ongoing updates, and it can’t be used for sharing contacts between accounts.

How to Share Contacts Using Google’s Delegation Feature

For those who need a more hands-off approach, Google’s delegation feature is the way to go. It allows you to grant another person access to your contacts. Therefore, you empower this person with managing permissions for your Google Contacts. Unlike sharing with CSVs, this feature is a little more flexible and provides basic collaboration, giving your colleagues access to view, edit, and even delete contacts as though they were their own. 

Here’s how to configure Google delegation:

1. Go Google Kişiler.
2. Açın Ayarlar Menü.
3. Look for the Delegate Access section and add the email address of the person you want to share with.
4. Vurmak Invite delegate to grant access.

Delegation may work fine for teams that need shared access to contacts without constantly transferring files. However, Google’s delegation is limited in scope and functionality. Read more about the delegation function in this article.

How to Share Gmail Contacts Directly Between Google Accounts

If Google’s Contact Delegation feels limiting and sharing with CVS is too much trouble, Shared Contacts Manager takes sharing to a whole new level. This Google Workspace app makes it incredibly easy to share contacts across Google accounts regardless of whether they belong to a given Workspace domain. Need to collaborate with a vendor or partner? No problem. Shared Contacts Manager lets you share contacts with unmatched efficiency, offering flexible options that go beyond traditional limitations.

Its customizable access permissions are one of the things that set this tool apart from the two other described methods. You can decide who gets to view, edit, and share contacts, or even manage your contacts if you decide to appoint another admin for your online address book. Sensitive contact information will always stay secure while the right people will have the access they need. Plus, every update to a shared contact is instantly synced for all users with access, so your team gets the latest updates, no matter where they are. 

Also, Shared Contacts Manager makes collaboration easier, from sharing contact labels to integrating directly with Gmail, Google Calendar, and other Workspace tools. Shared contacts automatically appear in Gmail’s autocomplete field, Google Calendar invitations, and when sharing files in Drive, providing team members with quick access wherever they need it.