How do I export contacts to .csv format from my Mac?

I was excited to discover that you can drag and drop directly from the Contacts app into Numbers! Less excited to see how buggy it is in practice. I'm on Yosemite 10.10.1 and using Numbers 3.5. If a contact doesn't have an image, each field appears in the wrong column—basically everything is offset one column to the left of where it should be. So it gets particularly messy if some of your contacts have an image and some don't.

Hi Doug,

contacts only allows you to export a Vcard or an .ABBU file

Actually, it's easy to get information in .csv format out of Contacts. Instead of using File > Export, you can do this.

If you have Numbers 2.3:

Select multiple contacts in Contacts (you can drag all contacts into a new group and select them all from that group) and drag them to the Numbers 2.3 canvas. Then File > Export > CSV...

If you have Numbers 3:

Select multiple contacts in Contacts, command-c to copy, click once in a cell of an existing table, and command-v to paste. Then in Numbers 3 File > Export to > CSV...

Note that the above is for the comma-separated flavor of CSV (character-separated-values). If you want tab-separated, instead of File > Export to > CSV from Numbers, simply select the cells with the data, command-c to copy, and in an open document in a text editor, command-v to paste. Then save with the desired file suffix.

There are also AppleScript solutions that extract directly from Contacts to a .csv file. But going through Numbers (because you posted to this forum I assume you already have it) is probably the easiest.

SG

The workaround I use goes like this:

Export from Mac Contacts as Vcard.

Import Vcard into Gmail Contacts.

Export from Gmail as .csv which will open with Numbers of NeoOffice.

select the contacts you want (in the application Contacts), then copy

switch to Number, paste

If this does not work you may need to allow Numbers to access the contact information by opening System Preference > Privacy & Security

now click the "Privacy" segment then select "Contacts" on the left. Now click the "+" to add Numbers as an application allowed to access contact information

repeat the previous steps

now export using the menu item "File > Export To > CSV..."

If you have access to a PC then

download & install the iCloud Control Panel for Windows from Apple’s Website

iCloud for Windows

and it will sync outlook to all your icloud / iphone contacts

Then you can export from outlook

see both these

http://davidvielmetter.com/tricks/importing-icloud-contacts-to-outlook/

http://www.wikihow.com/Export-Contacts-from-Outlook

This might work if the OP was on Windows...but he's on a Mac. Mac users try to stay out of the Windows ecosystem as much as possible. Thank you though for your tip.

If the first contact has an image then I think the headers and data line up ok.

Nope, doesn't make any difference for me whether the first contact has an image or not. The bug still affects all subsequent contacts without an image.

To report the bug, in your menu go Numbers > Provide Numbers Feedback.

Done. Not sure if the bug lies with the Contacts app (OS X 10.10.1) or Numbers (3.5.2), so I've submitted via both feedback forms.

If you are looking forward to convert contacts from CSV to vCard for Mac then you can go for a third party CSV to vCard converter software. Once the contacts gets exported into a vCard file it can be easily taken to Mac platform for easy accessibility.

Search "vcard to csv" on Google. I usually use the tool at http://labs.brotherli.ch/vcfconvert/. You can export a list as vCard, then import that file into the converter. It will give you a CSV file to download. It's pretty simple, and it's free.

Tin Pigeon you are MY HERO. I've been trying to figure this out for years in connection with sending out my holiday cards (including going to the Apple store 3 years ago). Their workaround was for me to create a new USER on my computer and generate a list from there that I could print labels from (because I was not mailing to all of my contacts, just a subset, so I needed a new user for that!) but I still could not get a csv file. Plus had to return to the old desktop where this user lives every holiday season. What a PITA. FINALLY! Your gmail thing worked for me. THANKS!!!

There is also an App on App Store called AB Export. This has the option to export from your contacts to CSV and you can select any group of contacts that you have created to export. I use this a lot and it works great and is simple (which I need) and free.

"If a contact doesn't have an image, each field appears in the wrong column—basically everything is offset one column to the left of where it should be. So it gets particularly messy if some of your contacts have an image and some don't."

Hi Kalsta,

What result do you get if you sort the table on the leftmost column? I'm hoping that the result is that all the image containing records are grouped together, as are all the records not containing images. If so, it's then easy to select all the records that are too far to the left, drag them one column to the right, and drop them into the correct position.

Regards,

Barry

Have found several Vcard to CSV converters online (labs.brotherli.ch/vcfconvert/ and www.unc.edu/vtoc). Are there any issues with security in using these - such as your contacts being stored on their server, etc.? What steps can be taken to ensure security and privacy in utilizing these converters?

Thanks.

AN

Doug,

I just aquired and Iphone 6s and needed to import my contacts from a Windows C900 phone (10 years old).

1. I exported my contacts from the phone as a CSV file using the Windows online system.

2. I then created a Gmail account and imported the CSV into the contacts.

3. This enabled me to export them as a VSF file.

4. I imported the VSF file into the Icloud.

5. On the IPhone I logged into the Icloud and presto contacts imported to IPhone 6s.

From Contacts select all (Cmd+A).

File/Export/Export vCard. Save to desktop. That's everyone in a vCard format

Open the webmail application and import contacts. Select the file and import.

I had to select mail then go back to contacts in the web mail app. There are all my contacts.