How to Export and Import Contacts in Webmail

If you are switching to a new email account, setting up your business email on a new phone, or just want a backup of your address book, you can export your contacts from webmail as a file and import them wherever you need them. The process takes a few minutes and works the same way whether you have a handful of contacts or several hundred.

Most webmail contacts are exported as a vCard (.vcf) file or a CSV file. Either format can usually be re-imported into another webmail account, a phone's contacts app, or a desktop mail client like Outlook.

Exporting Your Contacts

Log in to your webmail first. If you are not sure how to do that, see the related article linked at the end of this guide. Once logged in, the steps differ slightly depending on which webmail interface your account uses.

In Roundcube

1. Click Contacts in the top navigation bar.
2. To export everyone, leave no contacts selected. To export specific people only, select them first by clicking each one while holding Ctrl (or Cmd on a Mac).
3. Click the More (three-dot or gear) icon near the top of the contacts list.
4. Click Export, then choose Export all contacts or Export selected contacts.
5. A .vcf file will download to your device. Save it somewhere you can find it again.

In Horde

1. Open the Address Book application from the main menu.
2. Click Export in the toolbar or sidebar menu.
3. Choose a format, either vCard or CSV, then confirm.
4. Save the downloaded file to your device.

Importing Your Contacts

Once you have your exported file, importing it into a different webmail account follows a similar pattern in reverse.

In Roundcube

1. Click Contacts in the top navigation bar.
2. Click the More (three-dot or gear) icon near the top of the contacts list.
3. Click Import.
4. Click Browse (or Choose File) and select your .vcf or .csv file.
5. Click Import contacts to finish.

In Horde

1. Open the Address Book application.
2. Click Import in the toolbar or sidebar menu.
3. Select the file format that matches the file you exported earlier.
4. Click Browse, select your file, and confirm the import.

Importing a contacts file does not usually remove your existing contacts, but it can create duplicate entries if the same person already exists in your address book. Check your contacts list after importing and merge or delete any duplicates you spot.

If you are moving your business email to a new device rather than a new account, most phones let you import a .vcf file directly through their own Contacts app, so you do not need to go through webmail again on that end.

Not sure how to get into your webmail in the first place? See How to Access Your Webmail.