2 Easy Ways to Import Contacts from Excel to Mac's Address Book

Mac has a built-in address book app called Contacts (previously Address Book). This app allows you to import contacts from files. However, it doesn't support Excel files (with the extension .xlsx or .xls for older files).

What if you really need to import an Excel file? In this article, I will discuss two methods to import contacts to Mac from Excel and provide step-by-step instructions.

 Cisdem ContactsMate

The Best Tool to Import Contacts to Mac

• Support various contacts sources: Mac's Contacts app, iCloud, Google, Exchange, etc.
• Import contacts from CSV and vCard to supported sources
• Help you easily import Excel files with a simple Excel to CSV conversion
• Capable of quickly import files (small or large) individually or in bulk
• Export or convert contacts to 8 formats
• Allow you to view, search, edit, add, delete, group, tag, email, share, back up, and sync contacts
• Identify and delete or merge duplicate contacts with a click
• Identify incomplete or invalid contact information
• Easy to use for everyone

Free Download macOS 10.11 or later

Method 1. Easy 2 steps to import contacts from Excel to Mac

You can use contact management software Cisdem ContactsMate to easily import Excel contacts to Mac. This app is designed to help you efficiently manage and organize all your contacts in one place. It allows you to easily import contacts from various files and sources.

To transfer Excel file contacts to Mac's address book, follow the below 2 steps.

Step 1. Convert Excel to CSV with Numbers or Microsoft Excel

(The Numbers app comes with a Mac, so the steps here use it as an example. You can use a different spreadsheet app if you like, such as Microsoft Excel.)

1. Open the Excel file containing your contacts with Numbers.

2. Click File in the menu bar and choose Export To > CSV.

3. In the dialog that appears, click Save. (Make sure you don't enable Include table names.)

Step 2. Import CSV to Mac Contacts via ContactsMate

1. Download and install Cisdem ContactsMate.

Free Download macOS 10.11 or later

2. Click OK when it asks for permission to access your contacts, and it will automatically sync with your Mac's Contacts.

3. Click Import in the top left corner.

(During import, the app automatically maps fields to help make sure contact information will be correctly matched and imported. In addition, a Field Mapping Selection dialog will appear, for you to make adjustments if needed.)

4. Choose Last Import in the sidebar, select all contacts with Command-A, and drag selected contacts into On My Mac in the sidebar.

Now you can find the imported contacts in the Contacts app on your Mac.

Method 2. Import Excel contacts to Mac with a third-party converter

Mac Contacts supports contacts from vCard file. If you want to import Excel contacts file to Mac's Contacts, you need an Excel to VCF converter tool. You can find many in Apple Store. Below I’ll select an efficient converter software-SysTools as example to show you how to import contacts.

Step 1. Convert Excel to vCard with SysTools

1. Download and install this converter software on your Mac.

2. Click on Add File then select the Excel file on your computer.

3. Choose the file format you want to convert to-VCF.

4. Choose a Saving Location and click on Export.

Step 2. Import vCard contacts to Mac's address book

1. Launch Mac Contacts app.

2. Choose a contacts group you want to import contacts to. Or create a new group. Click on Import from File menu.

3. Select the Excel file you just converted. Click Open. Click Import. Then you’ll found the Excel contacts in your list.

Mac Contacts also has Look for Duplicates feature. But it only provides 1 solution to fix duplicates-Merge. In addition, you cannot preview the contacts information before merging all duplicates with 1-click.

Tip

In fact, there’s a way to convert Excel file to vCard free. But this can only to be done on Windows computer. To do that,

1. Convert Excel file to CSV in a spreadsheet app as I mentioned in method 1.

2. Then click the Windows icon and search for Contacts. Select Import from the Contacts pane. Select CSV (Comma Separated Values) and click on Import. Choose the CSV file and press Next. Map the contacts fields and click on Finish.

3. Go back to the Contacts window and choose the contacts you want to convert. Click on Export. Select vCard as export format. Choose a save location and click OK.

Now the Excel file is converted to vCard on your Windows PC. You need to send this file to your Mac computer and import it to your Mac's Contacts. This method is free but troublesome so I don’t recommend.

FAQs

Can I import contacts to Mac directly from Excel without conversion?

No, you can’t. Mac's Contacts doesn’t support importing contacts directly from Excel files. So you need to convert the Excel file to vCard and then import it to Mac. If you use Cisdem ContactsMate, it also supports importing contacts from CSV files.

How many contacts can I import to Mac's address book at a time?

If you use Cisdem ContactsMate, there’s no limit to the number of contacts you can import. The app runs stably and can handle large contacts lists without crashes.

How can I import all of my contacts?

If your contacts are from different sources, such as different files and accounts, you can import from one source at a time. For files compatible with Mac's Contacts, such as vCards, you can import them directly. For unsupported sources, you can try Cisdem ContactsMate.

Conclusion

It’s easy to import contacts from Excel to Mac's address book if you use a right way. The instructions provided here are effortless to follow. If you have many contacts from multiple sources, the first part of the article will be helpful. If you only need to import Excel contacts to Mac Contacts and willing to pay for the converter software, the second method is also effective.