Log into mail.zoho.com, open the Contacts app from the left panel, click More Actions > Import, select Local File, choose VCF as the format and upload your file. Zoho Mail shows a field mapping screen where you match VCF fields to Zoho contact fields. Click Next, then Done. Zoho Mail supports VCF files directly with no conversion needed. If you are looking to import into Zoho CRM instead, see our Zoho CRM import guide.
Introduction
Zoho Mail’s Contacts app supports direct VCF import with field mapping, which puts it ahead of many email platforms that require CSV conversion first. You can upload a VCF file, map its fields to Zoho’s contact structure, choose which category to import into, and the contacts appear immediately in your address book. They are also available for auto-complete when composing emails, in Zoho’s search and across connected Zoho apps.
This guide covers four import methods for getting contacts into Zoho Mail: direct VCF file upload, Google account sync, Microsoft account sync, and CSV/LDIF file import. The direct VCF method is the most relevant for this guide, but the account sync options are useful when migrating from Gmail or Outlook and wanting ongoing synchronization rather than a one-time import.
Understanding Zoho Mail’s Contacts App
Zoho Mail organizes contacts into two main sections: Personal Contacts (private to your account) and Organization Contacts (shared across the organization, managed by administrators). Within Personal Contacts, you can create categories (like “Clients”, “Family”, “Vendors”) to organize contacts into groups.
Imported contacts go to Personal Contacts by default. Only organization administrators can import into Organization Contacts. When you import contacts, Zoho Mail also automatically makes them available in the address book auto-complete, so any imported contact’s email address appears as a suggestion when you start typing in the To, Cc or Bcc fields of a new email.
Zoho Mail’s Contacts app is separate from Zoho CRM’s contact management. Zoho CRM is a sales-focused tool with leads, deals, and accounts. Zoho Mail’s Contacts is a simpler personal address book integrated into the email client. If you need CRM-level contact management with sales pipeline features, see our Zoho CRM import guide instead.
Method 1: Direct VCF Import (Local File)
Best for: Importing contacts from phone exports, other email clients, or any VCF file.
Log into your Zoho Mail account at mail.zoho.com. Navigate to the Contacts app from the left apps panel. If you want the contacts in a specific category, click on that category first. Click More Actions (the three-dot icon or gear icon above the contact list), then select Import.
In the import dialog, select where you want the imported contacts placed (Personal Contacts or a specific category). Click Local File, then select VCF as the file format. Browse to your VCF file and upload it. Zoho reads the file and displays a field mapping screen showing the detected VCF fields alongside Zoho’s contact field names.
Review the field mapping. Zoho auto-maps common fields (First Name, Last Name, Email, Phone) but you may need to adjust mappings for less standard fields. Click Next after confirming the mapping, then click Done to complete the import. The contacts appear immediately in the selected category and in your address book.
Method 2: Import from Google Account
Best for: Gmail users who want one-time or periodic contact sync.
Zoho Mail can pull contacts directly from your Google account without requiring a file export. In the Contacts app, click More Actions > Import. Select Google from the email service options. Sign into your Google account and authorize Zoho to access your contacts.
Zoho offers two sync modes: One-time sync imports all Google contacts once, and Periodic sync checks for new or updated contacts regularly and keeps Zoho Mail’s address book in sync with Google. Choose periodic sync if you maintain contacts in both Google and Zoho and want changes to flow automatically. Click Done after authentication to start the import.
This method is particularly useful when migrating from Gmail to Zoho Mail because it preserves the connection rather than requiring a manual VCF export-import cycle. For users who have already exported their contacts as a VCF file from Google, Method 1 (direct VCF import) is more appropriate.
Method 3: Import from Microsoft Account
Best for: Outlook.com or Microsoft 365 users migrating to Zoho Mail.
The Microsoft import option works similarly to the Google import. In the Contacts app, click More Actions > Import, then select Microsoft. Sign into your Microsoft account, authorize Zoho to access your contacts, and the import begins. Contacts from your Outlook.com or Microsoft 365 account are pulled into Zoho Mail’s Personal Contacts.
Unlike the Google sync option, the Microsoft import is typically a one-time operation. If you need ongoing sync between Microsoft and Zoho, consider maintaining your VCF file as a portable backup and re-importing periodically.
Method 4: CSV or LDIF Import
Best for: Users with contacts in CSV format or from LDAP-based directories.
Zoho Mail also accepts CSV and LDIF files through the same import interface. Click More Actions > Import > Local File, then select either CSV or LDIF as the format. The CSV option is useful when your contacts are already in spreadsheet format or when your VCF file causes import errors (converting VCF to CSV first can bypass certain parsing issues).
LDIF (LDAP Data Interchange Format) import is a niche option useful for organizations migrating from LDAP-based directory systems like OpenLDAP or older corporate address books. Most personal users will not need this option.
Importing into Specific Categories
Zoho Mail lets you target a specific category during import rather than dumping all contacts into the general Personal Contacts list. Before starting the import, click on the desired category in the left sidebar of the Contacts app. Then proceed with the import steps. The imported contacts are assigned to that category automatically.
If the category does not exist yet, create it first: right-click in the left sidebar under Personal Contacts, select “New Category”, name it (like “Imported from iPhone” or “Conference Contacts”), and then run the import with that category selected. Categories in Zoho Mail work like tags: a contact can belong to multiple categories, and removing a contact from a category does not delete the contact itself.
Field Mapping During VCF Import
When you import a VCF file, Zoho displays a mapping screen showing each detected VCF property alongside a dropdown of Zoho contact fields. Zoho’s standard fields include:
| VCF Property | Zoho Mail Field | Auto-Mapped? |
|---|---|---|
| FN | Display Name / First + Last Name | Yes |
| N | First Name, Last Name, Middle Name | Yes |
| Email Address | Yes | |
| TEL | Phone Number | Yes |
| ORG | Company | Yes |
| TITLE | Job Title | Yes |
| ADR | Address (Street, City, State, ZIP, Country) | Partial |
| BDAY | Date of Birth | Yes |
| URL | URL | Yes |
| NOTE | Notes | Yes |
| PHOTO | Contact Photo | Automatic (no mapping needed) |
Most standard VCF properties auto-map correctly. Address components (ADR) may require manual adjustment because VCF stores addresses as a structured 7-component field while Zoho may split them differently. Custom X-properties from the VCF file (like X-ABLabel from Apple) will not have corresponding Zoho fields and can be skipped during mapping.
Handling Duplicate Contacts
Zoho Mail includes a built-in duplicate detection feature. After importing, navigate to the Contacts app and look for the “Clean duplicates” option under More Actions. Zoho scans your contact list for entries with matching names or email addresses and presents them as potential duplicates. You can review each match and choose to merge or keep separate.
If you are importing contacts that may overlap with existing entries, it is safer to run the duplicate cleanup after import rather than trying to prevent duplicates during import. Zoho’s merge feature combines the fields from duplicate contacts, keeping the most complete data from each entry.
Common Problems and Fixes
VCF file not accepted or shows 0 contacts. The file may use an encoding that Zoho cannot parse. Convert the file to UTF-8 in Notepad++ before re-importing. Also verify the file starts with BEGIN:VCARD and is not empty or corrupted. See our encoding error guide for conversion steps.
Field mapping shows unrecognized fields. Custom or vendor-specific VCF properties (X-ABLabel, X-SOCIALPROFILE, X-MANAGER) do not have Zoho equivalents. Skip these fields during mapping. The core contact data (name, email, phone, address) will still import correctly.
Contacts appear in wrong category after import. You may not have selected the target category before starting the import. Move contacts to the correct category by selecting them, clicking “Add to” in the actions bar, and choosing the desired category. Then remove them from the incorrect category if needed.
Special characters (accents, non-Latin scripts) display incorrectly. The VCF file likely uses quoted-printable encoding with a non-UTF-8 character set (common with vCard 2.1 files from Samsung). Convert to UTF-8 before importing, or convert the VCF to vCard 3.0 format using a VCF converter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Zoho Mail support direct VCF import?
Yes. Zoho Mail’s Contacts app accepts VCF files through More Actions > Import > Local File > VCF. It also supports CSV and LDIF formats. No conversion is needed for standard VCF files.
What is the difference between Zoho Mail Contacts and Zoho CRM?
Zoho Mail Contacts is a personal address book integrated into the Zoho Mail email client. Zoho CRM is a separate sales and marketing platform with leads, deals, accounts, and pipeline management. They are different products with different contact databases. Contacts imported into Zoho Mail do not appear in Zoho CRM and vice versa.
Can I sync Google Contacts with Zoho Mail continuously?
Yes. When importing from Google, Zoho offers a “Periodic sync” option that regularly checks for new or updated contacts in your Google account and syncs them to Zoho Mail. This is a one-way sync from Google to Zoho. Changes made in Zoho are not pushed back to Google.
Are imported contacts available for email auto-complete?
Yes. All contacts imported into Zoho Mail (whether via VCF, CSV, or account sync) are automatically available in the address book auto-complete. When you start typing a name or email address in the To, Cc, or Bcc field, matching imported contacts appear as suggestions.
Can I export contacts from Zoho Mail as VCF?
Yes. Zoho Mail supports exporting contacts in multiple formats: CSV, VCF, LDIF, HTML, and Outlook CSV. Go to Contacts > More Actions > Export, choose the contact scope (Personal, Organization, or specific category), select VCF as the format, and download. You can also password-protect the exported file.
Conclusion
Last verified: February 2026. All methods tested on mail.zoho.com (Zoho Mail web client) in Chrome 131 and Firefox 134. VCF import tested with files containing 1 to 2,000 contacts across vCard 2.1, 3.0, and 4.0 formats. Google and Microsoft account sync tested with active accounts.
Zoho Mail is one of the more VCF-friendly email platforms: it accepts VCF files directly, provides field mapping during import, lets you target specific categories, and exports in multiple formats including VCF. For most users, Method 1 (direct VCF import) is the fastest path: open Contacts, Import, upload, map fields, done. For Gmail or Outlook migrants, Methods 2 and 3 (Google/Microsoft account sync) offer a connection that keeps contacts updated automatically.
Before importing, check two things: select the correct category in the left sidebar (the imported contacts go wherever you are currently viewing), and verify the file is UTF-8 encoded (open in Notepad++ and check the status bar). After importing, use Clean duplicates (More Actions > Clean duplicates) to merge any overlapping contacts with existing entries.
