How to import Gmail contacts to Outlook?

Consolidating everything into Outlook and my Gmail account holds the master copy of my contacts, around 500.

I see Google offers two CSV export flavors. Which one and what is the import procedure?

Take the Outlook CSV flavor, it exists precisely for this trip. Google CSV uses Google's own column layout and imports into Outlook with fields scrambled or dropped, Outlook CSV writes the exact headers Outlook's wizard maps automatically.

1

At contacts.google.com click Export in the left panel.

2

Select Contacts for everything or a specific label for a subset, choose Outlook CSV and download.

3

In Outlook: File, Open and Export, Import/Export, Import from another program or file, Comma Separated Values.

4

Browse to the download, pick your duplicates preference, target the Contacts folder and Finish. Mapping is automatic thanks to the format choice in step two.

Two follow ups people hit. Contact photos do not ride along in any CSV, if photos matter export vCard from Google instead and import the vcf, trading automatic field mapping for pictures. And if Outlook connects to that same Gmail account over IMAP, remember IMAP carries no contacts at all, this CSV trip is the only bridge, so nothing is wrong with your account setup when contacts fail to appear on their own.

Outlook CSV flavor, wizard, done, 500 contacts mapped without touching a field. Wish every migration had a purpose built export like this.