A brief overview of how to use Google Contacts.

Google Contacts is a tool that allows you to manage your contacts in Google Workspace. Whenever you create a new email in Gmail or share a document in Google Drive, the contact suggestion feature uses Google Contacts to fetch the details of your contacts and display them as suggestions.

Google Contacts also manages the contacts you see on your mobile device when your Google Workspace account is connected to your smartphone. Allowing you to have the exact contact details available and in sync on your mobile and Google Workspace.

To access Google Contacts on the web, you need to head over to http://contacts.google.com you'll then see your list of contacts. 

Contacts Section

Contacts are separated into four main categories listed down the left-hand sidebar:

  • Contacts lists all the people you have actively saved or added to your contacts. Typically, these are the contacts you see on your connected mobile device.

  • Directory only appears in the business versions of Google Workspace (if the feature is enabled), and it shows you a guide of all the people in the same business as you - making it easier to find contact details of fellow team members.

  • Frequent lists the people you contact the most, making it easier to get their contact details. 

  • Other Contacts lists people you've interacted with in Google products and any contacts you've hidden.

Fix and Merge Section

Next, you have a section called Fix and Manage, which offers you tools to keep your contacts organised. 

  • Merge and Fix will automatically list any contacts with duplications and allow you to merge them into a single contact quickly.

  • Import lets you import your contacts from other systems.

  • Bin contacts you delete will go into the Bin for 30 days until they are permanently deleted.

Labels Section

Then, you will come across the Labels section. 

  • Labels work similarly to the labels function in Gmail. You can create labels and add them to contacts to help you organise your contacts. Labels do also have a particular hidden function. You can enter the label name into the TO, CC and BCC sections when composing an email, and when you do this, the contact you have listed under that label will get included in the email!

  • Clicking the Settings cog in the top right will give you three options.

  • Delegate Access allows you to let someone else in the same organisation as you access and manage your contacts on your behalf. Similar to how Delegate Access in Gmail functions.

  • Undo Changes lets you undo recent changes you have made to your Google Contacts.

  • More Settings lets you change the date format and select if contacts should be sorted by First Name or Surname.