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How do I export my Yahoo Mail address book?

I would like to transfer my Yahoo email address account to a new yahoo email address account. I've done it twice before but can't figure it out this time. I'm running OS X.


Dave's Answer:

I'm not completely sure I understand your question, but I think you're asking me about how to export your address book and them import it into your new Yahoo Mail account. That's actually not too difficult with Yahoo (unlike some of the other online email services).

To export addresses, you need to log in to your Yahoo Mail account and click on the Addresses tab:

Yahoo Mail: Navigational Tabs

You can see on the top right the "Import/Export" link. That's what we'll be using for this task. Click on it, scroll down just a wee bit and you'll now see:

Yahoo Mail: Export Address Book

You'll want to choose the latter of these four options, "Yahoo! CSV" (CSV = comma separated values, by the way), and click "Export Now".

That creates a file called "yahoo.csv" that's saved to your computer and you've exported all of your addresses from your Yahoo! Mail address book.

When you've moved to your new account and got it set up, use the same "Import/Export" feature but this time select the data file in step two of the import capability:

Yahoo Mail: Import Address Book

The choice on step one should be "Yahoo (.CSV file)", you can skip step two, then push "Choose File" on step three to identify the "yahoo.csv" file that you previously saved, and push "Import Now" to make it happen!

A second or two later you should see your newly populated address book with the message:

Yahoo Mail: Imported Old Address Book

That should get you going. In terms of moving messages from one account to the other, there's no easy way to accomplish that in Yahoo Mail, so you'll probably need to have both accounts open for a while as you wind down use of your old address and begin use of your new address.

Good luck to you.



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Comments

this is not a good ans to fine ur mail address book
so plz tell me how can i inport my address book
reg
munish Bhanghalia
chandigarh(india)

Posted by: Munish Bhanghalia at April 19, 2007 5:45 AM

hi friends i am a web developer
I think you are familiar about netvibes.com in which you can able to view mail accounts such as gmail,yahoo.
Now i want to do it in my web site
Can you tell me to achieve it
Please Advance Thanks

Posted by: sivaram at April 27, 2007 2:54 AM

In the Yahoo contacts it lists the name but not the e-mail address.. If I copy or export I only get the name but no address...How do I export the E-mail address??

Posted by: Westley Brenton at December 7, 2007 11:28 AM

I want to import my yahoo contacts to my own site!!!

please guide me do that....

Posted by: vmanikandan at March 31, 2008 3:45 AM

Dear Dave,
I would like to export my current address book on Yahoo to another yahoo account email (totally separate). However, I do NOT want to lose the current address book in the first account! I am waiting here, with baited breath, with the
screen up to press "transfer" in order to know whether or
not the addresses will still remain in the first account also
They are using terms like "new account" so I thought
before I did it and found out the hard way, I should ask
an expert.
THANKS!

Posted by: Jane at June 1, 2008 6:45 PM

Dear Dave ,

I'm facing a very big problem , some one stole my email password for yahoo account and change the password , while I'm using it for business ....and I don't know what shall I do ,Please can you help me

Posted by: Waleed at August 24, 2008 2:54 AM

Re. Yahoo address book
When I send an email with bcc to a category group in my yahoo address book, it sometimes only goes to some of the addresses in that category group. I know this from the "message sent to" list that appears after I click send.

I am using a Mac, 10.4.8.

Any suggestions how to fix this?
Stephen Book

Posted by: Stephen Book at September 26, 2008 4:09 PM

I don't know why my yahoo e-mail address has change but I have lost all my old message and my contacts. My old yahoo address is concented also to my Blackberry. What happen to my old address I want it back so I can get my messages from my friends and business associates. I also need my old message to refer back to.Why did it change all of a sudden with out notice. I need my contact and my messages back asap. My old address was rodressup and my password was rdavis47. I need my information back. I am pissed off.

Posted by: Rochelle at October 8, 2008 2:18 PM

can not bring yahoo mail up

Posted by: phyllis williams at February 18, 2009 9:43 AM

can not bring yahoo mail up

Posted by: phyllis williams at February 18, 2009 9:43 AM

How do I export my yahoo mail address?

I clicked on import/export I've got the import option while I would like to export and I have a message saying: Could not read file. Does not appear to be a valid CSV file.

Could you propose me another way to get that right.

thank you

Posted by: Mr Franck at March 9, 2009 8:12 AM

i really needs to change another new email address on yahoo now .please !

Posted by: valentine's day at March 23, 2009 2:47 PM

How do I download yahoo addresses to blackberry?

Posted by: Dan at April 24, 2009 8:23 AM

WRONG - this is not the answer for the older email system but for the new - not everybody jumps on a bandwagon just becasue it drives by.

Posted by: pro at June 19, 2009 12:20 PM

I can not get my yahoo email to open, after logging into my yahoo mail, I then have to type into the address bar www.yahoo.com and then it will automatically go to my email account, but it will only show the very start of the first few emails.

Do you know how I can fix this problem so I can see what is in my yahoo email.

Thank you in advance for your help.

CJ

Posted by: C.J. at July 18, 2009 6:45 AM

Someone hacked my yahoo account and changed my information and I can't log into my account. I want to export my e-mail contacts to another e-mail address. How do I do that?

Posted by: Donna at August 5, 2009 5:35 AM

NEW Yahoo Addresse Book is the MOST stupid change from the old system-why ?1)It is very slow in downloading the addresse.2)It always hangs.Now how can i get back the old system without the downloading activity?With the NEW system I am trying to transfer names from one category to another catergory-with this new system it cannot be done !In the past all the addresses in my various category work fine for many years but all of a sudden 90% of the categories do not work with the message which say " some addresses are not right "?How can this be when it has been working all the time.If a NEW CONTACT email addresse can be saved into the Addresse BOOK can i assumed that the email is CORRECTLY entered ?With this problem I suppect that someone must have crept into my addresse book and disfigured some email addrsse in most of the categories to make it not workable.Can you please explain how can this happen?I have about 5000 addresses which is the maximum Yahoo Mail can save. 2)Since i m in a publication business is that any other Email Account which can accept UNLIMITED contact addresse book ?
Any help rendered will be most appreciated,/Thanks/Steven

Posted by: steven at January 7, 2010 1:40 PM

I have something to say, now that you mention it, but ...
Starbucks coffee cup I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you for all your efforts on this Web site by buying you a cup of coffee!

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!











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