Create an Address Book
How do I create a phonebook or contact directory?
This article describes how to create an address book document from Google Docs.
Option A: Using the Mail Merge Add-on for Google Docs
Step 1
In Google Docs, create your address book template.
Click Format > Columns and then select either two or three columns (depending on how many columns you want in your address book).
Alternatively, you can make a copy of this read-only sample address book template and modify it to your needs; this will help you avoid some common mistakes.
Step 2
Start the Mail Merge add-on and setup your sheet as normal.
Step 3
Enter a document title in the header, if required, and insert your *|merge field|* into the first column by selecting a field from the Merge Field drop-down and clicking Add.
Repeat for as many *|merge fields|* as required and format the template according to your requirements.
Step 4
Open the Options window by clicking the button in the Mail Merge sidebar.
Step 5
Select No from the Add Page Break drop-down.
Step 6
Click Save to apply changes.
Step 7
It would make sense to sort the data in your Google Sheet alphabetically by name.
In the example below, we have created a new column called L which holds the first letter of the name, for ease of reference in the address book. The formula to populate the L column is shown in the screenshot below. There is a corresponding L *|merge field|* in the sample address book template.
These steps are optional - skip to Step 9 if you do not wish to use the L column.
Step 8
Apply the formula to the rest of the cells in the column, by dragging the first cell downward from the bottom-right corner.
Step 9
Create a filter by highlighting your column titles and clicking Data > Create a Filter.
Step 10
Sort the Name column alphabetically by clicking the Filter button and selecting Sort A to Z.
Step 11
In Google Docs, select Letters under Merge To and press the Merge button.
NOTE: Any *|merge field|* without a value in your Google Sheet will be automatically removed.
The merged address book will appear as in the screenshot below when using the sample address book template.
Option B: Using the Phone Book Add-on
Step 1
Install the Phone Book add-on by following the steps in this article.
Alternatively, you can install the add-on directly from Google Workspace Marketplace.
Step 2
Create a phonebook by following the steps in this article.
The add-on enables you to import all contacts or contacts with a particular label, and allows you to select the data fields that you would like to import for your contacts.
