Should I use CSV or vCard?

It depends on your destination. Google CSV is described as a backup format and suits re-importing into Google. vCard is often more portable for phones and contact apps, but confirm what your destination accepts before exporting.

Does this export include my work or school directory?

Not entirely. Work or school accounts cannot select every contact in the organization Directory through the personal-contacts export, so directory entries need separate handling.

Does exporting delete my contacts from the old account?

No. An export creates a copy. It is not a deletion and does not prove that stored data has been erased.

Can a username lookup tool export my contacts?

No. Tools such as TraceSeek check known public usernames; they cannot operate Google Contacts settings or access private contacts. A public match is a lead, not proof of ownership.

Export Selected Google Contacts Before Retiring an Email Account

Q: Can I export just one contact instead of my whole address book?

Yes. On a computer, Google Contacts can export a selected contact, several contacts, or all selected personal contacts as CSV or vCard, so you can keep the export to the minimum set you need.

What this task is, and what it is not

Retiring an email address usually means you need a usable copy of the contacts you actually rely on, not a full-account archive. This is a narrow export: pick a few people or a small group, export them in a format your destination can import, and keep the file until the move is done.

It is not the same as downloading everything in the account, and it is not the same as letting contacts save automatically. A whole-account export serves a different purpose and is harder to review. Automatic saving captures whatever the service decides to keep, which may include entries you never wanted to carry over.

Before you export

Decide the destination first. Know whether you are importing into another contacts app, a phone, or a spreadsheet. The destination determines whether CSV or vCard is the better fit.
Define the minimum set. List the people or groups you actually need, rather than exporting everything and sorting later.
Check the account type. Personal Gmail contacts and work or school Directory entries behave differently in this export.
Choose private storage. Save the file to a location only you can access. Do not upload it to public lookup tools or paste it into shared documents.

Google Contacts on a computer can export a selected contact, several contacts or all selected personal contacts as CSV or vCard. Source

How to export selected contacts

Open Google Contacts on a computer.
Select the contact or contacts you want to keep.
Open More actions and choose Export.
Pick the format that matches your destination: Google CSV, another CSV variant, or vCard.
Save the file to private storage you control, and note where you saved it.

Use More actions, Export; Google identifies Google CSV as a backup format. Source

A few practical points follow from this. Google CSV is described as a backup format, so it is a reasonable choice if you plan to re-import into Google later, but it may not suit every other app. vCard is often the more portable option for phones and contact apps, though you should confirm what your destination accepts before exporting.

Personal contacts versus the organization Directory

If you use a work or school account, the Directory is a shared organizational listing, not your personal address book. The personal-contacts export does not let you select every Directory entry.

Work or school accounts cannot select every contact in the organization Directory through this personal-contacts export. Source

That means you should not assume a single export captures colleagues or shared listings. If you need those, treat them as a separate question and check what your organization permits before you leave the account.

After the export: a short checklist

Open the file once. Confirm it contains the contacts you selected and is readable in the tool you plan to use.
Import into the destination. Do this while you can still compare against the old account, and fix any mismatches before you retire it.
Keep a private copy. Store it somewhere you control until you are satisfied the move is complete.
Delete extra copies. Remove any duplicate downloads or temporary copies from shared or public locations.
Then retire the account. Do not treat exporting as proof that anything was deleted from Google; the export is a copy, not a deletion.

Failure boundaries

The export is not a full account archive. If you need messages, files or other data, this is the wrong tool.
It is not a guaranteed erasure. Exporting contacts does not delete them from the old account or prove that stored data is gone.
It does not cover every Directory entry. Organization listings need separate handling.
It does not verify who a contact is. An exported name or address is a record, not proof of identity.
A username search is not a contact export. If you are checking known public usernames, a lookup tool such as TraceSeek may help you find public matches, but it cannot operate Google Contacts settings, cannot see private contacts, and a match is a lead, not proof of ownership.

Where this fits

Use this export when you have a defined set of contacts to carry into a new address and you want a small, reviewable file. Use a full-account export when you need everything. Use automatic saving only as a convenience, not as your move plan. And keep private exports out of public lookup tools, because a contact list is not something to publish or test against unknown services.