A password export can create a readable CSV containing account credentials. Treat it as sensitive information from the moment it is downloaded. An export is useful for an approved migration, but it is not an encrypted backup merely because Password Manager required authentication before creating it.
Choose the source and destination first
Confirm the Google Account or local Chrome profile that contains the intended passwords. Identify the approved destination manager and its import requirements before exporting. Keep access to the original manager until the migration has been verified.
On desktop Chrome, Google’s guide places Export Passwords under Google Password Manager, Settings, and Download file. Inspect where the browser will save the file, especially if Downloads is automatically synchronized or backed up.
Limit exposure during the transfer
Keep the export on a trusted device and use an approved protected transfer or encrypted storage method if it must leave that device. Do not email it, place it in a shared folder, or upload it to an online spreadsheet or file converter for inspection.
If format checking is necessary, use a trusted local tool and avoid screenshots or logs showing values. A password CSV migration should not be assumed to transfer passkeys or every other type of account credential.
Verify the import and remove unnecessary copies
Check the imported website, username, and selected entries in the destination without displaying credentials to other people. Confirm that the intended manager can retrieve the required records before retiring the source.
Google recommends deleting the downloaded CSV after importing passwords. Also consider copies in the chosen transfer location, backups, or another download folder under your organization’s retention process. Deleting one visible file is not a promise of forensic erasure from every backup. If the export was exposed to someone unauthorized, follow the appropriate credential-replacement process rather than assuming file removal alone makes the passwords safe.
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References
Reviewed against the linked official product guidance on November 3, 2026. Features, limits, screen labels, and access can vary by account, platform, region, and organization policy.