How to Use vCard in Outlook – Create, Receive, Send VCF File

  

Published By Mohit Jha

Approved By Nimisha Ramesh

Published On August 1st, 2024

Reading Time 7 Minutes Reading

Are you looking for a convenient way to share contact information with others? Using vCard in Outlook is a simple and effective way. This article will walk you through the step-by-step process to create a vCard in Outlook 2021, 2019, 2016. Using this blog, you can quickly and easily share contact information with customers, colleagues, and other contacts.
Most of the users attach their VCF file in Outlook while sending an email. This is an effective and unobtrusive way of letting business contacts to know how to reach you. vCard can be easily attached to your signature in Outlook mail & Outlook makes it particularly easy to use. If you want to share your contact information & business details then, vCard is a smart choice. You can how to make a vCard in Outlook to share the information.

What is a vCard?

A VCF or vCard, also known as a Virtual Contact File, is a digital format used to collect and share contact information. It typically includes the name, address, phone number, email address, and other relevant information about the contact.

Many email clients, including Microsoft Outlook, support vCard, allowing recipients to easily add contact information to their address book. Most versions of Microsoft Outlook support this format, including Outlook 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021 and Outlook for Microsoft 365. The main purpose of vCard is to make it easy to share and manage contact information in a standardized format. Using vCard, you can quickly share your contact information or add someone else’s information to your address book without having to manually enter all the data.

How to Use vCard in Outlook? Top 5 Techniques

Add vCard in Outlook is a convenient way of exchanging personal information such as name, phone number, e-mail and address. You can share your contact detail by creating a VCF file. Therefore, in the upcoming segment will explain the manual techniques to create, send, receive, and add an automatic signature in Microsoft Outlook.

1: Create a vCard in Outlook

The below explained steps will help you to send a vCard in Outlook 2021, 2019, 2016, 2013:

1. Open Microsoft Outlook & Go to Contacts folder
2. Click on New to create a New Contact
3. You get a dialog box in which you have to enter the information about you i.e., Full Name, Company, Job Title, Contact Numbers & Address

1. Select that contact to save and close the dialog box
2. Go to file menu click on Save File As and click on vCard Files (*.vcf)
3. In the Save inbox, select the folder where you want to save the vCard and click on save.

This is the way you can create a vCard in Outlook for a specific contact or a new contact.

2: Distribute or Send VCF file

Distribute and send vCard file to any other computer file

1. Compose a new message and address it to the recipient as done while sending a mail
2. Go to Insert and click on File option
3. Now, from the list select a vCard (.vcf) file and click on OK

That is all your vCard has sent to the recipient

3: How to Export vCard in Outlook Desktop App?

For sharing or storing Outlook contacts, exporting them to a VCF file is the ideal way. Check out this guide for instructions on how to do so:

1. Open Outlook and select the contact entry you want to export.
   Then, click Save As and select the destination on your computer.
   From the drop-down menu, select the vCard format and click Save.

4: Open & Save VCF to Outlook to Receive

1. When you receive a vCard open the message
2. Open the attachment by clicking twice
3. Then in open contact, click on Save and Close option

Now you can get the saved contact in your vCard contact folder

5: Add vCard in Outlook with Automatic Signature

You can include an automatic signature in vCard with these steps:

1. Go to File Menu and click on Option
2. In Mail, section click on signatures option
3. Click on New to add a new signature
4. Now, enter the name for your signature and click on next
5. In the Text Windows type the desired signature information

For Outlook 2007 and Outlook 2010, click on Business Card, & select the contact that you want to add then, click on OK three times

1. Now, select Contacts or another address list in the Show Names from the box
2. Select the entry for which a vCard has to create and click on OK and finish
3. Again click on OK to complete the signature entry process

Best Practices for Managing vCard in Outlook

1. Customize vCard: You can customize the look and content of vCard by adding photos, logos, or custom fields. This will help make vCard more personal and professional.
2. Update vCard: Review and update vCard regularly to ensure that contact information is accurate and up-to-date. This will help avoid confusion and ensure that your contacts have the latest information.
3. Bulk Export vCard: If you need to export multiple vCard at once, you can use the Outlook Import and Export Wizard to export your contacts to a single CSV file. You can then use a third-party tool to convert CSV file to VCF format.
4. Back up vCard: Regularly backup your Outlook contacts and vCard to prevent data loss or corruption. You can do this by exporting your contacts to a PST file or using an automated backup solution.

Concluding

The write-up serves you with manual techniques to create, send, receive VCF file in Outlook 2021, 2019, 2016, 2016. These are the possible techniques to the problem how to use vCard in Outlook 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007 & 2003.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What are the benefits of sending a vCard?

The benefit of sending a vCard is that it allows you to share contact information with others quickly and easily. The vCard can be stored on your computer or mobile device, so you can easily access contact information at any time. in addition, most email application support the VCF vCard format, making it a famous way to share contacts information.

Q: What is the difference between a vCard and an email signature?

The difference between a vCard and an email signature is that a vCard is an electronic card format that stores contact information, while an email signature is a set of predefined contact details that are automatically added to the end of an email. A vCard can be sent as an attachment, while an email signature is added to the body of an email.

Q: How do I send a vCard in Outlook?

To make a vCard in Outlook,  open a contact, click the Share icon, and select the option to send the contact via email. You will be prompted to enter the recipient’s email address. After entering the email address, click Send. The virtual card will be sent as an attachment.