GUIDE
What Is a VCF File?
A VCF file is a plain-text contact file that stores one or more vCards. Phones, email clients, address books, and migration tools use it to move contact details between systems.
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What you should know
A VCF file is a plain-text contact file that stores one or more vCards. Phones, email clients, address books, and migration tools use it to move contact details between systems.
Before you begin
- Keep an untouched copy of the source export.
- Work on a small sample before changing a complete address book.
- Review the downloaded file before importing it elsewhere.
What a vCard can contain
A card commonly contains a formatted name, structured name parts, phone numbers, email addresses, organisation, title, notes, categories, a UID, and sometimes a photo. Different applications support different subsets.
One file can hold many contacts
A file can contain repeated BEGIN:VCARD and END:VCARD blocks. Some older importers expect one card per file, which is why splitting or merging may be necessary.
Use the right tool
Use the viewer to inspect a file without changing it, the editor to correct fields, and the validator before importing into another address book.
Questions people ask
Does What Is a VCF File? change the original file?
No. The browser works with the selected copy and creates a separate download. Keep the original export as your rollback point.
How should I verify the result of What Is a VCF File??
Compare the source and output counts, inspect ordinary and edge-case contacts, validate the download, and test a small destination import before using the complete address book.