How to Export Outlook Address Book to VCF File? Best Ways

Overview: Sometimes, users need to share contacts with others or move them to another email address. To accomplish this process, they want to export Outlook address book to VCF (or vCard) format so that they can simply share contact files with others. VCF or vCard is a widely used file format supported by various email clients, smartphones, and other contact management applications. If users plan to switch to another email client, they can also use the VCF format to backup their contacts file.

Here we will explain the manual methods to convert Outlook files to VCF format for easily sharing with others. Also, we will discuss the professional methods to complete the export process successfully.

Reasons to Convert Outlook Address Book to vCard Format

• Portability: Simply move your contacts to other applications or platforms, including mobile phones, other email clients, and cloud services.
• Backup: Protect your file contacts from accidental deletion or data loss.
• Sharing: Use VCF vCard files to send your contact details to others or exchange business cards digitally.
• Compatibility: vCard files are supported with most email clients, including Gmail, Apple Contacts, and Thunderbird.

In the following steps, we will explain to you the process of exporting Outlook contact files to VCF files.

Manual Trick to Export Outlook Address Book to VCF File

This way is based on the latest edition of Outlook for Microsoft 365 and Outlook 2021, 2019, but the process is similar for older editions. Follow the steps below:

1. Open Outlook on your system.
2. Select the Contacts tab. A list of contacts will open.
3. Choose the contacts file you want to export. 
4. With your contact file selected, hit the File menu in the upper-left corner.
5. Go to the folder where you want to save your exported contacts.
6. In Save as type drop-down menu and press the vCard Files (*.vcf).
7. Name the file contact and choose a location to save it, then press Save.

If you want to export individual contacts instead of exporting them in bulk:

1. Double-click to open a specific contact.
2. When the Contacts window opens, click File > Save As.
3. Pick the destination to save the contacts as a.vcf file.

Your contacts file will be saved as.vcf or vCard files in the location you choose. You can then import them into other apps or share them as needed.

Limitations of the Manual Method

Exporting your Outlook contacts list to VCF (vCard) format is an effective way to back up or share your contacts, but there are a few limitations you should keep in mind when doing this. These restrictions depend on the edition of MS Outlook you’re using, but the most common ones are:

• Not Supported for Groups or Contact Lists: Microsoft Outlook does not permit you to export distribution lists (groups) as a vCard. If you manage your contacts into groups, you must export each contact individually, and group membership is not preserved in the VCF format.
• Custom Fields and Data Loss: Custom fields or other information you have added to a contact record may not be preserved in the VCF file. For example, social media, custom notes, links, or other fields not included in the standard vCard format may be missed.
• Bulk Export: When converting a large number of file contacts, Outlook does not allow you to choose multiple individual contacts and export them in bulk as a VCF format. Typically, you will need to select all contacts or select them one by one.

Automatic Solution to Export Outlook Address Book to VCF File

If you are not a tech-savvy user and want to move multiple contacts at once, then try this method. You can choose the vCard converter Tool. There is no risk of information theft, and the integrity of the data is also maintained.

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With this utility, you can also convert Outlook address book to vCard for use in various email clients and other file formats in Outlook. Moreover, it provides many advanced filtering options to enhance the output file. It is very reliable software and is recommended by experts.

Just Few Steps to Convert Outlook Address Book to vCard

• Download the vCard Export Software on desktop.

• Load the Outlook contact file from the default destination.

• Show the preview all contacts on the software screen.

• Hit the Export option to convert contacts to VCF.

Final Words

In this article, we have talked about both manual and automated solutions. If users want to convert multiple Outlook contacts files, they can use the manually to export Outlook address book to VCF (vCard) format. However, if you are an organization or a big business, you should look for a professional solution. Users can also try the free trial version of the software on their system to check the functionality and compatibility.