A vCard or a virtual contact file is a standard file format for digital contact cards that can be saved as a .vcf or a .vcard file. Like a regular contact card, a vCard can store any information such as name, phone number, email address, work address, fax number and etc. So basically, a vCard is a virtual business card that you can attach to emails in Outlook (or elsewhere) and send digitally.
Since .vcf files store contact information, they’re often seen as the export/import format of some address book programs. This makes it easy to share one or more contacts, use the same contacts in different email programs or services, or back up your address book to a file. Here’s how to create a vCard, send one, or import one in both Outlook and Gmail.
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How to create a vCard file in Outlook
To create a vCard in Outlook use these instructions:
- In Outlook, click the “Contacts” icon to get started
- Click File > New Entry to create a new contact
- Select “New Contact” and then click the “OK” button
- Add the information you want to show in your vCard. Keep in mind that this information will be included in each email you attach it to, so it’s better to avoid personal information unless the contact doesn’t mind others seeing it. Once done, click “Save & Close”
How to send a vCard file in Outlook
In case you wonder how to send a vCard in Outlook here is a guide to do so:
- Open a new email and address it to whoever you’re sending the email to
- Click the paperclip icon on the toolbar to attach a file to the email
- From the “Attachments” menu, select Attach Item > Business Card > Other Business Cards
- Choose the vCard you want to import and click “OK”
How to Import a vCard File From an Outlook Email
Whether you need to use a vCard somewhere outside the Outlook Email, or just save it for later occasions here is how to do it:
- To import a vCard file into Outlook, click the arrow at the right side of the vCard and choose “Open”
- Once done, the vCard opens in the “Contacts” menu. To save it, click “Save & Close”
How to import a vCard in Gmail
So you decided to use Gmail and are going to add a vCard to your email. That is how you can do it:
- Open the email message and click “Download” on the attached vCard
- Open the file and choose which program you’d like to open it with. Outlook, the first option, allows you to import it directly into your Contacts. Click Outlook and then “OK” to open the file
- Outlook will then open the “Contacts” menu. To save, just click “Save & Close”
As you can see, everything is very simple and now you can make your formal letter even more attractive and informative. You can use the vCard not only for formal emails, but you can also simply add various information to them and be creative.
