How to import/Export vcf files in Outlook
Outlook (any version) does not really have an import/export function for .vcf files.
While there is an option to “import” a .vcf file via the Outlook import process, it is effectively the same thing as clicking on the .vcf file which will open the Outlook detail contact screen which then needs to be “saved”. Both methods will save the new contact to the default contact folder for the profile (there’s no option to select the destination folder via the “import” process). Regardless of which method is used, Outlook can and will only process one contact at a time. It cannot handle .vcf files that contain multiple contacts in a single .vcf file. All things considered, neither method is faster then the other in terms of number of clicks required to accomplish the “import” or speed in which it’s accomplished.
On the flip side, the “export” process is actually saving a single contact item as a .vcf file. This requires that a single contact is highlighted in any view (People, list or card) or the contact item is opened, at which point a .vcf file can be created by clicking on <File –> SaveAs> making sure that you select .vcf as the file type (which is the default). It’s not possible to perform this process on a bulk basis via Outlook.
- Select the contact folder
- Select the contact item to be saved
- Click on <File>
- Select <SaveAs>
- Select the destination location where the .vcf file is to be saved making sure that .vcf is selected as the file type (default)
If your requirement is to process a single .vcf file that contains multiple contact records OR import multiple .vcf files contained in a single Windows folder, a 3rd party tool is required. One such utility is vCard Wizard from the 4Team folks which provides a wealth of features such as
- import/export of one or multiple contacts at one time
- support for all major platforms – Windows, IOS (iPhone, iPad, Mac), Android and BlackBerry
- import/export Google and iCloud contacts
A free version of vCard Wizard is available with a 5 contact limit with no time constraints on use
Category: Import/Export, Outlook - How To
