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CSV to VCF Converter
Convert a contacts CSV from Excel, Google Sheets, Outlook or any CRM into a single .vcf file that phones and email apps can import. Columns are matched to vCard fields automatically and you can fix any match before downloading.
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1Add your contacts CSV
2Match columns to contact fields guessed automatically, change any that are wrong
3Create the VCF file
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How to use the CSV to VCF Converter
- Add your CSV: drop the file, choose it, or paste the rows. In Excel or Google Sheets use File > Save As / Download > CSV first.
- Check the column matches in step 2. Each column shows an example value; set unneeded columns to Ignore.
- Choose vCard 3.0 for the best compatibility, or 4.0 if your app asks for it. Add a country code such as +1 if your numbers are local.
- Preview the contacts and press Download VCF.
- Import the .vcf on your phone, in Google Contacts (Import), Outlook or Apple Contacts (File > Import).
How CSV columns become vCard lines
| CSV column (example) | vCard 3.0 line | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| First Name, Last Name | N:Ruiz;Ana;;; and FN:Ana Ruiz | N holds family;given;middle;prefix;suffix. FN is the display name |
| Mobile Phone | TEL;TYPE=CELL,PREF:+1 512 555 0101 | The first phone is marked preferred |
| Work Phone | TEL;TYPE=WORK,VOICE:415-555-0199 | Fax uses TYPE=WORK,FAX |
| E-mail Address | EMAIL;TYPE=INTERNET,PREF:[email protected] | Personal and work emails add HOME or WORK |
| Company, Department | ORG:Pine & Co;Design | Commas inside values are escaped as \, |
| Job Title | TITLE:Designer | |
| Street, City, State, ZIP, Country | ADR;TYPE=HOME:;;12 Oak St;Austin;TX;78701;USA | Seven parts; the first two (PO box, extended) stay empty |
| Birthday | BDAY:1990-04-12 | Accepts 1990-04-12, 04/12/1990 (US order) and 12.04.1990 |
| Website | URL:https://example.com | https:// is added when missing |
| Notes | NOTE:Met at the design meetup | Line breaks become \n |
| Groups | CATEGORIES:Friends,Work | Google's ::: separated groups are split |
Preparing the spreadsheet
- One contact per row, with a header row naming each column. Header names such as First Name, Last Name, Mobile, Email, Company are matched automatically.
- Keep phone numbers as text so Excel does not remove a leading
+or0or show them in scientific notation. Use the international format (+1, +44, +61…) when contacts are in different countries. - Save as CSV UTF-8 in Excel, or File > Download > CSV in Google Sheets. Semicolon-separated files from European versions of Excel are detected automatically.
- Full name only? Map it to Full name. The tool splits it into first and last name for the N field, using the last word as the family name.
vCard 3.0 vs 4.0 at a glance
| vCard 3.0 (RFC 2426) | vCard 4.0 (RFC 6350) | |
|---|---|---|
| Compatibility | Nearly universal | Modern apps; some older phones misread it |
| Phone type | TEL;TYPE=CELL | TEL;TYPE=cell;PREF=1 |
| Birthday | BDAY:1990-04-12 | BDAY:19900412 |
| Required fields | VERSION, N, FN | VERSION, FN |
| Character set | UTF-8 in practice | Always UTF-8 |
Frequently asked questions
What is a VCF file?
A VCF file (vCard) is the standard format for electronic business cards. One file can hold any number of contacts, each between BEGIN:VCARD and END:VCARD, with lines such as FN for the display name, TEL for phone numbers and EMAIL for addresses. iPhone, Android, Google Contacts, Outlook and Apple Contacts can all import it.
Which vCard version should I choose?
Choose 3.0 unless you have a reason not to: it is defined in RFC 2426 and is accepted by practically every phone and email program. vCard 4.0 (RFC 6350, 2011) is newer and supports a few extra features, but some older apps and phones import it incorrectly.
How do I import the VCF into an iPhone?
The simplest way is iCloud: sign in at icloud.com, open Contacts, click the + or gear menu and choose Import Contact, then select the .vcf file. Contacts then sync to the iPhone. You can also email or AirDrop the .vcf to yourself and tap it to add all contacts.
How do I import the VCF into Android or Google Contacts?
Open contacts.google.com, choose Import and select the .vcf file; the contacts sync to every Android phone signed in to that Google account. On the phone itself, the Contacts app usually has Settings > Import > .vcf file.
Why do my phone numbers or accents look wrong?
Spreadsheet apps often turn phone numbers into numbers and drop the leading + or 0, so format the phone column as text before saving the CSV. For names with accents, save the CSV as UTF-8 (Excel: CSV UTF-8). If a file is not UTF-8, this tool falls back to Windows-1252 decoding, which fixes most Western European characters.
Can one CSV row have several phone numbers or emails?
Yes. Map each column to its own field, for example Phone: mobile, Phone: work and Email: work. Every non-empty value becomes its own TEL or EMAIL line, and the first one is marked as preferred. Several emails in one cell separated by semicolons are split automatically.
Are my contacts uploaded?
No. The CSV is read and converted by JavaScript in your browser, and the .vcf is created on your device. No contact data is sent anywhere.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.
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