How to Convert vCard to CSV on Mac and Windows
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“I manage customer data at work, and many colleagues send me VCF files. The problem is, our CRM system only accepts CSV. To avoid manually entering everything, I have to convert those vCard files into CSV before importing. I’m looking for a efficient way to do this without losing data.”
vCard, also known as VCF (Virtual Contact File), is a popular file format for storing contact information. But sometimes there are situations where you need to convert vCard to an even more popular file format - CSV.
In this article, I will show you four proven ways to convert vCard to CSV, providing step-by-step instructions. There's also an FAQs section to help you better understand or troubleshoot the conversion.
Cisdem ContactsMate
A Bulk vCard to CSV Converter
- Import contacts from vCard and CSV files
- Export or convert contacts to CSV, Excel, vCard, and more
- Help you convert one or multiple vCards to CSV efficiently
- Allow you to specify which fields to export to CSV
- Support various contacts sources: Google, Outlook, Mac, iCloud (Mac only), and more
- Let you view, search, add, edit, delete, group, tag, email, share, print, and sync contacts
- Let you find and delete or merge duplicate contacts with a click, as well as detect formatting issues like incomplete names and invalid phone numbers or email addresses
- Easy to use and customize
Free Download macOS 10.11 or later 
Free Download Windows 10 or later
Compare 4 methods for converting vCard to CSV
I tested several conversion methods, and here's a brief comparison of them.
| Method | Compatibility | Bulk conversion | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Use Cisdem ContactsMate | Mac, Windows | Yes, one or multiple vCards | Users who need bulk conversion |
| Use Outlook for Windows | Windows | Yes, one or multiple vCards | Windows users who already use Outlook |
| Use Google Contacts | Mac, Windows, and more | No, one vCard at a time | Google users who convert only one or a few vCards |
| Use an online converter | Mac, Windows, and more | No, one vCard at a time | Users who want an online method without signing in |
Method 1. Convert vCards to CSV using Cisdem ContactsMate
Applies to: Mac, Windows
You can easily convert a single vCard or multiple vCards to a CSV file (and other formats like Excel or PDF) using Cisdem ContactsMate, an all-in-one contact manager for Mac and Windows. The conversion is easy and customizable and works offline. You can even remove duplicate contacts before conversion.
Below are the steps for Mac and Windows separately.
For Mac
1. Download and install ContactsMate.
Free Download macOS 10.11 or later
2. The first time you open it, allow it to access your contacts.
3. In the left sidebar, right-click On My Mac. Choose New Group.
4. Control-click the newly created group and choose Import. Select one or multiple vCards to import.
5. Control-click the new group and choose Export.
6. To convert vCard to CSV on Mac, select CSV or CSV (Outlook) as the output format based on your needs. Click Save.
(There are still other output formats available. For example, to convert VCF to Excel, just select Excel instead.)
Now your vCard is converted to CSV successfully. You can view and check the exported CSV file using a spreadsheet app.
NoteIn the last step, you can customize how names are displayed in the exported CSV file, as well as which fields to export.
- Contact names are displayed in a single column by default, but you can set names to be displayed in two columns (First name and Last name) if needed. For example, to import this CSV file to Google Contacts, two columns are required.
- The Field dropdown menu provides three options: All Fields, Valid Fields, and Custom Fields. Choosing Custom Fields allows you to export only fields of your choice.
(Once the conversion is done, if you want to delete the new group created in step 3 and the contacts within it, do this. Click the new group in the sidebar, select all contacts there, press the Delete key, and click Delete. Then, click the new group in sidebar again, press the Delete key, and click Delete.)
For Windows
1. Download and install ContactsMate.
Free Download Windows 10 or later
2. Open it. Add your Google or Outlook account.
3. In the top right corner, click Manage contacts > Import contacts.
4. In the Import contacts dialog, click Label > New Tags and create a new tag called Convert. Now click Browse to import your vCard file.
5. One the left, click Convert in the Tags section. Select all contacts under this tag.
6. Click Manage contacts > Export contacts.
7. In the Export contacts dialog, choose Selected contacts in the Contacts from this folder menu. Choose CSV as the export format. Select the Export CSV platform. Click Export.
Method 2. Convert vCard to CSV using Outlook for Windows
Applies to: Windows
If you are a Windows user, you can also consider a built-in conversion solution - using the Outlook for Windows app (simply called Outlook on your device). You should be able to find the app on your computer. But if not, you can install it from the Microsoft Store.
This method is easy to use and supports bulk conversion. The CSV files created by it are generally well compatible with Google Contacts. However, it's the slowest of all four methods.
1. Open Outlook for Windows.
2. On the left, choose People.
3. Click Import contacts in the toolbar.
4. Drag one or more vCards into the Import contacts dialog and click Import. When import is complete, a message will inform you.
5. In the navigation pane on the left, check the number next to Your contacts to make sure all contacts have been imported. Then, click Export contacts in the toolbar.
6. Click Export in the Export contacts dialog.
A CSV file named "contacts" will soon be automatically saved to your computer.
Method 3. Use Google Contacts for vCard to CSV conversion
Applies to: Mac, Windows, other operating systems
Google Contacts is a web-based contact manager available for those who have an Google account. Its Import and Export features support both CSV and vCard formats, which is why it can help you do the conversion.
I tested each of the four methods with two different vCards: one containing 500 contacts, and the other containing 1,679 contacts. Google Contacts failed to import the first vCard for conversion, which didn't occur with other methods.
1. Open a browser. Go to https://contacts.google.com/.
2. Sign in with your Google account.
3. In the left sidebar, click Import.
4. Click Select file, select the VCF file you want to convert. You can click the Label button and create a label for these imported VCF. This separates the contacts you originally had and allows you to remove all contacts in this label label directly after the conversion.
5. Click Open. Click Import.
6. In the Labels section, you’ll see the label you just created. Click it and click the Export icon in the upper-right corner of the page.
7. Click the down arrow icon. In the Labels section, choose the contacts you just imported.
8. Select Google CSV or Outlook CSV as the export format.
9. Click Export.
By default, the exported CSV file will be saved in the Downloads folder on your device.
Method 4. Use an online vCard to CSV converter
Applies to: Mac, Windows, other operating systems
There are a number of online tools that can help you with this conversion, and I tested four. Two of them are not recommended due to scrambled text after conversion and zero customization. You can consider the following two options.
- https://tribulant.com/vcard-csv/
- https://pages.uoregon.edu/caspages/vcfconvert/
Both work smoothly and provide several customization options. However, the latter doesn't support vCards larger than 2 MB, which means it may fail with a vCard containing 2,000 contacts.
The following steps use the tool provided by Tribulant.
1. In your browser, visit https://tribulant.com/vcard-csv/.
2. Click Choose File and select your vCard.
3. In the Format dropdown menu, choose CSV or Gmail (CSV).
4. Click Convert.
FAQs
What are some reasons to convert vCard to CSV?
There are a few reasons you might need to convert vCard to CSV.
- Many software doesn’t supports the vCard format. However, CSV can be opened in most spreadsheet software.
- CSV makes it easier to sort, filter, or edit contacts. It is especially useful for managing large contact lists.
- CSV is also compatible with more email and contact applications, making it easier for you to import contacts.
How do I view and check the exported CSV file?
You can use a spreadsheet app (like Microsoft Excel, Apple Numbers, or Google Sheets) to view the exported CSV file.
If you are importing the CSV file into an app or service, carefully check the file and make sure it can be correctly imported.
- Make sure that every contact information like name, email address is shown in the right place.
- If headers are missing or incorrect, the exported CSV file may not be accepted by a service or app at all, or it may result in information loss or disorganization. In such a case, you can try adding or editing the headers. Services like Google and Outlook provide official sample CSV files, which have the correct headers.
Can I convert multiple vCard files to CSV at once?
Yes. To convert multiple vCard files to CSV at once, you can merge them into a single VCF file first. Then convert it to CSV. If you don't know how to merge or want to save time, you can use Cisdem ContactsMate for batch conversion.
Would I lose contacts data during the conversion?
No, you won't lose contacts information unless you intentionally exclude certain fields during conversion or use an incompatible CSV layout (such as importing Google CSV to Outlook). Don't worry if you find any information loss after conversion. Just try a different conversion method or use edit the exported CSV file. For a smooth, quality conversion, I recommend using a professional contact manager to convert your contacts file to avoid losing data.
What is a vCard?
vCard (with the extension .vcf) is also known as VCF (Virtual Contact File). It’s a standard file format for storing contact information. A single vCard can contain one or multiple contacts.
There are 3 popular versions of the vCard file format:
- vCard 2.1: It is the earliest version that released in 1990s. It is also known as the original vCard. However, it has limited support for encoding. With this version of vCard, users can store basic contacts information. It also supports images and logos. vCard 2.1 is still widely used today.
- vCard 3.0: vCard 3.0 is a more standardized version. It is supported by most email and contact applications. In this version, more features such as Property Grouping are added. What’s more, it allows users to store contact’s geographical details and time zones. It also supports high-quality images and audio clips.
- vCard 4.0: This is the latest and most secure version currently. Compared to the earlier 2 vCard versions, it is also more flexible, allowing users to store more than one email address, phone number, etc. However, not all email and contact applications can recognize it.
What is a CSV file?
CSV (comma-separated values) is a text data format used to store tabular data. We can use it to store different kinds of information, such as contacts. In a CSV file containing contact information, each row represents a contact, and each column represents a specific field.
Some services or apps, such as Outlook, Google, or Shutterfly, may only accept (or better support) CSV files in a specific layout. Below are some details about Google CSV and Outlook CSV.
- Google CSV uses Unicode to preserve international characters while Outlook CSV doesn’t support these characters.
- Google CSV and Outlook CSV use different header names and orders. For example, Google CSV typically uses Name, Given Name, Family Name. Outlook CSV uses First Name, Middle Name, Last Name.
- Google CSV is better suited for Google Contacts. Outlook CSV is for Microsoft Outlook, Exchange, and Office 365.
With a passion for tech and writing, Sarah joined Cisdem, where she focuses on creating articles about using utility tools to enhance file management and simplify contact management.
Adrian Li is Cisdem’s Chief Engineer and serves as the editorial advisor for Duplicate Finder and ContactsMate. His work and insights have been featured in leading tech publications such as Fossbytes, TUAW, Redmond Pie, SafetyDetectives, and BestForAndroid.
Isabella Williams
The Google Contacts option was convenient since I already use it. The online converter is also easy to use.
C.M.
Hey there! Just finished reading your awesome article on converting vCards to CSV. Loved the variety of methods you covered! Quick question: have you come across any challenges or limitations with any of these methods, especially when dealing with large vCard files? Thanks for the helpful tips!