VBA to Convert Contact Data in Excel to VCF format

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Excel Tools | User Defined Function

Dear Friends,

As you have learned about interacting with Text files through Excel VBA, it is time to see the usage of those methods you learned. One usage, you have already seen here, in how to export excel data in CSV format.
In this article, I am going to teach you how to Export contacts stored in an Excel table as the vcf file format. This is also called a vCard file. In other words, VBA to convert Contact details from Excel to Mobile Contact format.
Before we go on discussing the technical implementation of it, let’s understand – What is the VCF file format? What is its use of it? How are this article and code going to help you?

What is VCF or vCard File ?

Don’t worry… this is nothing new. You have always been using this file indirectly.
It is an abbreviation of Virtual Contact File. Basically, this is Text type file which stores the contacts which you use in Outlook, mobile etc. That is why, I said.. you have always been using this file directly or inderectly.
It is also known as vCard (Virtual Card) file. Extension for this file type is .vcf or .vcard
As I mentioned above, this is simple text file but all the details of a contacts are written in a specific format.

Sample Structure of vCard or VCF file

Here is a sample vCard file. Each contact details are stored within
BEGIN:VCARD and END:VCARD tags as shown below:

BEGIN:VCARD VERSION:3.0 N:FirstName;LastName;;; FN:FullName ORG:OrganizationName TITLE:PostNameInOrganization TEL;TYPE=WORK,VOICE:031-11223344 TEL;TYPE=HOME,VOICE:031-11223345 EMAIL:forrestgump@example.com END:VCARD

You can refer Wiki page to know more about all the tags used in this file format. It is explained in detail there.
For now, a number of fields, etc. does not matter, because we are going to learn the method to convert excel data to this format. The addition of fields or changes in syntax can be altered once you understand the base code with an example file.

VBA Code to Save contact details as VCARD

With a very basic vCard format, I have created a VBA code that can convert all the contacts stored in an excel sheet into a VCF File.[/fusion_text][fusion_text]


Sub excelTovcf()
    Dim FileNum As Integer
    Dim iRow As Integer
    Dim FirstName As String
    Dim LastName As String
    Dim FullName As String
    Dim EmailAddress As String
    Dim PhoneHome As String
    Dim PhoneWork As String
    Dim Organization As String
    Dim JobTitle As String
    
    iRow = 7
    ' set a unique integer for the new
    ' text file
    FileNum = FreeFile
    ' Save this vcf file on desktop
    OutFilePath = VBA.Environ$("UserProfile") & "\Desktop\MyContacts.VCF"
    Open OutFilePath For Output As FileNum

    With Sheets("contacts")
    While VBA.Trim(.Cells(iRow, 1)) <> ""
        FirstName = VBA.Trim(.Cells(iRow, 1))
        LastName = VBA.Trim(.Cells(iRow, 2))
        FullName = VBA.Trim(.Cells(iRow, 3))
        EmailAddress = VBA.Trim(.Cells(iRow, 4))
        PhoneHome = VBA.Trim(.Cells(iRow, 5))
        PhoneWork = VBA.Trim(.Cells(iRow, 6))
        Organization = VBA.Trim(.Cells(iRow, 7))
        JobTitle = VBA.Trim(.Cells(iRow, 8))
    ' Start printing the data in above specified
    ' format of VCF file format
        Print #FileNum, "BEGIN:VCARD"
        Print #FileNum, "VERSION:3.0"
        Print #FileNum, "N:" & FirstName & ";" & LastName & ";;;"
        Print #FileNum, "FN:" & FullName
        Print #FileNum, "ORG:" & Organization
        Print #FileNum, "TITLE:" & JobTitle
        Print #FileNum, "TEL;TYPE=HOME,VOICE:" & PhoneHome
        Print #FileNum, "TEL;TYPE=WORK,VOICE:" & PhoneWork
        Print #FileNum, "EMAIL:" & EmailAddress
        Print #FileNum, "END:VCARD"
        iRow = iRow + 1
    Wend
 End With
    'Close The File
    MsgBox "Total " & iRow - 7 & " Contacts are exported to VCF File. It is saved on your Desktop"
    Close #FileNum
End Sub

Note:
In the above code, I have used the most commonly used data for a contact. vCards are growing with a lot of information that can be stored for a contact. There are vCards, which even store profile pictures as well.
In this example, I have used Version 3.0. You can see there are more versions available on the wiki page.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Excel To VCF File Converter

I have created a sample excel workbook, using which you can simply convert contact details stored in an Excel Sheet to a VCF File format which can be imported to your outlook or phone contacts.

Excel To VCF File Converter

Download Now

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Know more

İsmail on October 30, 2017 at 6:35 am

Hi,

Could you add a cell phone to the excel table?
Reply

Signy13 on April 15, 2018 at 7:23 pm

Little improvement:
* macro asks for file name
* macro writes only not empty fields
I am sorry, I have no idea how to write code here…


Sub ExcelToVCF()
'
' ExcelToVCF Makro
' Converts SiMoCo contacts into do Vcard 3.0
' The result file must be in UTF-8 encoding without BOM.
' First contact is in iRowStart variable
'
    Dim FileNum As Integer
    Dim iRow As Integer
    Dim FirstName As String
    Dim LastName As String
    Dim FullName As String
    Dim EmailAddress As String
    Dim PhoneHome As String
    Dim PhoneWork As String
    Dim Organization As String
    Dim JobTitle As String
    Dim varResult As Variant
    Dim FileName As String

    ' Displays the save file dialog
    FileName = Activeworkbook.name
    If InStr(FileName, ".") > 0 Then
       FileName = Left(FileName, InStr(FileName, ".") - 1)
    End If
    varResult = Application.GetSaveAsFilename(FileName, "VCArd Files (.vcf), *.vcf,All Files (*.*), *.*")
    Cells(5, 5) = varResult
    ' Checks to make sure the user hasn't canceled the dialog
    If varResult  False Then
        iRowStart = 3
        iRow = iRowStart
        ' set a unique integer for the new
        ' text file
        FileNum = FreeFile
        OutFilePath = varResult
        Open OutFilePath For Output As FileNum
    
        With Activeworkbook.ActiveSheet
        While VBA.Trim(.Cells(iRow, 1))  ""
            'FirstName = VBA.Trim(.Cells(iRow, 1))
            'LastName = VBA.Trim(.Cells(iRow, 2))
            FullName = VBA.Trim(.Cells(iRow, 2))
            EmailAddress = VBA.Trim(.Cells(iRow, 13))
            ' SiMoCo does hav no difference between Home/Work, just Tel/Line/Mobil
            Phone = VBA.Trim(.Cells(iRow, 4))
            PhoneHome = VBA.Trim(.Cells(iRow, 10))
            PhoneWork = VBA.Trim(.Cells(iRow, 11))
            ' SiMoCo groups into Organization.
            Organization = VBA.Trim(.Cells(iRow, 15))
            Address = VBA.Trim(.Cells(iRow, 6))
            'JobTitle = VBA.Trim(.Cells(iRow, 8))
            ' Start printing the data in above specified
            ' format of VCF file format
            Print #FileNum, "BEGIN:VCARD"
            Print #FileNum, "VERSION:3.0"
            'Print #FileNum, "N:" & FirstName & ";" & LastName & ";;;"
            If FullName  "" Then
                Print #FileNum, "FN:" & FullName
            End If
            If Organization  "" Then
                Print #FileNum, "ORG:" & Organization
            End If
            'Print #FileNum, "TITLE:" & JobTitle
            If Phone  "" Then
                Print #FileNum, "TEL;TYPE=VOICE:" & Phone
            End If
            If PhoneHome  "" Then
                'Print #FileNum, "TEL;TYPE=HOME,VOICE:" & PhoneHome
                Print #FileNum, "TEL;TYPE=VOICE:" & PhoneHome
            End If
            If PhoneWork  "" Then
                'Print #FileNum, "TEL;TYPE=WORK,VOICE:" & PhoneWork
                Print #FileNum, "TEL;TYPE=VOICE:" & PhoneWork
            End If
            If Address  "" Then
                Print #FileNum, "ADR;:;;" & Address
            End If
            If EmailAddress  "" Then
                Print #FileNum, "EMAIL:" & EmailAddress
            End If
            Print #FileNum, "END:VCARD"
            iRow = iRow + 1
        Wend
     End With
        'Close The File
        MsgBox "Total " & iRow - iRowStart & " Contacts are exported to VCF File. It is saved to VCF file " & varResult
        Close #FileNum
    End If
End Sub

ismail on March 26, 2019 at 6:50 pm

Hi,

When you put it on the phone, the table, Vba code; mobile phone, business phone, fax, mail, address, company, company, title, website, group, how can I add photos?

Respect.
Reply
Rado on July 10, 2019 at 9:51 am

This is Great Tool!! Thanks a lot. God Bless You !!!
Reply
levent erdem on September 30, 2020 at 7:36 am

Thank you for easy and very usefull vba. There is a problem with ö, ı, ü , ş etc. letters. When you save as UTF-8 encoding from notepad, it is ok.
Reply