vCard Generator / Parser
Generate a vCard or parse common vCard fields.
Overview
The vCard generator and parser does both halves of the contact-card workflow: build a .vcf from a form (name, organisation, phone, email, address, URL, note) or paste an existing vCard and see its fields broken out in a readable table. The output and input handle both vCard 3.0 and 4.0.
Sales operations teams seeding contact databases, IT staff preparing onboarding info packs, and event organisers exchanging speaker details reach for this when individual contact cards need to be exchanged in a portable format. Long-tail searches that lead here include "create vCard file online", "parse .vcf file", and "generate contact card for email signature".
How it works
A vCard is a UTF-8 text file beginning with BEGIN:VCARD, declaring its version (VERSION:3.0 or VERSION:4.0), and ending with END:VCARD. Between the markers, lines take the form PROPERTY[;PARAMS]:VALUE. Common properties include FN (formatted name), N (structured name as Family;Given;Additional;Prefix;Suffix), ORG (organisation), TEL, EMAIL, ADR, URL, and NOTE. Type parameters (TEL;TYPE=WORK,VOICE) qualify the value.
For generation, the tool takes the form fields and emits a syntactically clean vCard with proper escaping (semicolons and commas inside values get backslash-escaped; long lines fold per RFC 6350 at 75 octets). For parsing, the file is split into lines, line-unfolded, then each property is parsed and surfaced with its parameters.
Examples
- Generate a vCard for a speaker that an event app can ingest as a contact card.
- Parse a
.vcfyou received in a calendar invite to see the embedded sender details. - Build a contact card for an email signature that recipients can save with one click.
- Convert a single-row CSV of contact details into a vCard.
FAQ
Which vCard version should I use?
vCard 4.0 (RFC 6350) is the current standard, with cleaner parameter handling. vCard 3.0 (RFC 2426) is older but the most broadly compatible across mail clients and phone systems. When in doubt, 3.0 is the safer choice.
Are images and photos supported?
The PHOTO property holds a Base64-encoded image. The generator can include one and the parser surfaces its presence and size; rendering it inline is outside the parser's scope.
How are line breaks handled?
Per the spec, vCards line-fold long values at 75 octets with a leading space. The generator emits properly folded output; the parser un-folds before parsing, so multi-line values reassemble correctly.
Does it support multiple phone numbers?
Yes. A vCard may repeat properties like TEL, with different type parameters (TYPE=WORK, TYPE=CELL, TYPE=HOME). The generator and parser preserve all occurrences.
Can I generate a vCard for a group?
The vCard format is primarily for individual contacts. For group-style entries, use the KIND:group property in vCard 4.0 along with MEMBER lines referencing other contacts.