How Can I Let My Visitors Download vCards from My Web Site?

What is a vCard?

A vCard is a small file (*.vcf) which contains contact information. Various different email and contacts programs, including Microsoft Outlook, can create vCards. In Outlook you can create a vCard by opening a contact and choosing File > Export to vCard File.

vCards work like virtual business cards. You can attach them to email messages or include them in your email signature. If you have a Bluetooth or Infrared enabled PDA you can "beam" your vCard directly to another person's PDA, the modern equivalent of handing someone your business card. When you receive a person's vCard simply open it and save it into your own contacts folder.

So how do you let people download your vCard from your web page? The process is very simple and doesn't require any programming, just a couple of steps for your visitor to perform. Here's how it works.

Create a Link to the vCard File

Upload your vCard file to a folder on your web site. Since each vCard has its own filename you can do this for as many vCards as you like. You might want to put a vCard alongside each person's details on your Contact page. Then create a hyperlink to the vCard file in the same way as you would link to any file. Here's a working example:

Click this link to download a vCard for Test Contact

Downloading the vCard

When your visitor clicks the link to the vCard file their browser will ask them what they want to do with it. In Internet Explorer they will see a dialog like this:

Internet Explorer asks what you want to do with a vCard

If they use Firefox it will look like this:

Firefox asks what you want to do with a vCard

They should choose the option to Open the vCard file. The file will open as a Contact in the default contact program such as Microsoft Outlook, and look exactly like a regular contact entry. They will then need to save the contact entry by, in Microsoft Outlook, choosing Save and Close.

Save the vCard to your Contacts folder

When they return to their contacts folder they will see a new contact displaying all the information that was in the vCard.

The vCard details are saved as a new Contact

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