One row per contact card
Every BEGIN:VCARD to END:VCARD block becomes one line. A file with many contacts gives a CSV with many rows, and in our test the row count matched the card count.
VCF to CSV Converter
Add a .vcf contacts file and get a CSV back with one row per contact. This page covers contact vCards only, not the genomics file that shares the extension.
To convert vcf to csv, add the .vcf file exported from your phone, Google, Outlook or iCloud, keep CSV as the output format and download the result. In our test, a 1,378 byte file with 4 contact cards became a 658 byte csv with a header line and 4 rows, and photos and phone labels were left out.
Transfers use HTTPS, and files converted on the free tier are deleted after 24 hours, so the result is not a long-term archive. Quality depends on the source file, so open the CSV file once before you share it.
FromVCFLossless
VCF (vCard, Virtual Contact File)
A plain text file that holds one or more contact cards, each with names, phone numbers, email addresses, addresses and optionally an embedded photo. Versions 2.1, 3.0 and 4.0 are in use, and the current one is defined in RFC 6350, which requires UTF-8.
ToCSVLossless
CSV (Comma-Separated Values)
Comma-separated values, a plain text format in which each line is a row and a delimiter separates the fields. It has no data types, no styling and no official single standard, although RFC 4180 describes the most common conventions.
A 4 contact VCF with invented names (vCard 3.0 and 4.0), converted on indox.org
- VCFthe original, 4 contact cards
- 1,378 B
- CSVfrom indox, 5 lines, 9 columns
- 658 B
Why use indox to convert VCF to CSV?
Nine fixed columns
The header is full_name, structured_name, organization, title, phone, email, address, url and note. The columns are the same for every file, so you can build a spreadsheet formula or an import map once.
Several phones and emails stay together
When a contact has more than one phone number, email or address line, they are joined in one cell with a semicolon and a space. In our test a card with three numbers kept all three.
Non-Latin names survive
Persian, Chinese and accented names such as Zoë Müller were written as UTF-8 text without replacement characters. What your spreadsheet program does when it opens the file is covered below.
What happens to your contacts
Stays
- Your original VCF, which is not touched
- Names, including Persian, Chinese and accented ones, as UTF-8 text
- Organization, title, email, address, url and note
- Folded long note lines, joined into one cell in our test
Changes
- Layout: one block per contact becomes one row per contact
- Phones, emails and address parts: joined in one cell, with no type labels
- Name: kept as full_name and as the raw structured_name
- Photos and fields outside the nine columns: dropped
- vCard 4.0 phones: the tel: prefix stays
How do I convert VCF to CSV online?
- 1
Export your contacts as a VCF file
In your phone, Google Contacts, Outlook or iCloud, export the contacts you want as vCard. Keep the original file, because the CSV does not carry photos or labels.
- 2
Add the file and keep CSV as the output
Drop the .vcf file on the box or choose it from your device, and check that CSV is the output format. We did not need an account for the run described on this page.
- 3
Start the conversion and download the CSV
In our test it took 2.7 seconds from the click to Completed for a 4 card file. Open the CSV in a text editor first to check the rows, then import it into your spreadsheet.
What do I get from indox's VCF to CSV converter?
You hand over a .vcf contacts export and take away a CSV that a spreadsheet, CRM or mail tool can read. The page lists what the CSV leaves out before you convert, so you can tell whether it fits the job.
- One CSV row per contact, with the same nine columns each time
- Runs in the browser on Windows, Mac, Android or iPhone, nothing to install
- Plain list of what is lost: photos, phone labels, unmatched groups
What are the limits for VCF to CSV?
Size
The upload box shows the live size limit before you add a file. Signing in raises it; a paid plan does not change it.
Formats
VCF in, CSV out. Pick another output on the converter if you need a different format.
Privacy
Files are encrypted in transit over HTTPS and processed on indox infrastructure.
Deletion
Free-tier files are kept for 24 hours after the job finishes, then deleted automatically.
Limits worth knowing
- Apple grouped properties are not matched. In our test a card with item1.TEL lost its phone number, so check iPhone or iCloud exports that use grouped fields.
- vCard 2.1 quoted-printable text is not decoded. A name stored as =C3=9Cber Ada was written literally in that form.
- The file is read as UTF-8. A vCard saved as UTF-16 or in an older Latin encoding can give replacement characters instead of letters.
- The CSV has no byte order mark and uses CRLF line endings. We did not open the output in Excel, so we cannot confirm how Excel shows non-Latin names; the import steps in the table below are the usual route.
- The operations API showed a cost of 7 credits per conversion during our test. We saw no limit message in our four conversions that day, but we make no promise about size limits, speed or how long files are kept.
When the result is not what you expected
| What you see | Why | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Garbled letters in Excel | The CSV has no byte order mark, so Excel can guess the wrong encoding | Open Excel, use Data, From Text/CSV and pick UTF-8 (65001) as the file origin |
| Several numbers in one cell | Repeated phone fields are joined with a semicolon and a space | Split the column with Text to Columns on the semicolon |
| Numbers start with tel: | vCard 4.0 stores phones as tel: links and the prefix is kept | Remove the prefix with Find and Replace in your sheet |
| A phone number is missing | Apple grouped fields such as item1.TEL are not matched | Check the VCF in a text editor and copy the number by hand |
| Text like =C3=9Cber | A vCard 2.1 file used quoted-printable encoding, which is not decoded | Re-export the contacts as vCard 3.0 or 4.0 and convert again |
| No photos | The CSV has no photo column | Keep the original VCF if you need the pictures |
| Family and given name in one cell | structured_name keeps the raw N field | Split the column on the semicolon, or use full_name |
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Which conversions are close to VCF to CSV?
Related conversionsJSON to CSV
VCF vs CSV: what is the difference?
| Compared on | VCF | CSV |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A text file of contact cards, defined in RFC 6350 for version 4.0 | A plain text table of rows and columns, described in RFC 4180 |
| Structure | Each contact is a block of fields such as FN, N, TEL and EMAIL | One line per record, with the same columns on every line |
| Several phones per contact | Repeated TEL fields, each with an optional type | One cell, joined with a semicolon in this converter |
| Photo | Can embed a picture as base64 or a link | No place for it, so it is dropped |
| Opens best in | Phone, Google, Outlook and iCloud contact apps | Spreadsheets, CRMs and mail-merge tools |
Who can use a VCF to CSV converter?
When to use it
- Turning a phone contact export into a sheet you can sort by organization or email domain.
- Preparing a mail merge or CRM import from contacts that only exist as vCards.
- Keeping a readable plain-text copy of contacts before a phone reset.
- Splitting multi-number contacts into separate columns after import, using the semicolon as the separator.
Where can I read more about converting files?
Sources
- vCard Format Specification (RFC 6350)IETF
- vCard MIME Directory Profile (RFC 2426)IETF
- Common Format and MIME Type for CSV Files (RFC 4180)IETF
- Import contacts to Google ContactsGoogle Contacts Help
Facts checked on November 4, 2026
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VCF to CSV FAQs
How do I convert VCF to CSV?
Add the .vcf file to the converter, keep CSV as the output format and download the result. Each contact card becomes one row with nine columns.
Does it keep several phone numbers for one contact?
Yes, in one cell. They are joined with a semicolon and a space, for example two or three numbers in the phone column. In a spreadsheet, split that column on the semicolon with Text to Columns to get one number per column.
Will Persian, Chinese or accented names show correctly in Excel?
The CSV is UTF-8 and the names were intact in our test, but the file has no byte order mark. We did not test Excel itself. If letters look wrong, use Data, then From Text/CSV, and choose UTF-8 (65001) as the file origin instead of double-clicking the file.
What happens to contact photos?
They are dropped. The CSV has no photo column, and a card with an embedded picture came out with text fields only.
Why is my phone number missing?
One known cause is Apple's grouped fields such as item1.TEL, which are not matched. Another is an old vCard 2.1 file in a different encoding. Open the VCF in a text editor to see how the number is stored.
Can I import the CSV straight into Outlook or Google Contacts?
Not without mapping. Our headers are full_name, structured_name, organization, title, phone, email, address, url and note, which are not the template headers of those apps. Rename or map the columns when you import.
Is this the VCF used in genetics?
No. This converter reads contact vCards. The Variant Call Format used in genomics shares the .vcf extension but is a different file type and is not supported here.
Which vCard versions work?
We ran vCard 3.0 and 4.0 cards in one file and both converted. Version 2.1 is the weak spot: quoted-printable text is not decoded.