Export Contacts from Thunderbird to vCard & Convert Address Book to VCF

An e-mail application isn’t very useful without a list of user contacts. This contact list provides several conveniences like avoiding having to type the recipient’s e-mail address individually each time. Or creating groups so you can instantly e-mail people at one time. All these contacts are stored in address book file. Now many users may need to export contacts from Thunderbird to vCard in order to access them in another email client like Outlook. This blog will cover the possible solutions and methods to achieve Thunderbird to vCard conversion. Let’s first take a look at the user scenario to understand the situation.

User Query

The following situations will help in apprehending the various situations that require Export contacts from Thunderbird to vCard. While on the other hand, the most common reason for convert Thunderbird contacts to vCard is the ease of exchanging VCF file over a network through the internet or via messages.

“While taking the backup of Thunderbird address book on the machine, I suddenly encountered a frustrating situation. Where all my exported vCard files are empty after successfully implementing the Thunderbird contacts to VCF file conversion. I used the free solution to perform the migration but now I wish that I would have used a more reliable method. But luckily have the backup of Thunderbird address book to retry an alternative method. So, is there any more efficient and better solution to convert Thunderbird contacts to VCF?”

“I store all my contacts files in Mozilla Thunderbird email client application in form of address book for easy communication. But now on an urgent basis, I have to share the contact in vCard format. And to do so, I might have to export contacts from Thunderbird to vCard with entire contact details. But I am not aware of the approach to export contacts to VCF file. So, can anyone suggest me the manual or automated solution to execute the procedure?”

Why Export Contacts from Thunderbird to vCard?

VCF is a default file format of vCard that is treated as a standard format of all electronic business card. A vCard consists of a file that is attached to an email instead of a signature which can easily be shared among people. Moreover, it is very easy to create and share VCF contact file which includes information like email address, address information etc.

Additionally, the cause of archiving Thunderbird address book file is that it provides security and also store files on the local machine. A user can export contacts from Thunderbird to vCard by using a manual method or by using an automated solution. But when expert advise is considered, using a professional tool to export Thunderbird address book to VCF is the best choice. The product like SysTools MAB Convert performs the procedure in just a couple of minutes and provides accurate results. The application is known for its advanced features i.e to convert Thunderbird contacts to Outlook 2016. Also, the drawbacks and limitations associated with the manual method are also overcome by this approach. Hence, experts highly recommend using this method over any other free approach. Otherwise, one more method is also discussed in the following section.

Manual Method to Convert Thunderbird Contacts to VCF

1. Launch and Open Mozilla Thunderbird Application on your machine and click on Address Book to view contacts.
2. From the list of user’s contacts, click on Tools button at the left corner of the window.
3. Select Export option from the driven list to convert Thunderbird contacts to VCF.
4. Choose the desired contact file from the address book that save it in vCard format.
5. Specify the location on your local machine, where you want to save the exported Thunderbird address book in vCard format.
6. Click on Save as Type and choose vCard or VCF option and then click on Save button.
7. Lastly, the procedure to export contacts from Thunderbird to vCard is complete.

A user can repeat the procedure in case of converting Collected Address from Thunderbird contacts to VCF. After implementing the above-mentioned steps, both the personal and collected contacts files are exported into vCard.

The execution of the manual method is also prone to some issues and problems. If a user opts a free manual solution to export contacts from Thunderbird to VCF then, there is a possibility that the result is not perfect. The method might lead to loss of data or compromise with data integrity, giving an imperfect solution. Also, a user cannot export multiple contacts file all at one which makes it a time-consuming procedure. These limitations force a user to opt an alternative approach to convert Thunderbird contacts to VCF. This is when an automated approach is used to export Thunderbird address book in vCard format.

Conclusion

A user might have to export contacts from Thunderbird to vCard due to a variety of reasons. Either to share it with other compatible devices or just to store the backup on the system. But a user should use a reliable method to convert Thunderbird contacts to VCF. In case of a novice user, they need an easy and quick method to export files which can be achieved by using an expert solution. Otherwise, a manual method can also provide you results with greater risks. Hence it is appropriate to use an automated method for accurate and best output. You can refer to the starting section of the blog for this approach.