Address Book Help
Index

# Importing and exporting vCards

A vCard, or "virtual address card," is a standard method of exchanging data between applications. Address Book can create and read vCards, so if you have another application that also works with the vCard format, you can import or export addresses as vCards.

Also, you can send your own card to other people in vCard format. They can use the vCard to add your information to their address books.

You can also use vCards to add addresses to the Contacts list on your iPod.

- To create a vCard, drag an address card out of the Address Book window.

- To add someone else's vCard to your address book, drag it into the Address Book window.

- To create a single vCard with multiple entries, drag more than one card out of the Address Book window.

- To create multiple vCards at the same time, hold the Option key when dragging multiple cards out of the Address Book window.

You can also work with vCards using commands in the File menu.

Address Book also supports Lightweight Directory Interchange Format (LDIF). LDIF is an ASCII file format used to exchange information and enable synchronization of that information between Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) servers. You can't export information from Address Book in LDIF format; you can only import it. Address Book can import and export vCards.

To determine the format of a document, select the document and choose File > Get Info. The format, or kind of document, is listed at the top.

If another application won't accept vCards in the default 3.0 format, try changing the format to 2.1 in the vCard pane of Address Book Preferences, and send the vCard again.

## See also

vCards