I have a single field csv file (email addresses) and want to convert this to vCard file. I thought I could use the ML contacts app, but it's very confusing. Anyone out there know how to do this?
Ed
MacBook Pro, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.1), Contacts app
It's slightly scandalous how bad the Apple Contacts app is.
The test below were done in Yosemite. Maybe it's better in later OS updates but I doubt it.
Most of the time I have lists of either name and email or just email addresses.
Here's what you want for a list of just email addresses.
• In a text editor format your emails as shown below. You need a CR at the end of each line.
** Note that the mail tags in the text below are just some Apple forum stupidity I can't get rid of, just ignore them.
• Search for blank spaces and delete them
• Save as "Names.csv" or something similar
,email,
,sandy@ foo.edu,
• Open Contacts
• Contacts -> Import and find your csv file
Tick the "ignore first line" box
After import succeeds, create a new Group name in Contacts
Click Last Import in Contacts
Drag your new cards from Last Import to the group you just made
Names and email would be setup as below.
You can leave name slots blank but don't forget the commas
Search for spaces in your text editor and delete them.
firstname,lastname,email,
sandy,lake,sandy@ foo.edu,
bill,miller,bill@foo.edu,
john,smith,john@foo.edu
File > Import
It will ask you to map the Contact fields to the fields in the csv. For each field in the csv, set it to the location you want it imported into in Contacts.
That's about it.
The import dialog displays every entry as a "Do not import" field. The whole list is that way. Does this mean I need to change every item in the list to "email (...)"? I could do that, but I was hoping for an easier way to do it. There are hundreds of entries.
It doesn't sound like your csv file is formatted correctly. It should be something like this:
firstname,lastname,homeEmailAddress,workEmailAddress,homePhone,workPhone,street,city,state,zipcode
John,Doe,jdoe@someISP.com,doej@work.com,+12345678910,+12348321345,100 Maple Dr.,Somewhere,OutThere,12345Each row in the csv is an individual contact record. Each record has fields for the parts of the address information.
If you don't have a header record, add one. It makes it easier.
Also, make sure each row has the same number of fields, even if they are empty.
You will only have to match the fields once, and it will import each record the same way.
I also created a CSV file on my Windows computer (having used Windows Mail) , which I sent to my new Mac. I imported all 1900+ contacts, and it left me with 1900+ blank fields in Outlook for Mac (only 3 email addresses were shown).
How is it possible that the formatting of a CSV file in Mail for Windows, is not recognized by Outlook for Mac.
Is there another solution to import a Windows based CSV file correctly into Outlook? (there are no other formatting edits possible when exporting the address book from Windows Mail to a CSV file)
Use vCard instead of .csv
You should start your own thread as Outlook has nothing to do with Contacts. Also, you might consider asking on the Microsoft forums as you are likely to find more Outlook users there than here.
import csv file into contacts
