Free online XML to VCF converter

Phones and email clients often import contacts as vCard files, while a backup or contact-management program may provide only an XML export. Converting the export produces a .vcf file that can be imported, shared, or edited in applications that do not understand the original XML schema.

What the XML format is

XML is a structured, tag-based format used by address-book applications, mobile backup tools, CRM systems, and custom databases. It can store names, phone numbers, email addresses, postal addresses, groups, notes, photos, and application-specific metadata.

XML does not define one universal contact structure. One application may use <firstName> and <lastName>, while another uses <given>, <family>, or nested elements such as <phone><number>. A converter must recognize the source program’s schema; an arbitrary XML document is not automatically a contact list.

What the VCF format is

VCF, also called vCard, is a text format for one or more electronic contact cards. Standard properties include names, telephone numbers, email addresses, organizations, job titles, postal addresses, birthdays, notes, websites, and photographs.

Phones, desktop address books, email clients, and contact-management software commonly support VCF. One file may contain one contact or many, represented by repeated BEGIN:VCARD and END:VCARD blocks. The target program may also accept separate .vcf files for individual contacts.

vCard 3.0 is often the safest output version for older and newer applications. vCard 4.0 supports newer features but is not accepted by every importer; use the version required by the destination program when it specifies one.

How to convert XML to VCF

If the source application can export vCard directly, use its File → Export → vCard command instead of converting an intermediate XML file. This usually preserves more fields and contact categories than a generic converter.

Use the converter on 101convert.com

1. Open the XML-to-VCF converter on 101convert.com.
2. Select the XML file containing the contacts.
3. Start the conversion and save the generated .vcf file.
4. Open the destination phone or contact program and choose its contact-import command, such as Contacts → Import.

This method works when the XML uses a supported contact schema and requires no installed software. Because contact files can contain private information, use an offline method when the data must not leave the computer.

Map a proprietary XML file with desktop software or a script

For an XML export from a proprietary application, first identify the elements containing each contact. A text editor or XML viewer can show whether contacts repeat under paths such as .//contact or .//person, and whether the document uses an XML namespace.

A conversion script can then map those elements to vCard properties: write N for structured family and given names, FN for the display name, one TEL line for each phone number, and one EMAIL line for each email address. Python’s standard xml.etree.ElementTree library can parse the XML and write UTF-8 text to a file such as contacts.vcf. Adjust the element paths and namespace mappings to match the source schema.

When using a contact manager or desktop organizer, import the XML only if its documentation lists that exact XML format. An application that supports XML in general may still reject a contact export created by a different program.

Quality and compatibility limits

• Field mapping is schema-dependent: automatic conversion may omit groups, relationship fields, custom metadata, categories, or application-specific identifiers.
• Repeated values need separate properties: multiple phone numbers and email addresses should become separate TEL and EMAIL lines, not one comma-separated field.
• Special characters require escaping: commas, semicolons, backslashes, and line breaks have special meanings in vCard text values. A valid converter must escape them and use the required vCard line endings.
• Encoding affects names and notes: UTF-8 preserves accented, Cyrillic, Arabic, and Asian characters, but the destination importer may still display them incorrectly.
• Photos may not transfer: XML may contain an image path, URL, or encoded binary value, whereas VCF generally needs supported image data embedded with the correct media type.
• Duplicates and lost records are possible: compare the number of source and imported contacts, inspect names, phone numbers, and email addresses, and test a small copy before importing the complete address book.
• CSV is only an optional intermediary: it can help when a contact program supports CSV import and export, but it commonly loses photos, groups, notes, and multiple-value fields.