| Problem | Likely Cause | Solution | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | JSON is an object {} not array [] | Wrap your object in square brackets: [...] | | Phone numbers missing | JSON key is "mobile", not "phone" | Edit the JSON to use "phone" OR use a converter that allows custom key mapping. | | Names appear as "Undefined" | JSON key is "fullName", not "name" | Pre-process JSON to rename keys. Use "Find and Replace" in Notepad++. | | Special characters (é, ñ) are garbage | Encoding mismatch | Ensure converter outputs UTF-8. If not, use a script. | | Only first contact imports | Missing END:VCARD or separators | Open VCF in text editor. Ensure each contact block ends with END:VCARD . | Part 8: Advanced Use Cases Converting Nested JSON Many APIs return nested JSON (address inside an object). A basic converter fails. Example:
Download the resulting contacts.vcf file.
Raw JSON data is machine-readable and flexible, but it is useless on a phone. A VCF file is the universal standard for importing contacts into smartphones (iOS/Android), email clients (Outlook, Gmail), and CRMs. json to vcf converter
[ "name": "John Doe", "phone": "+1-555-123-4567", "email": "john.doe@example.com", "company": "Acme Inc." ] APIs, databases, web storage. Weakness: Cannot be imported directly into a phone's address book. What is VCF (vCard)? VCF is a standard file format for electronic business cards. Each contact begins with BEGIN:VCARD and ends with END:VCARD . A standard VCF entry looks like this:
Prepare your JSON. Ensure it is a valid array of objects: | Problem | Likely Cause | Solution |
for file in *.json; do cat "$file" | python json_to_vcf.py >> all_contacts.vcf done VCF supports base64-encoded images. Your JSON must contain a photo_base64 key. The converter must map this to PHOTO;ENCODING=b;TYPE=JPEG: . Most free online converters do not support this. Use Python with the vobject library for photos. Part 9: Privacy & Security Warning Be extremely careful with online JSON to VCF converters.
This is where a becomes essential. This article explores everything you need to know: why you need it, how it works, the risks of manual conversion, and the best tools to automate the process. Part 1: Understanding the Formats – JSON vs. VCF Before diving into converters, you must understand why direct conversion isn't trivial. What is JSON? JSON is a lightweight data-interchange format. It uses key-value pairs and ordered lists. A typical JSON contact object looks like this: | | Special characters (é, ñ) are garbage
Paste your JSON into the left input box.