How to Export Contacts from SmarterMail to vCard [*.VCF] Format ?

SmarterMail stores your contacts on the server. When you need to move those contacts to a new email client, transfer them to Outlook, Gmail or a mobile device, the most portable format is vCard (.vcf). Every major email platform and phone supports vCard import.

The problem is SmarterMail doesn’t have a one-click bulk export for contacts. You can export contacts one at a time through the web interface, but that becomes impractical with hundreds or thousands of contacts. The SmarterMail migration tool from Turgs handles this in bulk.

Why Export SmarterMail Contacts to vCard?

vCard is the universal contact format. Here’s why it makes sense for a SmarterMail export:

• vCard works with Outlook, Gmail, Apple Mail, Thunderbird and virtually every smartphone contact app
• A single .vcf file can contain hundreds or thousands of contacts, or you can get one file per contact depending on the tool
• vCard preserves all contact fields: names, emails, phone numbers, addresses, notes and company information
• The format is text-based, so the files are small and easy to store or share

One scenario where this is particularly useful: decommissioning a SmarterMail server. When you’re moving an entire organization off SmarterMail, you need to get contacts off the server before shutting it down. Exporting everything to vCard first gives you a portable archive that doesn’t depend on the old server being online.

If you’re migrating users from a SmarterMail server to a new platform, exporting contacts as vCard first lets you import them anywhere without needing a server-to-server connection. The vCard Converter tool from Turgs can also help you convert or manage your vCard files after export.

Step-by-Step: Export SmarterMail to vCard

Follow these steps to export your SmarterMail contacts to vCard format.

Download and install the Turgs SmarterMail Migration Tool:

Step 1: Open the tool and connect to your SmarterMail account. Enter your email address and password to authenticate.

Step 2: Choose between single profile or multiple mailbox mode. For exporting one account’s contacts, select single profile. For a batch export across multiple accounts, select the multi-mailbox option.

Step 3: The tool loads your SmarterMail mailbox structure. Navigate to the Contacts section and select the contact folders you want to export.

Step 4: Choose vCard (.vcf) as the output format from the format selection screen. This tells the tool to save all contacts as vCard files.

Step 5: Set the destination folder on your computer where the .vcf files will be saved.

Step 6: Apply any filters if needed. You can filter contacts by name or export only contacts from specific folders.

Step 7: Click Export to start the process. The tool reads your SmarterMail contacts and saves them as vCard files in the chosen folder.

Step 8: When the export completes, a log report shows how many contacts were exported successfully and flags any items that couldn’t be processed.

Your vCard files are now ready to import into any email client, contact manager or mobile device that accepts .vcf files.

I’ve tested this with Outlook 2019 and Gmail. Both accepted the exported vCard files without any import errors. All contact fields including phone numbers, email addresses, company names and notes came through intact. No manual cleanup was needed after the import.

Features of the SmarterMail to vCard Tool

Here’s what the tool brings to this specific task:

• Exports all standard vCard fields: name, email, phone, address, organization, notes and job title
• Supports both single .vcf file (all contacts in one file) and individual file per contact output
• Batch mode exports contacts from multiple SmarterMail accounts at once
• Maintains the original folder structure from SmarterMail in the export
• Works with all SmarterMail versions and doesn’t require SmarterMail admin access for single user exports
• Generates a detailed log report showing export results for every contact

The tool runs on Windows and doesn’t require any software to be installed on your SmarterMail server. You run it from a client machine with access to your SmarterMail account credentials.

Limitations to Know

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I import the vCard files directly into Gmail?

Yes. Open Gmail, go to Contacts at contacts.google.com, click Import and select your .vcf file. Gmail accepts both single-contact and multi-contact vCard files. All fields including phone numbers, email addresses and organization names transfer correctly.

Does the tool export contact groups from SmarterMail?

The tool exports contacts from selected folders. SmarterMail contact groups are usually stored within specific folders, so selecting the right folders captures all the contacts in that group. The group membership itself is not exported as a vCard property, but the individual contacts are all included.

Can I export contacts from multiple SmarterMail accounts at once?

Yes. The tool’s batch mode accepts a list of account credentials and processes each account sequentially. This is particularly useful when migrating an entire organization off SmarterMail, where you might have dozens of user accounts to process.

What vCard version do the exported files use?

The tool exports contacts as vCard 3.0, which is the most widely supported version across email clients and mobile devices. vCard 3.0 is compatible with Outlook, Gmail, Apple Mail, Android, iOS and most other platforms.

Will the export work if SmarterMail uses two-factor authentication?

If your SmarterMail account has two-factor authentication enabled, you may need to generate an app-specific password for the tool to connect. Check your SmarterMail security settings for the option to create an app password or contact your SmarterMail admin for assistance.

What should I do if some contacts fail to export?

The log report after export lists any failed contacts and the reason for the failure. Common causes include corrupted contact entries, missing required fields or contacts with invalid email format. You can re-export failed contacts after fixing the source data in SmarterMail, or manually recreate those specific contacts in the destination platform.