Learn · email signature glossary
TL;DR
A vCard is a plain-text file format for exchanging contact information, saved with the .vcf extension and defined by RFC 6350 (the current version is vCard 4.0). One file can hold a name, job title, company, phone numbers, email addresses, a postal address, a photo, and URLs. Nearly every address book, from iPhone Contacts to Outlook to Google Contacts, can import a vCard directly, which is why they are the standard way to pass contact details between systems that otherwise do not talk to each other.
Re: In practice
In signature work, a vCard bridges the gap between reading an email and saving the sender's details. Instead of a recipient retyping your name and number, a 'Download my vCard' or 'Save my contact' link in the signature lets them import everything in one tap, with fewer typos and no friction. Attaching the .vcf file to every message is the clumsy way to do this; hosting the file at a public URL and linking to it keeps messages light. QR codes that encode vCard data serve the same purpose for in-person exchanges. If your details change, update the hosted file once and every past link stays correct.
Fwd: Worth a look
email signature with vCard
Let recipients save your contact details in one tap with a vCard (.vcf) download link in your email signature. Free generator, no signup needed.
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DKIM
DKIM adds a cryptographic signature to outgoing email that receivers verify against a public key in your DNS, proving the message was not altered.
DMARC
DMARC is a DNS policy that tells receiving mail servers what to do when a message fails SPF and DKIM checks. Learn how policies and reports work.
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