How to Attach an Outlook Contact or Business Card to an Email
Question details
The user needs to know how to insert or attach a contact record or business card to an email message.
- Product
- Microsoft Outlook
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Sharing contact information with colleagues or clients via email after updating to Microsoft 365 or the New Outlook interface.
- Observed behavior
- The traditional 'Attach Item' or 'Business Card' option is missing from the email composition ribbon in the new Outlook interface.
Ensure that the contact you want to share is saved in your Outlook Contacts folder or People tab before attempting to attach it to an email.
Attach a Business Card in Outlook Classic
Use the built-in Attach Item feature available in the classic Outlook desktop application to quickly insert a contact as a vCard.
If you are using the traditional desktop version of Outlook (Outlook 2016, 2019, or Classic Outlook for Microsoft 365), the feature is built directly into the email composition ribbon.
Open the Outlook desktop application and click on 'New Email' in the top left corner of the Home ribbon.
In the new message window, go to the Message tab, click 'Attach Item' (often located next to 'Attach File'), and select 'Business Card' from the dropdown menu.
If the contact appears in the short list, click it. Otherwise, select 'Other Business Cards' to open the Insert Business Card dialog box.
Select the desired contact from your Contacts folder (hold Ctrl to select multiple) and click 'OK' to attach them to your email.
Share a Contact via the People Tab in New Outlook
Since the New Outlook interface removes the 'Attach Item' button in the email composer, you must share contacts directly from the People module.
Manually Attach an Exported vCard (.vcf) File
Export your contacts as .vcf files and attach them like regular documents, ensuring compatibility across all email versions, including Outlook.com.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the 'Attach Item' or 'Business Card' button missing in Outlook?
Microsoft has updated the interface for the New Outlook and Outlook on the web, removing the traditional 'Attach Item' button from the compose ribbon. In these newer versions, users are expected to share contacts directly from the 'People' tab instead.
What is a vCard (.vcf) file?
A vCard (Virtual Contact File) is a standard file format for electronic business cards. It contains names, phone numbers, email addresses, and other contact details, allowing users to easily import information across different email clients like Outlook, Gmail, and Apple Mail.
Can I attach multiple Outlook contacts to a single email?
Yes. In Classic Outlook, you can hold down the 'Ctrl' key while selecting contacts in the 'Insert Business Card' dialog box to attach multiple records at once. In the New Outlook, you may need to export multiple contacts as individual .vcf files and attach them manually using the 'Attach File' option.
