How to convert vCard into QR code and include it in email signatures
Problem:
You would like to insert a vCard as a QR code in an email signature added by CodeTwo software. You want to have this QR code personalized, so that every user has their individual vCard added to their signature.
Solution:
The vCard standard is a popular and easy way to share contact information. In most PC operating systems, double-clicking the vCard (.vcf) file adds a new entry to the address book of the default email program (e.g. Outlook).
VCF files are plain text files with appropriate data fields, which makes it easy to convert them into QR (Quick Response) codes. Such QR codes can be later added to an email signature to let you quickly share contact information with mobile devices. For example, by scanning a vCard converted into a QR code with phone's camera, your recipients can automatically add a new contact to their address book (Fig. 1.).
Fig. 1. Cameras in mobile devices can read vCard info from QR codes.
How to insert QR codes (containing vCard info) into email signatures
CodeTwo signature-adding programs allow you to generate a QR code image from text input and add it to email signatures. You can also include Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) or Active Directory attributes of your users in the generated QR codes, so that a QR code changes depending on a message sender.
To generate a QR code image based on a text value, you need to:
- Open your vCard (.vcf) file in any text editor, select all the content and copy it.
- Open your email signature template in the editor of the CodeTwo software that you use:
- Select a place in your signature where you would like to add a QR code, click the Placeholder button on the signature template editor's ribbon, and go to Other > QR Code image (Fig. 2.).
Fig. 2. Adding a QR code image in the signature template editor.
- In the QR Code image configuration window that opens, paste the content of the vCard file you copied into the Text field (Fig. 3.).
Important
If you exceed the character limit specified for the currently selected QR code image size, the limit exceeded error message will be shown. To fix it, choose a bigger image size using the drop-down menu (see Fig. 3.). The upper limit is 1476 characters and if you exceed it, your text will be trimmed.
Learn more about using the QR Code image placeholder in CodeTwo software
Fig. 3. Sample QR Code generated after pasting the vCard file content.
- To make the QR code change depending on a sender, you need to modify the content you pasted into the Text field by replacing some of its fixed parts with appropriate placeholders (variable elements that change from sender to sender). To do it, highlight a part to be replaced and use the Placeholder drop-down button to choose a selected placeholder (Fig. 4.). Note that each field (e.g. an address) needs to be in an individual text line – do not use any line breaks.
Info
In our example, we’re going to replace Adele with the {First name} placeholder, Vance with {Last name}, Marketing Manager with {Title}, and so on.
Fig. 4. Editing the text content to get the personalized QR code image that changes dynamically based on a sender.
- After finishing the edits, the content in the Text field should look something like this:
BEGIN:VCARD VERSION:4.0 N:{Last name};{First name} FN:{First name} {Last name} TITLE:{Title} ORG:{Company} URL:https://www.company.com/ EMAIL;TYPE=INTERNET:{E-mail} TEL;TYPE=voice,work,pref:{Phone} TEL;TYPE=voice,cell,pref:{Mobile} ADR;:;;{Street};{City};{State};{Postal Code};{Country} END:VCARD
- Once you’re done, click OK to insert your QR code image placeholder into your email signature template (Fig. 5.).
Fig. 5. Adding the generated QR code to your email signature.
- The last step is to save the signature template by clicking Apply & Close (or Publish & Close) in the editor (see Fig. 5.) and then save your email signature rule.
That's all. Now, when someone sends an email with the signature you’ve updated with the QR code image, the code will include the actual sender details in the vCard format, allowing a recipient to scan and add the sender as a new contact.
The VCF format offers much more fields to be defined – the full list is available here.
Tip
You can use our free application - CodeTwo QR Code Desktop Reader & Generator - to read and generate QR Codes.
Related products: | CodeTwo Email Signatures for Office 365 1.x, CodeTwo Exchange Rules 2013 2.x, CodeTwo Exchange Rules 2016 1.x, CodeTwo Exchange Rules 2019 1.x, CodeTwo Exchange Rules Pro 2.x |
Categories: | How-To |
Last modified: | January 24, 2024 |
Created: | January 24, 2024 |
ID: | 1069 |