How To Backup Contacts In Roundcube

Roundcube lets you back up your contacts as a VCF (vCard) file. This backup can be used to restore contacts later or import them into another email client such as Outlook, Thunderbird, Apple Mail, or Google Contacts.

Backing Up All Contacts

1. Log in to Roundcube through your webmail interface.
2. Click Address Book in the top navigation bar (or the contacts icon in the left sidebar).
3. From the address book dropdown (top-left of the contacts pane), select Personal Addresses or the specific group you want to back up.
4. Click the Export button (usually a download icon) in the contacts toolbar.
5. Choose vCard as the export format.

The VCF file will be downloaded to your computer. The filename typically follows the format contacts.vcf.

Backing Up a Single Contact or Group

• Single contact: Select the contact by ticking the checkbox next to it, then click Export and choose vCard.
• Specific group: Select the group from the address book dropdown first, then export. Only contacts in that group will be included.

Restoring Contacts

1. Open the Address Book in Roundcube.
2. Click the Import button in the contacts toolbar.
3. Select the previously saved .vcf file from your computer.
4. Click Import to add the contacts to your address book.

Important Notes

• VCF is the most widely compatible contact format and works across all major email clients and operating systems.
• Roundcube stores contacts in its own database. Backing up contacts via export is the only reliable way to preserve them before a hosting migration or account change.
• Large address books (500+ contacts) may take a few moments to export.

Troubleshooting

• Export button not visible: Ensure you are in the Address Book view (not the mail view). The export option is only available from the contacts screen.
• Imported contacts show duplicates: Roundcube does not automatically merge duplicates. Remove old contacts before importing, or import into a new group.
• Contacts missing after import: Verify the VCF file is valid by opening it in a text editor -- it should contain BEGIN:VCARD entries.