How to Import Contacts Into DEVONthink

DEVONthink is capable of organizing many types of documents. But it’s also capable of importing information from your contacts, so you can use them in various formats.

First you need to give DEVONthink permission to see your contacts in macOS’ System Settings > Privacy & Security > Contacts. Then in DEVONthink, select File > Import > Contacts. You will be presented with the Import Contacts dialog window. Ignore the properties for the moment. Select one or several contacts. Now choose one of the three options:

• Link: This links directly to the individuals’ entry in the Contacts application, essentially a bookmark to the entry. The advantage of this option is it always shows the current information.
• vCard: Creates a standard vCard file (.vcf) of the contacts’ current information. This is a standard contact format that can be viewed and shared with others to be added to their contact management app.
• Sheet: Creates a sheet with one row per contact. The properties listed in the panel will be included as columns in the sheet. Toggle any you want to include or exclude.

While the sheet typically is more for an internal list of specific people, the link and vCard options can be used in other ways. For example, you may find some good uses in linking to a contact via WikiLinks or crosslinks. But also, the link and vCard are interactive. Click on the email icon when viewing a linked contact and a popup appears with email addresses to choose from. So launch an email or a message without opening the Contacts app.

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