What to put on a digital business card

1. Give someone enough context to recognize you

The information that seems obvious to you may be the information someone else needs most. You know what your job title means inside your organization; a person you met once may have no idea whether it involves research, operations, or design. Give them a short description they can connect to your conversation. If you work independently, describe the work itself rather than reaching for a title broad enough to cover everything you do. A reader should be able to explain who you are to a colleague without opening several more pages.

Name

Use the name you introduce yourself with. Add pronunciation or pronouns if you want to, rather than treating every available field as required.

Current work

Give your role and organization, or a plain-language description of your independent work. “Illustration for books and magazines” says more than “Creative.”

Contact route

Choose an email address or other channel you check and are comfortable making available to recipients.

Relevant link

Add a portfolio, professional profile, or project page when it helps someone understand your work or take the next step.

Beyond those fields, let the situation guide you. A recognizable photo may help someone place you after a busy event, while a city or time zone can be useful when arranging a call. Neither requires you to share a precise address. Think particularly carefully about a phone number: including it suggests that calling or messaging there is welcome. If email is where you want project enquiries to arrive, giving that route clearly may be all you need.

2. Make the next step fit the conversation

Consider what someone is likely to need before they can get back to you. A prospective collaborator may want to see work samples, while a person who has already discussed a project with you may simply need your email. This gives you a sensible order for the card: make the most relevant destination easy to find, then include other links only if they serve a distinct purpose. A portfolio and an email address can work well together because one helps the reader understand your work and the other lets them respond.

The link label should carry some of that explanation. “View illustration portfolio,” “Email Ari about a project,” and “Read the workshop outline” all tell a recipient what to expect before they tap. Follow through on the promise by sending them to the relevant page, rather than a homepage where they have to begin searching again. A booking link deserves the same thought. If it opens an appropriate appointment type with availability you can honor, it may be helpful; if you would rather discuss the project first, lead with a message instead.

3. Replace a list of links with a clear introduction

Suppose Ari is an independent illustrator who mainly meets editors and potential collaborators at events. Ari also does consulting work, but the conversations that lead people to this card are usually about illustration. The first version below tries to represent every role equally; the revised version gives that audience a more useful introduction. These fictional copy examples show the writing choices rather than a particular app template.

In the revised card, an editor can see what kind of work Ari does and where to look at it. The email label also makes it clear that project enquiries are welcome, so the reader does not have to wonder whether the address is intended for something else. Ari has not needed to squeeze in a biography or persuade the reader to book a meeting before seeing the work. If consulting became the main reason people received the card, the introduction and leading link could change to reflect that. The useful question is whether the card supports the conversations Ari is having now.

4. Choose details you are comfortable having forwarded

A card can travel beyond the person you gave it to. Someone might send it to a colleague who needs your help, which is useful, but it also means you should think about the next recipient when choosing what to publish. Leave out a home address, a private number you only share with friends, and personal scheduling details that are unnecessary for professional contact. If a field would make you uneasy in a forwarded message, reconsider whether it belongs on the card.

Apply the same care to information about other people. Your reminder to send a proposal, a private project discussion, or a detail someone shared over coffee can be valuable context for you without belonging in your public introduction. Keep it with their contact record and check who can access wherever you store it. Our guide to writing a useful contact note explains how to preserve enough detail for the next conversation without collecting a full personal history.

5. Review the card from the recipient’s side

A card can look finished in an editor while still asking too much of the person opening it. Perhaps a portfolio requires access, the main text becomes tiny on a phone, or the QR code on a printed handout points to an older page. Check the actual thing you will share, using a signed-out view where possible, so your own account access does not hide a problem. As you go, look for anything that requires the recipient to guess.

• Open the shared card link while signed out and on a phone. Confirm the intended details appear.
• Tap each link. Check the email recipient, destination page, and any booking availability.
• If you use a QR code, scan the actual version you will share, including any printed copy.
• Check readable type, clear contrast, and descriptive link labels. Avoid putting essential information only inside an image.
• Try keyboard navigation and larger text where possible. Add meaningful image descriptions if the editor supports them.

6. Follow changed details through to old links

When you change roles or contact addresses, revisit the places people already have your details. Updating the card is a useful first step, but you still need to open previously shared links and scan old QR codes to see what they show. Depending on how you shared the information, an old copy may remain unchanged. Check your email signature, profiles, and event materials as well, particularly if they point to an address or project you no longer use.

Kontextual includes digital cards alongside contacts, notes, Lists, and follow-up reminders, so sharing your own details can sit within the same broader routine as remembering the person you met. Once your card is ready, give their information similar attention: check the details, keep the context that mattered, and record anything you offered to do. Our guide to turning business cards into useful contacts walks through that receiving side of the exchange.