Understanding and Using Contact Types

What Are Contact Types?

In your CRM, a Contact Type is a custom field used to categorize contacts based on their relationship to your business. This single-select dropdown field helps you define the primary status or role of a contact, such as Lead, Prospect, or Client. It’s a required field when creating a new contact, ensuring every contact is classified from the start.

Why Use Contact Types?

Implementing Contact Types provides a foundational layer for organizing your database and running targeted operations.

• Streamlined Segmentation: Easily filter and build lists of contacts based on their primary status.
• Targeted Automation: Trigger workflows or send specific campaign messages when a contact’s type changes.
• Clear Relationship Tracking: Provides an at-a-glance understanding of where a contact stands in your process.
• Enhanced Reporting: Analyze performance and trends for different segments of your audience.

Setting Up Contact Types

You can define the available options for the Contact Type field in your CRM settings.

1. Navigate to Settings > Custom Fields.
2. Locate the Contact Type field in the list.
3. Check the box next to it, click the Bulk Actions button, and select Edit.
4. In the editing panel, you can add new types, rename existing ones, or delete options you no longer need.

Assigning a Contact Type

You can assign a Contact Type manually or automatically.

Manual Assignment

When creating or editing a contact’s profile, locate the Contact Type dropdown field and select the appropriate value.

Automatic Assignment via Workflow

Use the Update Contact Field action in a workflow to dynamically set or change a contact’s type based on triggers or conditions. Select Contact Type as the field and choose the desired value.

Filtering Contacts by Type

To view or work with a specific segment of contacts, you can filter by their Contact Type.

1. Go to Contacts > Smart Lists.
2. Click More Filters.
3. Select the Type filter.
4. Choose the specific Contact Type you wish to view.

Common Questions

Can a contact have more than one Contact Type?

No. The Contact Type field is designed as a single-select dropdown to indicate a primary status. For additional, multi-label categorization, use Tags.

Can I trigger a workflow when a Contact Type changes?

Yes. Use the Contact Changed workflow trigger and configure it to monitor changes to the Contact Type field.

What happens if I rename or delete a Contact Type that’s already in use?

Renaming a type will update the label for all contacts assigned that type. Deleting a type will remove that option from the dropdown and clear it from any contacts that had it selected.

Can I update Contact Types for many contacts at once?

Yes. From a Smart List view, you can select multiple contacts and use the bulk action feature to apply the Update Contact Field action, setting a new Contact Type for all selected records.