Contacts overview
Contacts are the anchor record in SWS Agent. Almost every module—Inbox, Deals, Campaigns, Tasks, Smart Flows—links back to a contact (person or company). The Contact Management workspace at /contact-management is where you search, filter, create, import, and open records before drilling into detail work on /contact/:contactId.
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Who can do this
Users with Contacts view permission (all roles typically). Import, export, and bulk actions require additional permissions configured by your Admin.
Before you begin
- Contact settings configured so Status, Source, and Lifecycle Stage dropdowns are meaningful
- Custom fields created if you plan to import or filter on them
- Integrations connected if you will message contacts immediately after create
What you'll accomplish
- You know where to create, find, import, and open contacts
- You can use the Filter sidebar and All contacts tab to slice the directory
- You understand All ponds (
/contact-management/available-to-claim) if your workspace uses lead ponds
Step-by-step procedure
Open the directory
- Sidebar → CRM → Contacts (
/contact-management). - The default tab is All contacts—a live count badge shows total records in the workspace.
- Starred Smart Lists appear as additional tabs when you save segments; each tab applies that list's criteria automatically.
- Use the toolbar search for quick name, email, or phone lookup without opening the filter panel.
Filter sidebar (right panel)
Click the filter icon on the contact toolbar to open the Filter sidebar. It slides in from the right and pushes the table narrower on desktop; on mobile it appears as a drawer overlay.
Use Add a filter to search categorized fields:
| Category | Example fields |
|---|---|
| Contact info | First Name, Last Name, Email, Phone, Company |
| Address | City, State / Region, Postal Code, Country |
| Social & org | LinkedIn URL, Department, Company Size |
| Status & scoring | Lifecycle Stage, Status, Source, Lead Score |
| Assignment | Assigned To, Contact Owner, Collaborators |
| Dates | Created, Updated, Last Activity, Last Call |
| Counts | Emails Sent, Calls Made, Texts Sent |
| Email campaigns | Email campaign engagement |
| Other | Tags, Deal Stage, Active / Inactive |
Each filter card expands with operators such as contains, equals, or is empty. Applied filters persist while the sidebar is closed—the filter icon shows an active state when criteria are in effect.
Common actions from Contact Management
| Action | Where to go |
|---|---|
| Create one | Create / Add contact → Create a contact |
| Import many | Import → /contact-management/import → Import contacts |
| Claim from pond | All ponds → /contact-management/available-to-claim → Claim contacts |
| Save a segment | Filter sidebar → save as Smart List → Smart Lists |
| Detail work | Open any row → Contact detail |
List vs Kanban
When your workspace supports pipeline views, toggle List / Kanban on the toolbar. Kanban grouping follows Status or Lifecycle Stage depending on your workspace's contact pipeline mode—configure options under Manage contact settings.
Verify your work
- Search returns the expected contact within one or two keystrokes
- All contacts count matches a spot-check in Reports or Book of Business
- Filter sidebar categories match the table above; applying Status reduces the list immediately
- Opening a row lands on contact detail with timeline and profile sections loaded
Tips
Before creating duplicates, search by phone and email. Fragmented contacts split Inbox history and campaign metrics.
Star your highest-traffic Smart Lists so they appear as tabs beside All contacts for one-click access.
Troubleshooting
| Empty directory | Permissions, wrong workspace, or filters too strict—clear Filter sidebar | | Missing custom field in filters | Create the field first under Custom fields | | All ponds not visible | Pond module disabled or role lacks claim permission | | Tab count differs from filter count | Refresh; segment tabs use saved criteria, not the draft filter sidebar |