Working with Contacts
Add, edit, search, and manage your customer contacts in Bugalou. Understand contact profiles, tags, and cross-platform conversations.
Your Contact Database
The Contacts page gives you a centralized view of all your customers. Navigate to it via Contacts in the sidebar.
Viewing Contacts
The contacts table shows all your contacts with these columns:
- Name — with avatar, platform badge (WhatsApp 💬, Instagram 📸, Messenger 💙, Email 📧), and Instagram/Messenger username
- Phone — phone number with country code
- Email — email address
- Opt-in — shows which channels the contact is subscribed to for broadcasts (WhatsApp ✓, SMS ✓)
- Tags — custom tags for categorization
- Added — date the contact was created
- Actions — start a conversation, edit, or delete
Searching Contacts
Use the search bar at the top to search by name, phone number, or email address.
Adding a Contact
Click the "Add Contact" button (top right) to open the new contact form:
- Name (required) — the contact's full name
- Profile Photo (optional) — upload a photo (max 2MB, for WhatsApp and Instagram)
- Phone Number (required) — with country code, without + or 00 (e.g.
31612345678) - Email (optional) — the contact's email address
- Tags (optional) — comma-separated tags like
customer, vip, important - WhatsApp Opt-in (toggle) — subscribe this contact for WhatsApp broadcasts
- SMS Opt-in (toggle) — subscribe this contact for SMS broadcasts
Click "Add" to save the contact.
Editing a Contact
Click the pencil icon on any contact row to open the edit form. Update any fields and click "Update" to save your changes.
Contact Details
Click on a contact name to open the detail modal. Here you'll see:
- Profile — avatar, name, phone, Instagram username, email, and tags
- Connected Platforms — shows which platforms (WhatsApp, Instagram) are connected
- Conversations (All Platforms) — a list of all conversations with this contact, including platform badge, ticket number, message count, and last active date. Click any conversation to jump to the Inbox.
Deleting a Contact
Click the trash icon on a contact row. A confirmation dialog will ask "Are you sure you want to delete this contact?" — click confirm to permanently remove the contact.
Broadcast Opt-in Management
Bugalou tracks which contacts are opted in for WhatsApp and SMS broadcasts. You can manage opt-in in several ways:
- Per contact — Toggle WhatsApp/SMS opt-in switches in the contact edit form
- Bulk opt-in — Select multiple contacts using checkboxes, then click the "WhatsApp Opt-in" or "SMS Opt-in" button in the selection toolbar
- CSV import — Include
WhatsApp_Opt_InandSMS_Opt_Incolumns with values like true/false, yes/no, ja/nee, or 1/0 - Automatic — Contacts are auto opted-in when they send you a first WhatsApp or SMS message, or when they place a webshop order
Only opted-in contacts receive broadcasts. Contacts who send STOP are automatically opted out and will not be re-opted in automatically.