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All practical tips to grow your business with messaging.

All CollectionsProductWorking with Contacts

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:

  1. Name (required) — the contact's full name
  2. Profile Photo (optional) — upload a photo (max 2MB, for WhatsApp and Instagram)
  3. Phone Number (required) — with country code, without + or 00 (e.g. 31612345678)
  4. Email (optional) — the contact's email address
  5. Tags (optional) — comma-separated tags like customer, vip, important
  6. WhatsApp Opt-in (toggle) — subscribe this contact for WhatsApp broadcasts
  7. 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_In and SMS_Opt_In columns 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.

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