> For clean Markdown of any page, append .md to the page URL.
> For a complete documentation index, see https://docs.meetgail.com/platform/communications/outbound/managing-contacts/llms.txt.
> For AI client integration (Claude Code, Cursor, etc.), connect to the MCP server at https://docs.meetgail.com/_mcp/server.

# Managing Contacts

> Learn how to create and manage contact lists for your outbound campaigns.

Contact lists are the foundation of outbound campaigns. This guide covers how to create, organize, and manage your contacts for effective outreach.

> **Note**
>
> Contact lists are optional when **saving** a campaign — you can save a campaign as a draft and add contacts later via the **Assignments API**. However, you need at least one contact list or API assignment before you can **launch** a campaign.

## Creating Contact Lists

To create a new contact list:

1. Navigate to **Contacts** in the left sidebar

![Contacts in the left sidebar](/_fern-img/cd9acbd6736dfc6a1743b72a5867706e7432c5bfe563be8eb345583c377c6a1b.webp)

2. Click **Upload Contacts**

![Upload Contacts button](/_fern-img/362764132e095321b23c886c8401e2652c45d8863d62f90dc2c1edf4b537ca90.webp)

3. Select whether you want them to be added to No List, an Existing List, or a New List

![Upload Contacts modal with list options](/_fern-img/b15667342dd5b8f40fea4c308b8e9e3e2ecc29939f205eed1c895e47fa37eaca.webp)

4. Enter a name for a New List

![New Contact List name field](/_fern-img/6115cc8bc969642ea63a6817117217f3fc37a64f58b33bf29981e00d9e7d06fe.webp)

5. Upload your contacts

![Click Upload Contacts to finish](/_fern-img/8ea66f5125bd68f5c35b6ed3a8da0af1d739531a08a07916c67f174c84a37fe7.webp)

### List Organization

Organize contacts into logical groups based on:

* Campaign type (reminders, follow-ups, marketing)
* Customer segment (new customers, renewals, etc.)
* Geographic region
* Product or service line

## Adding Contacts

### Manual Entry

For small lists or individual contacts:

1. Open your contact list

![Add Contact button on the Contacts page](/_fern-img/5bee722a8b094e8f58bb6ed820bb878aff4ef048fcf2d97c5a4f3cb3e42f9a3a.webp)

2. Click **Add Contact**

![Create a new Contact form](/_fern-img/218a1f9bcea9db85dafedf47df2c5a03a82652b13ff9509b5644a27729f6cc70.webp)

3. Fill in the contact details:

![Create a new Contact form details](/_fern-img/218a1f9bcea9db85dafedf47df2c5a03a82652b13ff9509b5644a27729f6cc70.webp)

* **Name** - Full name of the contact
* **Phone Number** - Primary phone number (required)
* **Email** - Email address (optional)
* **Custom Fields** - Any additional data you need

### Bulk Upload

For larger lists, upload a CSV or Excel file:

1. Click **Upload Contacts**

![Upload Contacts button for bulk upload](/_fern-img/8ea66f5125bd68f5c35b6ed3a8da0af1d739531a08a07916c67f174c84a37fe7.webp)

2. Select your file (CSV, XLSX, or XLS)

![Upload Contacts file selection screen](/_fern-img/c0c5a819a4132ea4c50de7bc64a890b579699ae40deaf964e1ce990cddf9f4a9.webp)

3. Map columns to contact fields

![Match Columns mapping screen](/_fern-img/50ed680731da70e246ac4d7d63bd55915c9614501097b12011b08bbacf481dff.webp)

4. Review and confirm the import

![Validate data review screen](/_fern-img/1e155494cba26c953d666844a89e89d19aaac1c1e5562013f34af71bb430f5b7.webp)

**CSV Format Example:**

```csv
first_name,last_name,phone,email,account_number
Sarah,Chen,+15551234567,sarah@example.com,ACC-001
Marcus,Johnson,+15559876543,marcus@example.com,ACC-002
```

> **Note**
>
> Phone numbers should include the country code (e.g., +1 for US). Gail will attempt to normalize numbers without country codes.

### CRM Integration

Sync contacts automatically from your CRM:

* **Salesforce** - Import leads, contacts, and accounts
* **HubSpot** - Sync contact lists and segments
* **Custom Integration** - Use the API to push contacts

See [Integrations](/platform/integrations/overview) for setup instructions.

## Contact Fields

### Standard Fields

| Field      | Description            | Required |
| ---------- | ---------------------- | -------- |
| First Name | Contact's first name   | Yes      |
| Last Name  | Contact's last name    | Yes      |
| Phone      | Primary phone number   | Yes      |
| Phone 2    | Secondary phone number | No       |
| Email      | Email address          | No       |
| Company    | Organization name      | No       |
| Tags       | Labels for filtering   | No       |

### Custom Fields

Add custom fields to store campaign-specific data:

1. Go to **Contacts** → **Select a Contact** → **Custom Fields**
2. Click **Add New Field**

![Add New Field button on contact details](/_fern-img/574ce1179fd749b8c45651795f201b5f8b14ce3a726598d6f00343466b780754.webp)

3. Name the field:

![Add New Field dialog with field name](/_fern-img/497e8c85c51d23b1eb4057136863eead58bec00c817d3324e7ed91f6605a2562.webp)

* Text
* Number
* Date
* Dropdown
* Checkbox

4. Fill out the field

![Custom Fields section with new field added](/_fern-img/cf128a02ffc1b53b4a7593aa423c028e35eefd1e4963be5e9221e00d9e1cd78e.webp)

Custom fields can be referenced in your agent scripts to personalize conversations.

## Contact List Sync

When you link a contact list to a campaign, new contacts automatically sync:

* **Real-time sync** - Contacts added to the list are immediately queued for the campaign
* **Deduplication** - Duplicate phone numbers are automatically detected
* **Status tracking** - Each contact's campaign status is tracked independently

## Managing Contact Status

Each contact has a status within a campaign:

| Status          | Description                             |
| --------------- | --------------------------------------- |
| **Pending**     | Waiting to be called                    |
| **In Progress** | Currently in a sequence                 |
| **Completed**   | Successfully reached desired outcome    |
| **Failed**      | Could not be reached after all attempts |
| **Opted Out**   | Requested not to be contacted           |

### Bulk Actions

Perform actions on multiple contacts:

* **Add to list** - Transfer contacts between lists
* **Add to campaign** - Add selected contacts to a campaign
* **Delete Selected** - Delete selected contacts

## Do Not Call (DNC) Management

Maintain compliance with DNC regulations:

1. **Automatic tracking** - When a contact opts out, they're automatically added to your DNC list
2. **DNC import** - Upload existing DNC lists to prevent calls
3. **Cross-campaign** - DNC status applies across all campaigns

> **Note**
>
> Always honor DNC requests. Calling contacts who have opted out may violate regulations and damage your reputation.

## Best Practices

### Keep Data Clean

* Validate phone numbers before import
* Remove duplicates regularly
* Update contact information when it changes

### Respect Privacy

* Only collect data you need
* Store data securely
* Honor deletion requests

## Next Steps

* [Creating Campaigns](/platform/communications/outbound/creating-campaigns) - Set up campaigns for your contact lists
* [Sequences](/platform/communications/outbound/sequences) - Define outreach flows

> Documentation for Gail, the AI platform for financial services. Learn how to set up GailGPT and Gail Agent to automate customer communications for insurance, banking, and finance.