documentation/content/applications/essentials/contacts.md

---
show-content: true
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# Contacts

Contacts are created in the **Contacts** application for customers the company does business with
through Odoo. A contact is a repository of vital business information, facilitating communication
and business transactions.

## Contact form

To create a new contact, navigate to the {menuselection}`Contacts app`, and click
{guilabel}`Create`. A new form appears where various contact information can be added.

### Contact type

Odoo allows for both {guilabel}`Individual` and {guilabel}`Company` contacts. Select either
{guilabel}`Individual` or {guilabel}`Company`, depending on the type of contact that is being added.

### Name

First, fill in the name of the {guilabel}`Individual` or {guilabel}`Company`. This is how the name
appears throughout the database. This field is **mandatory**.

:::{tip}
{guilabel}`Individual` contacts can have a {guilabel}`Company` contact linked to it. After
selecting {guilabel}`Individual`, a new {guilabel}`Company Name...` field appears below the
first name field.
:::

### Address

Next, enter the {guilabel}`Address` of the {guilabel}`Company` or {guilabel}`Individual`.

:::{tip}
If the {guilabel}`Individual` option is chosen, then the *type of address* can be chosen from a
drop-down menu. Options for this drop-down menu include: {guilabel}`Contact`, {guilabel}`Invoice
Address`, {guilabel}`Delivery Address`, {guilabel}`Other Address`, and {guilabel}`Private
Address`.
:::

### Additional fields

Additional details are included on the initial form. The following fields are available:

- {guilabel}`VAT`: Value Added Tax number.
- {guilabel}`Citizen Identification`: citizen or government identification number (only available
  on {guilabel}`Individual`).
- {guilabel}`Job Position`: list the job position of the {guilabel}`Individual` (only available on
  {guilabel}`Individual`).
- {guilabel}`Phone`: list phone number (with country code). Make a call, send an SMS, or WhatsApp
  message by hovering over the field on the saved form, and clicking the desired option.
- {guilabel}`Mobile`: list mobile phone number (with country code). Make a call, send an SMS, or
  WhatsApp message by hovering over the field on the saved form, and clicking on the desired option.
- {guilabel}`Email`: enter the email address with the domain.
- {guilabel}`Website`: enter the full website address, starting with `http` or `https`.
- {guilabel}`Title`: select {guilabel}`Doctor`, {guilabel}`Madam`, {guilabel}`Miss`,
  {guilabel}`Mister`, {guilabel}`Professor`, or create a new one directly from this field.
- {guilabel}`Tags`: enter preconfigured tags by typing them in the field, or clicking the drop-down
  menu, and selecting one. To create a new one, type the new tag in the field, and click
  {guilabel}`Create` from the resulting drop-down menu.

### Contacts & Addresses tab

At the bottom of the contact form are several tabs. On the {guilabel}`Contacts & Addresses` tab,
contacts can be added that are associated with a {guilabel}`Company` and related addresses. For
example, a specific contact person for the company can be listed here.

Multiple addresses can be added on both {guilabel}`Individual` and {guilabel}`Company` contacts. To
do so, click {guilabel}`Add` in the {guilabel}`Contacts & Addresses` tab. Doing so reveals a
{guilabel}`Create Contact` pop-up form, in which additional addresses can be configured.

```{image} contacts/contact-form-add-address.png
:align: center
:alt: Add a contact/address to the contact form.
```

On the {guilabel}`Create Contact` pop-up form, start by clicking the default {guilabel}`Other
Address` field at the top to reveal a drop-down menu of address-related options.

Select any of the following options:

- {guilabel}`Contact`: adds another contact to the existing contact form.
- {guilabel}`Invoice Address`: adds a specific invoice address to the existing contact form.
- {guilabel}`Delivery Address`: adds a specific delivery address to the existing contact form.
- {guilabel}`Other Address`: adds an alternate address to the existing contact form.
- {guilabel}`Private Address`: adds a private address to the existing contact form.

```{image} contacts/create-contact-window.png
:align: center
:alt: Create a new contact/address on a contact form.
```

Once an option is selected, enter the corresponding contact information that should be used for the
specified address type.

Add the {guilabel}`Contact Name`, {guilabel}`Address`, {guilabel}`Email`, along with the
{guilabel}`Phone` and/or {guilabel}`Mobile` numbers below.

Set the {guilabel}`Job Position`, which appears if the {guilabel}`Contact` address type has been
selected. This is similar to the {guilabel}`Individual` contact.

To add a note, click on the text field next to {guilabel}`Notes`, and write anything that is
applicable to the customer or contact.

Then, click {guilabel}`Save & Close` to save the address, and close the {guilabel}`Create Contact`
window. Or, click {guilabel}`Save & New` to save the address, and immediately input another one.

### Sales & Purchase tab

Next, is the {guilabel}`Sales & Purchases` tab, which only appears when the *Sales*, *Purchase*,
**or** *Point of Sale* applications are installed.

The {guilabel}`Fiscal Position` can be set on the {guilabel}`Sales & Purchases` tab. Select a
{guilabel}`Fiscal Position` from the drop-down menu.

#### Sales section

Under the {guilabel}`Sales` heading, a specific {guilabel}`Salesperson` can be assigned to a
contact. To do that, click the {guilabel}`Salesperson` drop-down field, and select one. Create a new
{guilabel}`Salesperson` by typing the user's name, and making the appropriate selection.

Certain {guilabel}`Payment Terms`, or a certain {guilabel}`Pricelist`, can also be set, if needed.
Click the drop-down menu next to {guilabel}`Payment Terms`, and change it to one of the preselected
{guilabel}`Payment Terms`, or {guilabel}`Create` a new one. Select the {guilabel}`Pricelist`
drop-down menu to choose the appropriate {guilabel}`Pricelist`.

Click into the {guilabel}`Delivery Method` field to select an option from the drop-down menu.

#### Point Of Sale section

Under the {guilabel}`Point Of Sale` heading, enter a {guilabel}`Barcode` that can be used to
identify the contact. Use the {guilabel}`Loyalty Points` field to track points the user won as part
of a *Loyalty Program*.

#### Purchase section

Specify {guilabel}`Payment Terms`, {guilabel}`1099 Box` information, and a preferred
{guilabel}`Payment Method` here. A {guilabel}`Receipt Reminder` can be set here, as well.

#### Misc section

Under the {guilabel}`Misc.` heading, use {guilabel}`Reference` field to add any additional
information for this contact. If this contact should only be accessible for one company in a
multi-company database, select it from the {guilabel}`Company` field drop-down list. Use the
{guilabel}`Website` drop-down menu to restrict the publishing of this contact to one website (if
working on a database with multiple websites). Select one or more {guilabel}`Website Tags` to assist
in filtering published customers on the `/customers` website page. Select an {guilabel}`Industry`
for this contact from the drop-down menu. Use the {guilabel}`SLA Policies` field to assign a
*Helpdesk* SLA policy to this contact.

### Accounting tab

The {guilabel}`Accounting` tab appears when the *Accounting* application is installed. Here, a user
can add any related {guilabel}`Bank Accounts`, or set default {guilabel}`Accounting entries`.

Under the {guilabel}`Miscellaneous` heading, use the {guilabel}`LEI` field to enter a Legal Entity
Identifier, if necessary.

### Internal Notes tab

Following the {guilabel}`Accounting` tab is the {guilabel}`Internal Notes` tab, where notes can be
left on this contact form, just like on the contact form noted above.

### Partner Assignment tab

Next is the {guilabel}`Partner Assignment` tab, which by default, includes a {guilabel}`Geolocation`
section, and other partner options, including {guilabel}`Partner Activation` and {guilabel}`Partner
Review` configurations. These are **only** present when the *Resellers* module is installed.

:::{seealso}
Follow the {doc}`Resellers documentation <../sales/crm/track_leads/resellers>` for more
information on publishing partners on the website.
:::

### Membership tab

Finally, there is the {guilabel}`Membership` tab on contact forms, which can help users manage any
memberships that are being offered to this specific contact. It should be noted that this tab
**only** appears when the *Members* application is installed.

#### Activate membership

To activate a contact's membership, click {guilabel}`Buy Membership` in the {guilabel}`Membership`
tab of a contact form. On the pop-up window that appears, select a {guilabel}`Membership` from the
drop-down menu. Then, configure a {guilabel}`Member Price`. Click {guilabel}`Invoice Membership`
when both fields are filled in.

Alternatively, to offer a free membership, tick the {guilabel}`Free Member` checkbox, in the
{guilabel}`Membership` tab of a contact form.

:::{seealso}
Follow the {doc}`Members documentation <../sales/members>` for more information on publishing
members on the website.
:::

## Smart buttons

At the top of the contact form, there are some additional options available, known as *smart
buttons*.

Here, Odoo displays a variety of records, related to this contact, that were created on other apps.
Odoo integrates information from every single app, so there are many smart buttons.

```{eval-rst}
.. example::
   For example, there is an :guilabel:`Opportunities` smart button, where all the opportunities
   related to this customer from the *CRM* app are accessible.
```

:::{tip}
If the corresponding applications are installed, their related smart buttons appear
automatically on a contact form.
:::

A user can see any {guilabel}`Meetings`, {guilabel}`Sales`, {guilabel}`POS Orders`,
{guilabel}`Subscriptions`, project {guilabel}`Tasks`, and the {guilabel}`More` smart button reveals
additional options, via a drop-down menu. A user can even quickly access {guilabel}`Purchases`,
{guilabel}`Helpdesk` tasks, {guilabel}`On-time Rate` for deliveries, {guilabel}`Invoiced`
information, {guilabel}`Vendor Bills`, and the {guilabel}`Partner Ledger` connected to this contact.

Deliveries, documents, loyalty cards, and direct debits are *also* linked to smart buttons, like
this, should there be any outstanding/on-file for this contact.

If the contact is a partner, the user can visit their partner page on the Odoo-built website by
clicking the {guilabel}`Go to Website` smart button.

### Archive contacts

If a user decides they no longer want to have this contact active, the record can be archived. To do
that, go to the {icon}`fa-cog` {guilabel}`Action` menu at the top of the contact form, and click
{guilabel}`Archive`.

Then, click {guilabel}`OK` from the resulting {guilabel}`Confirmation` pop-up window.

With this contact successfully archived, as indicated by a banner at the top, they do not show up
in the main contacts page, but they can still be searched for with the {guilabel}`Archived` filter.

:::{tip}
A contact can be *unarchived*, if the user decides to work with them again. To do that, just
click the {icon}`fa-cog` {guilabel}`Action` menu again at the top of the archived contact form,
and click {guilabel}`Unarchive`. Upon doing so, the {guilabel}`Archived` banner is removed, and
the contact is restored.
:::

:::{seealso}
- {doc}`Add different addresses in CRM <../sales/sales/send_quotations/different_addresses>`
- [Odoo's eLearning Contacts tutorial](https://www.odoo.com/slides/slide/contacts-2527?fullscreen=1)
:::

```{toctree}
:titlesonly: true

contacts/merge
```