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User can manage contacts in Callab AI for outbound campaigns and inbound call routing.

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What are Contacts?

Contacts in Callab serve two key purposes: 1. Outbound Campaigns:
  • AI agent calls contacts from list
  • Enables automated outreach
  • Tracks call outcomes per contact
  • Manages call scheduling and retries
2. Inbound Campaign Sync:
  • When existing contact calls in
  • Agent automatically brings up contact details
  • Personalizes conversation with contact data
  • Access contact history and information
Contacts enable personalized AI conversations using stored customer data like name, company, preferences, and custom fields.

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Contact Management Methods

User can add contacts using three methods: Contacts > import button + add contact button + export contact button

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1. Manual Creation

User can manually add individual contacts: Add Single Contact:
  1. Navigate to Contacts section
  2. Click “Add Contact” button
  3. Fill in contact details
  4. Save contact
Contact Fields:
  • Phone Number (required) - E.164 format
  • First Name - Contact first name
  • Last Name - Contact last name
  • Email - Contact email address
  • Company - Company name
  • Category - Contact category/type
  • Tags - Comma-separated tags
  • Custom Fields - Additional data fields
Example Contact: 
Phone: +14085551234
First Name: John
Last Name: Smith
Email: john@techcorp.com
Company: Tech Corp
Category: Hot Lead
Tags: Interested, Enterprise
Custom Field (Budget): $50,000
Custom Field (Decision Date): 2025-12-01
When to Use:
  • Adding single contacts
  • VIP contacts requiring attention
  • Quick manual entry
  • Testing contact functionality

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2. Import from CSV

User can bulk import contacts from CSV file: Contacts > import > select file Step 1: Upload CSV File
  1. Navigate to Contacts section
  2. Click “Import” button
  3. Select CSV file from computer
  4. Click “Upload”
CSV File Requirements:
  • Format: CSV (Comma-Separated Values)
  • Encoding: UTF-8
  • Headers: First row must contain column names
  • Phone numbers: E.164 format recommended
Sample CSV Format: 
phone,first_name,last_name,email,company,category,tags,budget,decision_date
+14085551234,John,Smith,john@techcorp.com,Tech Corp,Hot Lead,"Interested,Enterprise",50000,2025-12-01
+14085555678,Jane,Doe,jane@startup.com,Startup Inc,Lead,"Interested,SMB",10000,2025-11-20
+14085559012,Bob,Johnson,bob@enterprise.com,Enterprise Co,Customer,"Existing,Upsell",100000,2025-12-15
Step 2: Map Fields Contacts > import contacts step 2 > select fields to map + category + tag names User must map CSV columns to contact fields: Required Mapping:
  • Phone → Map to phone number column (required)
Optional Mappings:
  • First Name → Map to first name column
  • Last Name → Map to last name column
  • Email → Map to email column
  • Company → Map to company column
  • Custom Fields → Map any additional columns
Category Assignment:
  • Select category for all imported contacts
  • Or map to CSV column with categories
  • Example: “Hot Lead”, “Customer”, “Prospect”
Tag Assignment:
  • Add tags to all imported contacts
  • Or map to CSV column with tags
  • Tags can be comma-separated in CSV
  • Example: “Interested, Enterprise, Follow-up”
Field Mapping Example: 
CSV Column → Contact Field
----------------------------
phone → Phone Number
first_name → First Name
last_name → Last Name
email → Email
company → Company
category → Category
tags → Tags
budget → Custom Field: Budget
decision_date → Custom Field: Decision Date
Step 3: Preview and Validate Contacts > import contacts > preview screen and validation User can review imported contacts before saving: Validation Checks:
  • Phone number format validation
  • E.164 format verification
  • Duplicate detection
  • Required field validation
  • Data format checking
Preview Information:
  • Total contacts to import
  • Valid contacts count
  • Invalid contacts count
  • Duplicate contacts
  • Sample rows preview
Validation Errors:
  • Invalid phone numbers highlighted
  • Missing required fields shown
  • Duplicates identified
  • Error messages displayed
Actions:
  • Fix errors in CSV and re-upload
  • Skip invalid rows
  • Update existing duplicates
  • Create new contacts only
Click “Import” to complete. Import Best Practices:
  • Clean data before importing
  • Use E.164 format for phone numbers
  • Remove duplicates in CSV
  • Test with small batch first
  • Verify mappings carefully
  • Review preview before importing
When to Use CSV Import:
  • Bulk contact uploads (100+ contacts)
  • Migrating from other systems
  • Regular contact updates
  • Campaign-specific lists
  • Data synchronization

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3. Automatic Import via Integrations

User can automatically import contacts using integrations: How It Works:
  • Integration consumes external API
  • Fetches contact data automatically
  • Creates/updates contacts in Callab
  • Triggers outbound campaign
  • Campaign calls new contacts within seconds
Use Case: Real-Time Lead Import When new lead is captured in CRM:
  1. CRM triggers webhook or integration
  2. Integration fetches lead details via API
  3. Contact automatically created in Callab
  4. Outbound campaign detects new contact
  5. AI agent calls contact within seconds
  6. No manual import needed
Example Integration Flow: 
New Lead in CRM
     ↓
Integration Triggered (webhook/scheduled)
     ↓
API Fetches Lead Data
     ↓
Contact Auto-Created in Callab
     ↓
Outbound Campaign Running
     ↓
AI Calls Contact (within seconds)
     ↓
Call Outcome Synced Back to CRM
Integration Setup: User configures integration to import contacts: Trigger:
  • Scheduled (every 5 minutes)
  • Webhook (real-time)
  • API polling
Action: HTTP Request to External API 
{
  "url": "https://api.crm.com/leads",
  "method": "GET",
  "headers": {
    "Authorization": "Bearer {{api_key}}"
  }
}
Action: Create Contact in Callab For each lead from API, create contact: 
{
  "phone": "{{lead.phone}}",
  "first_name": "{{lead.first_name}}",
  "last_name": "{{lead.last_name}}",
  "email": "{{lead.email}}",
  "company": "{{lead.company}}",
  "category": "{{lead.status}}",
  "custom_fields": {
    "crm_id": "{{lead.id}}",
    "source": "{{lead.source}}",
    "score": "{{lead.score}}"
  }
}
Benefits:
  • Real-time contact import
  • No manual CSV uploads
  • Automatic campaign triggering
  • Immediate outbound calling
  • Continuous synchronization
  • Scalable automation
When to Use:
  • Active outbound campaigns
  • Real-time lead follow-up
  • CRM integration required
  • High-volume contact flow
  • Automated sales processes
See Integrations for detailed setup guide.

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Contact Organization

Categories: User can organize contacts with categories:
  • Hot Lead
  • Warm Lead
  • Cold Lead
  • Customer
  • Prospect
  • Do Not Call
Tags: User can tag contacts for filtering:
  • Product interest tags
  • Campaign tags
  • Status tags
  • Custom tags
Contact Lists: User can create contact lists:
  • Group contacts by campaign
  • Filter by category/tags
  • Segment for targeting
  • Organize by attributes

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Contact Data Management

Custom Fields: User can add custom data fields:
  • Product interest
  • Budget range
  • Decision timeline
  • Industry
  • Employee count
  • Any custom data
Data Updates: User can update contact data:
  • Manual editing
  • CSV re-import (update existing)
  • API updates via integration
  • Automatic sync from CRM
Duplicate Handling: User can manage duplicates:
  • Automatic duplicate detection
  • Merge duplicate contacts
  • Update existing on import
  • Skip duplicates

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Contact Usage in Campaigns

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Outbound Campaigns

Contact Selection:
  • Select contact lists for campaign
  • Filter by category/tags
  • Choose specific contacts
  • Exclude called contacts
Variable Mapping:
  • Map contact fields to agent variables
  • Personalize each call
  • Use contact data in prompts
  • Dynamic conversations
Call Tracking:
  • Track call status per contact
  • Record call outcomes
  • Update contact based on results
  • Retry unanswered contacts
See Setup Outbound Agent for details.

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Inbound Campaigns

Automatic Contact Lookup: When contact calls in:
  1. Callab identifies caller phone number
  2. Searches contacts database
  3. Finds matching contact
  4. Loads contact data
  5. Agent accesses contact info
  6. Personalizes conversation
Agent Access to Contact Data: Agent can reference contact information: 
"Hello {{first_name}}, I see you're calling from {{company}}.
How can I help you today?"
Contact Update: After inbound call:
  • Update contact with call notes
  • Record call outcome
  • Update contact status
  • Trigger follow-up actions
See Setup Inbound Agent for details.

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Contact Export

User can export contacts: Export Options:
  • Click “Export” button
  • Downloads CSV file
  • All contact data included
  • Custom fields exported
Export Uses:
  • Backup contact data
  • Migrate to other systems
  • Data analysis
  • Reporting
  • Archive contacts

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Phone Number Format

E.164 Format Required:All phone numbers must use E.164 international format.Format: +[country code][number]Examples:
  • US: +14085551234
  • UK: +442071234567
  • Saudi Arabia: +966501234567
  • UAE: +971501234567
Invalid formats will be rejected during import.
Format Validation:
  • Must start with +
  • Must include country code
  • Only digits after +
  • No spaces or special characters
  • Examples: ✅ +14085551234 | ❌ (408) 555-1234

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Contact Limits

Plan-Based Limits:
  • Starter: 1,000 contacts
  • Professional: 10,000 contacts
  • Enterprise: Unlimited contacts
Import Limits:
  • Max CSV size: 10MB
  • Max rows per import: 50,000
  • Rate limits: 10,000 contacts/hour

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Best Practices

Data Quality:
  • Clean data before import
  • Validate phone numbers
  • Remove duplicates
  • Use consistent formatting
  • Add meaningful tags
  • Categorize appropriately
Organization:
  • Create clear categories
  • Use descriptive tags
  • Segment by campaign
  • Maintain contact lists
  • Regular data cleanup
Automation:
  • Use integrations for real-time import
  • Auto-sync with CRM
  • Schedule regular imports
  • Automate contact updates
  • Trigger campaigns automatically
Privacy & Compliance:
  • Obtain consent for calls
  • Honor do-not-call requests
  • Maintain opt-out list
  • Comply with regulations (TCPA, GDPR)
  • Secure contact data

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Troubleshooting

Import fails:
  • CSV format correct?
  • Phone numbers in E.164 format?
  • File size under limit?
  • Headers in first row?
  • Valid UTF-8 encoding?
Duplicates created:
  • Phone number matches exactly?
  • E.164 format consistent?
  • Merge duplicates manually
  • Re-import with update option
Contact not found in inbound call:
  • Phone number format matches?
  • Contact exists in database?
  • E.164 format used?
  • Check caller ID format
Integration not importing:
  • Integration enabled?
  • API credentials correct?
  • API returning data?
  • Contact fields mapped?
  • Check integration logs

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Next Steps

After importing contacts:
  1. Create Outbound Campaign - Setup Outbound Agent
  2. Configure Inbound Routing - Setup Inbound Agent
  3. Setup Integrations - Integrations
  4. Map Variables - Personalize agent prompts with contact data
  5. Test Campaigns - Verify contact data flows correctly
Start with manual creation or small CSV import to test contact functionality before setting up automatic integration imports.
Compliance Reminder:Ensure you have legal permission to call all contacts. Comply with TCPA (US), GDPR (EU), and local regulations. Maintain do-not-call lists.