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How to Add Contact Information for a Client

ClientsUpdated 6 min read

Every message your agency sends goes to a contact, so a client record without a phone number or email address cannot be reached. The Manage Contacts card on the client record lets you add a contact in one field and then open it to set how it is used.

Overview​

  • What: A contact is a single phone number or email address attached to a client record, with its own Type, Channel, opt-in state and message history
  • Why: Messages are addressed to contacts, and the badges on each contact tell you at a glance whether that number or address can actually receive them
  • Who: Staff who can open client records in the eCourtDate Agency Application
  • Expected outcomes: The contact appears at the top of the Manage Contacts card immediately and is available for messaging as soon as it is valid and opted in

Prerequisites​

  • An eCourtDate account with access to Clients
  • An existing client record to attach the contact to
  • The phone number or email address you want to add

How-To Steps​

Open the client record​

  1. Click Clients in the top navigation bar.
  2. Enter the client's name in the search field of the Search Clients card.
  3. Click Search.
  4. Click the Edit button in the client's row to open the client record.

Add the contact​

  1. Find the Manage Contacts card on the client record.
  2. Enter the phone number or email address in the Add phone or email field.
  3. Click Create Contact.

Set how the contact is used​

  1. Click the new contact in the list to open its contact record.
  2. Enter a Name if you want a label for the contact, such as the person who answers it.
  3. Select a Type: mobile, home, work, school, fax or other.
  4. Select the Channel the contact is used for.
  5. Click Save.

What to Expect​

The contact is created straight away. It moves to the top of the list in the Manage Contacts card, the count in the corner of the card increases, and a Contact added confirmation appears. If the value cannot be saved, what you typed stays in the field and the reason appears in red underneath so you can correct it and submit again.

The card lists up to 100 contacts for the client. The Manage Contacts title is a link that opens the full Contacts list filtered to that client in a new tab.

Badges on each contact​

Every row in the list carries badges that describe the contact. The same badges appear on the contact record, along with OPTED-IN and PRIMARY.

BadgeMeaningWhat to do
VALIDThe contact passed validationNothing, the contact can be messaged
INVALIDThe contact failed validationCorrect the Contact value on the contact record, then use the Run Lookup card to check it
OPTED-OUTThe contact has opted out of messagesReview the opt entries on the contact record, then click Opt In once you have consent
NOTIFY OFFNotifications are turned off for this contactOpen Tools on the contact record and click Turn On Notifications
mobile, home, work, school, fax, otherThe Type you selectedNothing, this is a label for your staff
Voice, Text, EmailThe Channel the contact is used forChange Channel on the contact record if it is wrong

The contact record is a full record of its own. It holds the inbound and outbound messages sent to and from that number or address, a Run Lookup card that reports carrier and caller details, and a Send a Message card that appears only while the contact is both valid and opted in. See How to Manage Contacts for working with contacts in bulk and How to Run Reverse Lookups for what a lookup returns.

Best Practices​

  • Add both a phone number and an email address so a message has more than one way to reach the client.
  • Set Type and Channel right after you create a contact, because the list shows both as badges and they are how your staff tell one number from another.
  • Enter a Name on shared or household numbers so the list shows whose phone it is above the number.
  • Check for the VALID badge before you rely on a new number, and run a lookup from the contact record when it is missing.
  • Look at the badges before you troubleshoot a delivery problem, because INVALID and OPTED-OUT both hide the Send a Message card on the contact record.

Frequently Asked Questions​

Can I add more than one phone number or email address to a client?

Yes. The Manage Contacts card lists every contact on the client, up to 100, and shows how many of the total it is displaying.

Where do I set whether a number is a mobile, home or work number?

Click the contact in the list to open its record, select a Type, then click Save. The choices are mobile, home, work, school, fax and other.

Why is there no Send a Message card on a contact record?

That card appears only when the contact is valid and opted in. Clear the INVALID or OPTED-OUT badge first.

Can I add a contact from anywhere other than the client record?

Yes. The same Manage Contacts card appears on event, case, citation, payment and sent file records, and the Contacts page has a Create Contact card with Name and Phone or Email fields.

What does the Manage Contacts link at the top of the card do?

It opens the Contacts list in a new tab, filtered to that client, where you can search and sort every contact on the record.

Troubleshooting​

The contact does not save when you click Create Contact

Symptoms: The value stays in the Add phone or email field and red text appears below the field.

Solution:

  1. Read the red text, which repeats the reason the contact was rejected.
  2. Correct the phone number or email address in the field.
  3. Click Create Contact again.
A new contact shows an INVALID badge

Symptoms: The row shows a red INVALID badge, the same badge appears on the contact record, and the Send a Message card is missing.

Solution:

  1. Click the contact to open its record.
  2. Check the Contact field for a typo or a missing area code, then click Save.
  3. Click Run Lookup on the Run Lookup card to check the number against the carrier.
  4. Click View Lookup to see the full result if one has already run.
A contact shows an OPTED-OUT badge

Symptoms: The row shows a red OPTED-OUT badge and no Send a Message card appears on the contact record.

Solution:

  1. Click the contact to open its record.
  2. Review the opt entries listed on the record, which show the reason and date of each opt.
  3. Click Opt In once the client has given consent to be contacted again.