In Dubsado, a contact is a person you work with, and on any given project, one contact is your main point of contact. Each project is tied to exactly one contact, but a single contact can have as many projects as you like.
What a contact is
A contact is the person you're working with on a project, the one who receives your automated emails, invoices, and other communications by default. Each project is tied to exactly one contact, but that same contact can have as many projects with you as you need, so a returning contact doesn't need a new record every time they book with you.
Being someone's contact doesn't mean they're a paying client. Whether a project has actually turned into paid work is tracked separately, using project statuses to mark a project as a lead, a job, or something else entirely.
The contact record
Every contact has a contact record that stores their information, including their name, email, phone number, and any other details you keep on file. Navigate to Contacts to find every contact record, where you can search, filter, and manage your full contact list.
Inside a project, the Contact card on the project overview shows which contact the project belongs to. All automated emails sent through the project, including invoices, forms, and reminders, go to that contact's email address, which is why they're considered the project's main point of contact.
To make a quick edit to a contact's information without leaving the project, click the pencil icon on the Contact card. For adding new contacts, importing a list, or managing your full contact database, head to your contact list.
A contact's details are shared across all of their projects. Updating a contact's information updates it everywhere that contact appears, not just on the project you're viewing.
Alternate contacts
Every contact record includes fields for an alternate contact, first name, last name, email, and phone number, right alongside the rest of that contact's information. Adding one is optional, and it's useful when you want to loop in a spouse, business partner, or assistant on a project.
When you manually send an email through the project, the alternate contact is automatically CC'd.
Email automation, including flows, payment reminders, recurring invoices, appointment reminders, and form expiration reminders, only sends to the primary contact's email. It never goes to the alternate contact.
A few other limitations apply to alternate contacts:
They'll see your emails, but their replies won't be saved in Dubsado. To capture their replies, add them as their own contact instead.
They aren't searchable.
You can autofill an alternate contact's name in a contract using a smart field, but contracts don't offer a separate signing space for them. If you need their signature, send them a sub-agreement instead.
FAQ
Can two contacts be merged?
No. Dubsado doesn't merge contact records, so if you end up with duplicates, you'll need to manage them manually, for example by updating one with the correct information or marking one inactive.
Can I move a project to a different contact?
No, a project can't be transferred or reassigned to a different contact. You can update a contact's information, but that change affects every project associated with that contact.
What can I use to search for projects and contacts?
In the search bar, you can find a project by first name, last name, project name, or email. On the Contacts page, you can find a contact by name, company name, email, or phone number.