Keep these limitations and recommendations in mind when working with Contacts.
Limitations
- Organisation name uniqueness — duplicate Organisation names are best avoided; keep names unique so records are easy to tell apart in Swift Search and lists.
- Form matching — People created or updated via Forms are matched on First name + Last name + Email only. Variations in any of these can create a duplicate rather than updating the existing record.
- Linked fields are read-only — a Linked field cannot be edited on the record where it appears. To change the value, edit the source record or field.
- Linked field sources — for a Record field to act as a source for a Linked field, it must be single-value and reference a single record type (People or Organisations, not both).
- Texting requires a number — if you can't send a Text message, confirm a number is configured in your Text messages settings.
- Merge is permanent — the Duplicate record is permanently deleted on merge. On custom-field conflicts, the Primary's value is kept and the Duplicate's is discarded; a post logs the merge.
- Geocoding required for spatial features — maps, electorate cuts and boundary list cuts require geocoded addresses (bullseye icon). Manual entry is available for international and non-standard addresses.
Best practice
- Prevent duplicates at the source — when collecting contacts through Forms, encourage complete and consistent First name, Last name and Email so the match works.
- Geocode addresses — check the geocoding icon after adding an address; geocoded addresses unlock mapping and list-cutting features.
- Use manual entry for overseas addresses — use "can't find your address" → Enter manually so international contacts can still be mapped and segmented where supported.
- Choose the right Primary before merging — decide which record to keep first, review its custom field values (since the Primary wins conflicts), and use the double-arrow to swap if you set them the wrong way around.
- Set permissions deliberately — grant Full access, View & Edit, or View only at the contact level, and apply field/section permissions where sensitive data needs restricting.
- Keep roles current — end roles when relationships change so the business card, lists and communications reflect each contact's present situation; ended roles are preserved under Historic.
- Enable Swift Search on key custom fields — flag the text fields you search by most so contacts are easy to find.
- Lean on live fields — use Record Count, Financial Summary and Formula fields so figures stay current automatically instead of being maintained by hand.