Contact Identity
Every contact in Conversion has an email address. Conversion uses strong identifiers to track contacts across different data sources:| Source | Strong Identifier | Why It’s Authoritative |
|---|---|---|
| Salesforce | Salesforce ID | Unique per Lead/Contact; survives email changes |
| Forms | Email address | Identifies contacts via the “email address” form field |
| Data Warehouse | userId | Your system’s stable internal user ID |
| API | userId | Same stable identifier used by your systems |
- Check for a matching strong identifier. If one is found, the existing contact is updated.
- Look for the most recently updated contact with the same email address that doesn’t already have a strong identifier, and link the new identifier.
- If no matched contact was found, create a new contact.
What’s Stored on a Contact
Each contact in Conversion includes:- Email address (required)
- Strong identifiers linking the contact to external systems (Salesforce ID, cookie, userId)
- Default fields like first name, last name, phone, job title, city, and more
- Custom fields that sync from your Salesforce Lead and Contact fields
- System fields like traffic source, UTM parameters, and system source (automatically tracked)
- A link to their company (every contact belongs to one company)
Salesforce Leads and Contacts Both Sync to Conversion Contacts
Whether someone is a Lead or a Contact in Salesforce, they become a contact in Conversion. Conversion tracks which Salesforce record they’re linked to via the Salesforce ID, so:- Updates in Salesforce flow to the right Conversion contact
- Changes you make in Conversion can sync back to the correct Salesforce record
- If a Lead converts to a Contact in Salesforce, Conversion automatically re-links to the new Contact record
Duplicate Contacts
Because Conversion allows duplicate email addresses, it’s possible for more than one contact to share the same email. This typically happens when:- A Salesforce record syncs and the matching email is already linked to a different Salesforce ID
- A data warehouse record syncs with a userId that conflicts with an existing contact’s userId
- A contact is created manually in the dashboard with an email that already existsHow contacts enter Conversion
Email Sending to Duplicate Email Addresses
Because duplicate email addresses can exist across contacts, Conversion handles email sending carefully to avoid over-emailing.Blasts (One-Time Emails)
When you send a blast, Conversion deduplicates by email address. If multiple contacts with the same email are in the audience, the email is sent only once — to the most recently updated contact. Engagement activity (opens, clicks, etc.) is attributed to that contact.Workflow Emails
In workflows, each contact progresses independently. Conversion uses communication limits (configured at the organization level) to prevent the same email address from receiving too many emails within a given time period, regardless of how many contacts share that address.What’s next
Viewing Contacts
Filter, search, and organize your contact list with views and columns.
Creating Contacts
Add contacts manually or import them from a CSV.
Contact Record
View and edit a contact’s details, company info, and system metadata.
Activity
Explore the full activity log and engagement history on a contact.