Core Principles

Single Source of Truth

Each contact should exist once. Before creating, search for existing records to avoid duplicates.

Keep Data Fresh

Update contact information when you notice changes (new email, title change, company move).

Use Contact Books

Organize contacts into books based on your workflow (Clients, Vendors, Personal, etc.).

Contact Operations

Listing Contacts

code

missive_contacts action: list
- limit: Number of results (default 50)
- offset: For pagination

Getting a Contact

code

missive_contacts action: get
- id: Contact ID

Creating Contacts

code

missive_contacts action: create
- contact: Single contact object
- contacts: Array for bulk create

Contact fields:
- email (string)
- phone_number (string)
- first_name (string)
- last_name (string)
- company (string)
- contact_book (ID of contact book)

Updating Contacts

code

missive_contacts action: update
- id: Contact ID
- contact: Fields to update

Contact Organization

Contact Books

Use missive_contacts action: list_books to see available books.

Common book structures:

•Clients - Active customers
•Prospects - Potential customers
•Vendors - Suppliers, service providers
•Partners - Business partners, collaborators
•Personal - Non-business contacts
•Team - Internal colleagues (if not using org directory)

Contact Groups

Use missive_contacts action: list_groups to see groups.

Groups can span across books for cross-cutting organization:

•VIP contacts
•Newsletter subscribers
•Event attendees
•Project-specific groups

Deduplication Patterns

Before Creating

•Search by email address (most reliable identifier)
•Search by name + company combination
•Check for variations (john@company.com vs john.doe@company.com)

When Duplicates Found

•Identify the most complete record
•Merge information to that record
•Update references in conversations
•Remove duplicate (carefully)

Prevention

•Establish naming conventions
•Standardize email formats
•Regular audits

Bulk Operations

Bulk Import Pattern

code

missive_contacts action: create
contacts: [
  { email: "...", first_name: "...", ... },
  { email: "...", first_name: "...", ... },
  ...
]

Best Practices for Bulk

•Validate data before import
•Check for duplicates first
•Import in batches (respect rate limits)
•Assign to appropriate contact book

Contact Data Quality

Required Fields

At minimum, a contact needs:

•Email address OR phone number (identifier)
•Name (first and/or last)

Recommended Fields

•Company (for B2B)
•Title/Role (helps with context)
•Contact book assignment

Keep Updated

When you notice in conversations:

•New email addresses
•Title changes
•Company changes
•Phone number changes

Update the contact record to maintain accuracy.

Contact Search Strategies

Finding Contacts

Currently, list with pagination and filter client-side, or:

•Search by known email in conversation
•Look up from recent conversations
•Browse by contact book

Using Contact Info

Once you have a contact ID, you can:

•View full details
•Update information
•Reference in drafts (for auto-complete)
•Associate with conversations

Integration Points

With Conversations

•Contact info appears on conversations with that email
•Enriches context when viewing threads

With Drafts

•Contact data enables auto-complete
•Ensures correct addressing

With Teams

•Shared contacts visible to team members
•Contact books can be team-specific