What’s the difference between Contacts and Users in MyOperator, and when should I create each?

What’s the difference between Contacts and Users in MyOperator, and when should I create each?

⚡ Quick answer

  • User → Someone in your team who receives calls from your IVR or logs into the MyOperator dashboard.
    Requires: licence, role, extension number, and dashboard access settings.
  • Contact → A saved phone number used for caller ID, customer history, chat details, campaign uploads, and CRM enrichment.
    Contacts cannot log in and do not count toward your user licences.

A single mobile number can be added both as a User (for call handling) and a Contact (for CRM visibility), but most customers and leads stay as Contacts only.

WHEN SHOULD I USE THIS GUIDE?

Use this FAQ when you want to understand whether to add someone as:

  • A User (your teammate who will handle business calls or access the panel), or
  • A Contact (your customer, lead, vendor, or anyone whose details should appear in caller ID or WhatsApp/chat).

This guide also helps if:

  • You’re onboarding a new employee and unsure whether they require a User licence.
  • Your Finance/IT team wants clarity on seat usage and plan limitations.
  • You want to avoid duplication between Users and Contacts.

1 | Clear Definitions

User

A User is a team member inside your organization who:

  • Receives calls routed via IVR/Departments
  • Can transfer calls
  • May have dashboard login access (if added as a Pro User)
  • Has a 2-digit extension number
  • Is counted in your plan’s user limit

Examples:
 Sales agents, call centre agents, managers, administrators.

Contact

A Contact is any external phone number saved in your system:

  • Customers
  • Leads
  • Vendors
  • Prospects
  • WhatsApp/chat participants

Contacts are used for:

  • Caller ID pop-ups
  • Chat history
  • Custom fields
  • CRM tracking
  • WhatsApp campaign uploads
  • Bulk imports and segmentation

Contacts do not log in, do not receive IVR calls, and do not use your licences.

2 | KEY DIFFERENCES AT A GLANCE

Aspect

User

Contact

Appears in IVR call routing

✅ Yes

❌ No

Can receive/transfer calls

✅ Yes

❌ No

Requires licence & login (Pro User)

✅ Yes

❌ No

Counts toward plan user limit

✅ Yes

❌ No

Appears in call logs

✅ Yes

❌ Only when calling your system

Caller ID / Chat window details

➖ Optional

✅ Yes

Has role/permissions

✅ Yes

❌ No

Has extension number

✅ Yes

❌ No

Has time-slot availability

✅ Yes

❌ No

Suitable for CRM segmentation

➖ Limited

✅ Perfectly

3 | WHEN SHOULD SOMEONE BE BOTH A USER AND A CONTACT?

You may add the same number as both User + Contact if:

✔ The teammate receives calls and

you want their email, location, tags, custom fields, notes, or other contact details to appear in:

  • Caller ID
  • Chat panel (if you use WhatsApp/Chat)
  • CRM-like sections
  • Analytics tied to phone number

The system will not create duplicates because the phone number acts as the primary identifier.

4 | WHEN TO CREATE A USER vs. WHEN TO CREATE A CONTACT

✔ Create a User when:

  • A teammate must receive IVR calls
  • They must have extension dialing
  • They need time-slot availability
  • They need panel access (Pro User)
  • You want to track their call logs, recordings, or agent performance

Example:
 You hire a new sales rep → Create a User and add them to the Sales department.

✔ Create a Contact when:

  • The number belongs to a customer, lead, vendor, or visitor
  • You want caller name to display when they call
  • You want chat history or CRM fields for them
  • You want to import them for Marketing / WhatsApp campaigns
  • You want to segment your customers using Custom Fields

Example:
 New customer calls your business → the system automatically creates a Contact.

5 | WHAT USERS CAN DO THAT CONTACTS CANNOT

  • Receive IVR calls
  • Transfer calls
  • Log into the dashboard (Pro User)
  • View call logs or recordings (based on role)
  • Control call availability
  • Use extension dialing
  • Be part of departments
  • Get assigned to managers

6 | WHAT CONTACTS CAN DO THAT USERS CANNOT

  • Store rich customer data (email, tags, custom fields, custom notes)
  • Be part of WhatsApp campaigns
  • Be auto-created from incoming chats
  • Be imported in bulk (up to 100,000 at once)
  • Be used for segmentation and personalized messaging
  • Help agents identify callers instantly via caller ID pop-ups

7 | EXPECTED OUTCOMES & SUCCESS CHECKS

Scenario

What you should expect

Added as User only

Can receive calls → caller ID shows only number unless separately added as Contact

Added as Contact only

Caller info (name/email/tags) appears → but cannot receive calls or log in

Added as User + Contact

Full agent functionality + full CRM visibility

8 | TROUBLESHOOTING

Issue

Likely Cause

Fix

“User already exists”

Number already used in another User profile

Edit the existing User instead of creating a new one

Caller ID shows only the number

Contact not created

Go to Manage → Contacts → Add Contact and save name/email

Duplicate contacts appearing

Imported list included duplicates

Use Contacts → Merge to combine

User not receiving calls

User not in a department, or Call Availability OFF

Add to department / enable availability

Contact not showing in campaigns

Imported incorrectly / number format incorrect

Re-import using CSV with correct phone format

9 | Final Recommendation

✔ Use Users for internal teammates who need call handling or dashboard access.
✔ Use Contacts for customers, leads, vendors, or any external number.
✔ Use both when a teammate also needs CRM visibility for their own number.

If you’re unsure whether someone should be a User or a Contact, or if you need help managing licences, feel free to reach us at support@myoperator.com or use the Help → Support option inside your panel.

Include the phone number and whether it should be User, Contact, or both.

Keywords: MyOperator contacts vs users, user licence, caller ID, CRM phone records