Summary
Contact Attributes let you store additional information about your contacts, such as customer preferences, campaign sources, membership plans, order IDs, or internal notes. You can use this information to organize your contacts, create targeted campaigns, personalize messages, and build automation workflows.
Unlike Tags, Contact Attributes are stored on contacts, not conversations. This guide explains how to add Contact Attributes, manage them, and follow best practices to keep your contact data organized.
Important: Contact Attributes are designed for contact segmentation and personalization. If you only need to categorize or search conversations, use Tags instead.
Instructions
What are Contact Attributes?
Contact Attributes are custom fields that store additional information about a contact.
For example, you can store information such as:
Customer preferences
Campaign sources
Membership plans
Order IDs
Internal notes
Because Contact Attributes are stored on contacts, they can be used for:
Contact segmentation
Campaign targeting
Message personalization
Automation workflows
Add Contact Attributes from the Contacts page
Follow these steps to add a Contact Attribute to a contact.
Step 1: Select a contact
Log in to your Wati account.
Go to Contacts.
Search for or select the contact you want to update.
Click the Edit icon next to the contact.
Step 2: Add a Contact Attribute
Go to the Contact Attributes section.
Click + Add Attribute.
Select + ADD NEW.
Enter:
Attribute name (for example,
plan_typeorcampaign_source)Attribute value (for example,
premiumorfacebook_ads)
Use clear and descriptive names so the purpose of each attribute is easy to understand.
Step 3: Save your changes
Review the information.
Click Save Changes.
The Contact Attribute is now saved to the contact and can be used for segmentation, campaigns, personalization, and automation.
Add Contact Attributes from the Team Inbox
You can also add or update Contact Attributes while viewing a conversation in the Team Inbox.
To edit a contact's attributes:
Log in to your Wati account.
Go to Team Inbox.
Open the contact's conversation.
In the contact details panel on the right, click the Edit (✏️) icon.
Add or update the required Contact Attributes.
Save your changes.
Add a Contact Attribute while creating a new contact
You can also add a custom attribute while creating the new contact:
Click + Add Attribute and select + Add New to create an attribute and add values for the new contact.
Enter the name of the custom attribute.
Add the relevant values.
For example, you can create a Marketing Status attribute with values such as Active, Inactive, or Prospecting.
Important: Adding an attribute while creating a contact is different from managing Contact Attributes from Settings > Tags and Attributes. Use Settings > Tags and Attributes > Attributes to create and manage Contact Attributes at the workspace level.
Manage Contact Attributes
Workspace admins can manage all Contact Attributes from the Tags and Attributes settings.
To manage Contact Attributes:
Click your profile icon in the upper-right corner of your Wati account.
Select Settings.
Go to Tags and Attributes.
Select the Attributes tab.
From this page, you can:
View all existing Contact Attributes.
Search for an attribute by typing its name in the search box. Matching attributes appear as you type.
Edit or delete existing Contact Attributes.
Create a new Contact Attribute from Settings: Go to Settings > Tags and Attributes > Attributes. If the Contact Attribute you need does not already exist, click Add Attribute to create a new Contact Attribute at the workspace level.
Best practices
Follow these recommendations to keep your contact data organized:
Use clear and descriptive attribute names.
Keep attribute values short and relevant.
Follow a consistent naming convention, such as lowercase letters with underscores (for example,
order_id).Avoid creating duplicate or unnecessary Contact Attributes.
Review and update Contact Attributes regularly.
Store multiple values correctly
Each Contact Attribute must have a unique name. If you reuse the same attribute name, the value may be overwritten.
Correct example
Use a different attribute name for each value:
broadcast_1 = white
broadcast_2 = blue
Both values are stored separately.
Incorrect example
Do not reuse the same attribute name:
broadcast = red
broadcast = yellow
Only one value is retained, and the other value may be overwritten.
When to use Contact Attributes?
Use Contact Attributes when you want to:
Track customer preferences.
Store order numbers or reference IDs.
Segment contacts for targeted campaigns.
Personalize automated messages.
Store internal information about a contact.
If you only need to organize conversations or search chats by topic, use Tags instead.
Contact Attribute limits
The maximum number of custom Contact Attributes available depends on your Wati subscription plan.
Plan | Maximum custom Contact Attributes |
Growth | 50 |
Pro | 100 |
Business | 500 |
These limits define the maximum number of custom Contact Attributes available in your Wati workspace.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Contact Attributes
1. What are Contact Attributes?
Contact Attributes are custom fields that store additional information about a contact, such as customer preferences, campaign sources, membership plans, order IDs, and internal notes.
2. What can Contact Attributes be used for?
Contact Attributes can be used for contact segmentation, campaign targeting, message personalization, automation workflows, and storing internal information about a contact.
3. Where can I add or update Contact Attributes?
You can add or update Contact Attributes from the Contacts page, Team Inbox, or while creating a new contact. Workspace admins can also create and manage Contact Attributes at the workspace level from Settings > Tags and Attributes > Attributes.
4. Can I create Contact Attributes from Settings?
Yes. Workspace admins can create Contact Attributes at the workspace level from Settings > Tags and Attributes > Attributes. If the required Contact Attribute does not already exist, click Add Attribute to create it.
5. What is the difference between Contact Attributes and Tags?
Contact Attributes store additional information directly on contacts and can be used for segmentation, campaigns, personalization, and automation. Tags are used to organize or search conversations by topic.
Managing Contact Attributes
6. Can I use the same Contact Attribute name for multiple values?
No. Each Contact Attribute must have a unique name. Reusing the same attribute name may overwrite the existing value, causing only one value to be retained.
For example, use separate attribute names such as broadcast_1 = white and broadcast_2 = blue instead of using broadcast for both values.
7. What are the best practices for creating Contact Attributes?
Use clear and descriptive attribute names, keep attribute values short and relevant, and follow a consistent naming convention such as lowercase letters with underscores (for example, order_id). Avoid creating duplicate or unnecessary attributes and review Contact Attributes regularly.
Contact Attribute Limits
8. How many custom Contact Attributes can I create?
The maximum number of custom Contact Attributes depends on your Wati subscription plan:
Growth: 50
Pro: 100
Business: 500
These limits define the maximum number of custom Contact Attributes available in your Wati workspace.