Adding A Contact

Before adding a new contact, we recommend searching your database first to check whether the contact already exists. This helps reduce duplicate records and keeps your data accurate and organised.

Tip: Search for the contact from the Home tab or Contacts tab before creating a new record. This is the best way to avoid duplicate contacts.

Ways to add a contact in Vega

There are three ways to add contacts in Vega:

1. Add a contact from the Home tab

2. Add a contact from the Contacts tab

3. Import multiple contacts

If you need to add multiple contacts at once, use Data Import.
Please refer to the Importing Data articles for detailed instructions on importing contacts using a template.

Note: Data Import is the recommended method when you need to add a large number of contacts at once.

Manually adding a contact

To manually add a contact, click Add Contact from either the Home tab or the Contacts tab. This opens the New Contact form.

The sections below explain the fields available when creating a contact.

Tip: The minimum information required to save a new contact is usually the Contact Type, Contact Branch, and Account Name.

Tip #2: Many of these fields, such as Account Name, First Name, Last Name, Organisation, Email, and phone numbers, can also be used as merge tags in Vega documents.

Note: Fields marked with an asterisk (*) can be used as merge tags in Vega documents.

Saving the contact

Once you have completed the contact form, click Save to create the contact and open their Contact Dashboard.

Tip: If you only need to create a simple contact record, start by completing the required fields and then add optional information later from the Contact Dashboard.

“Some content in this article may have been developed with the assistance of AI tools and reviewed by staff.”

Contact Field	Explanation
	The Vega ID* is automatically generated when the contact is saved. It cannot be edited and provides a unique identifier for the contact.
	The Supp ID* is also automatically generated when the contact is saved. It cannot be edited. This is a sequential number for each contact in your organisation and can be used as an additional unique identifier.
	The Org ID* is an editable text field that can contain letters and numbers, up to 50 characters. It can be used as an external reference or identifier, such as an ID from another system. This field can also be used when searching for the contact later.
	Every contact must have a Contact Type assigned. Contact Types are configured in Admin > Attributes and may be set up as either: Individual – used for a single person Multiple – used for grouped contacts such as families, companies, or organisations If a Multiple Contact Type is selected, Vega will display an Account Name and optional Primary Contact Details instead of the standard individual name layout. Note: Contact Types are managed in Admin > Attributes. If you are unsure which Contact Type to use, check with your Vega administrator.
	Every contact must also have a Contact Branch* assigned. Contact Branches are configured in Admin > Contact Branches. The selected branch is automatically applied to payments made by that contact and can be used to separate contacts or financial activity across different branches or business areas. Note: The Contact Branch selected for a contact will automatically flow through to payments entered for that contact.
	Account Name* is a required field. The contact cannot be saved without it. For individual contacts, Vega will automatically populate the Account Name once a First Name and Last Name are entered, but you can edit it if needed. Tip: For individual contacts, entering the First Name and Last Name first can save time, as Vega will automatically populate the Account Name for you.
	The Title* field is configured using attributes under the Title type.
	Use this field to record a suffix if required.
	Enter the contact's First Name*
	Enter the contact's middle name
	Enter the contact's Last Name*
	Salutation* is the name the contact prefers to be greeted by.
	Use this field to record the contact’s Organisation* or workplace if known.
	The Country field defaults to your organisation’s country. Depending on your Vega settings, address lookup may use NZ Post or Google Maps.
	The address type defaults to Primary. If a contact has multiple addresses, this field can be used to label the address type.
	Only one address can be marked as Primary* and Mail To. The Primary* address is displayed on the contact dashboard and is used in address merge tags. Note: If a contact has multiple addresses, only one can be marked as Primary and Mail To at a time.
	When you search for an address, Vega will automatically populate the address fields for you. These fields can also be edited manually if needed. Tip: If the address lookup does not return the result you need, you can still type the address details in manually.
	Enter the contact’s Email* address if you want to communicate with them through Engage.
	Enter the contact's Mobile* number.
	Each contact has an Account Status and a related reason. A contact can be either: Active Inactive Most queries in Vega will default to showing Active contacts only. The status reasons shown in the dropdown are configured as attributes. The default reason is based on the attribute with the lowest sequence number. Note: Contacts marked Inactive may not appear in searches and queries unless those searches are set to include inactive contacts. Read more on this setting here.
	Each contact also has a Mail Status and a related reason. A contact can be either: OK to Contact Not OK to Contact Most queries in Vega default to showing contacts marked OK to Contact, and emails sent through Engage can only be sent to contacts with this status. The reasons shown in the dropdown are configured as attributes. The default reason is based on the attribute with the lowest sequence number. Note: Contacts marked Not OK to Contact cannot be emailed through Engage. Read more on this setting here.
	Enter the contact's Home Phone* number if applicable.
	Enter the contact's Work Phone* number if applicable.
	This is a text area on the contact dashboard where you can record important information about the contact.
	If the contact works within a specific Department*, you can enter it here.
	Use this field to record the contact’s Job Title* if known.
	Enter the contact’s birthdate if known. This can be used for workflows such as birthday messages.
	Join Date* the date the contact joined your organisation. When manually adding a contact, it defaults to today’s date.
	If known, the contact’s gender can be selected here. The available options are configured as attributes under the Gender type.
	Use this field to record the campaign that brought the contact into your organisation. By default, this will show the organisation’s default campaign configured in Admin > Financial Settings. Note: If your organisation uses campaign tracking for reporting, it is a good idea to confirm the correct campaign before saving the contact.
	Use this field to record whether the contact would like: a receipt after every donation no receipts a single annual receipt for all donations This preference will appear on the payment form to help users select the appropriate receipt option when entering payments. Note: This setting does not prevent a receipt from being sent if a document is manually selected.
	You can add attributes to the contact by selecting: the Attribute Type the Attribute Add to List Attributes can be used to store additional information or categorise contacts for reporting, segmentation, and workflows. Tip: Attributes are a useful way to group contacts for reporting, communications, and workflow automation.

Articles in this section

Ways to add a contact in Vega

1. Add a contact from the Home tab

2. Add a contact from the Contacts tab

3. Import multiple contacts

Manually adding a contact

Saving the contact

Comments

Articles in this section

Ways to add a contact in Vega

1. Add a contact from the Home tab

2. Add a contact from the Contacts tab

3. Import multiple contacts

Manually adding a contact

Saving the contact

Related articles