> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.notifique.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Introduction

> Register people once and use them in the dashboard and API: tags, topics, segments, and campaigns.

<Tip>
  A **contact** is the **person** in your database. Tags, topics, segments, and campaigns **organize** or **dispatch** on top of that, they are not the same thing.
</Tip>

## What are Contacts on Notifique?

It's the workspace **people database**: name, phone, email, labels, extra fields, and marketing preferences. You register **once** and reuse in templates, campaigns, segments, and API sends.

You can:

* **Create and import** contacts (phone and/or email required)
* **Label** with reusable tags (`Lead`, `VIP`)
* **Record consent** per theme with **topics** (Newsletter, Promotions)
* **Build audiences** with **segments** (saved rules with AND/OR)
* **Batch dispatch** with **campaigns** (template + channels + audience)

Think of a **customer file** in a drawer: without it, every send becomes a loose spreadsheet.

## Where it lives in the dashboard

| Menu                     | What it is                                      |
| ------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------- |
| **Contacts**             | Person record, tags, custom fields, import      |
| **Audience → Topics**    | Marketing themes and consent                    |
| **Audience → Segments**  | Rule-based audiences (saved filter)             |
| **Audience → Campaigns** | Batch send (template + channels + who receives) |

## Don't confuse: concept map

| Concept          | Quick analogy                 | What it does                                                        |
| ---------------- | ----------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Contact**      | The person's file             | Stores phone, email, name, tags, fields                             |
| **Tag**          | Sticker on the file           | Manual label (`Lead`, `Customer`)                                   |
| **Custom field** | Extra row (`city`, `plan`)    | Segment filters and `{{variables}}` in templates                    |
| **Topic**        | Subject they agree to receive | Consent per theme (Newsletter ≠ Promotions)                         |
| **Segment**      | Saved search                  | "Has tag X **and** accepts marketing **and** subscribed to topic Y" |
| **Campaign**     | Stamp and drop in the mailbox | Template + channels + audience → **Run** queues sends               |

**Mental order:** contact → (tag/field) → topic → segment → campaign.

<Info>
  **Segment** answers "**who** is in?". **Campaign** answers "**what**, **which channels**, and **when** to send?". **Topic** answers "does this person **accept this type** of marketing?".
</Info>

## When to use it?

Great for **campaigns**, **integrated CRM**, **personalization** with the customer's name, and **marketing compliance** per topic. For a **one-off SMS** to a number you won't reuse, you can send directly on the channel API without creating a contact.

## How it works in practice

1. **Register** contacts (dashboard or API), phone and/or email, unique in workspace
2. **Organize** with tags, custom fields, and topics
3. **Build segments** with rules (preview before dispatch)
4. **Create campaigns** linking template, channels, and audience
5. **Dispatch** (Run) or schedule, same queue and credits as the send API

<Note>
  Each contact needs **phone or email** (or both). Duplicate in workspace → **409** (`CONTACT_PHONE_EXISTS`, `CONTACT_EMAIL_EXISTS`).
</Note>

## In the API

* Full CRUD for **contacts, tags, topics, segments, campaigns**
* Scopes: `contacts:*`, `tags:*`, `topics:*`, `segments:*`, `campaigns:*`
* API campaigns use **`whatsapp`**, **`sms`**, **`email`**, **`telegram`** (subset of template)

Route details: **API reference** on the Contacts tab.

## Next steps

* [Quick Start](/en/contacts-api/como-funciona/quick-start): first tag and first contact
* [API Key scopes](/en/contacts-api/como-funciona/escopos-da-api-key): permissions
* [Communication topics](/en/contacts-api/como-funciona/topicos-de-comunicacao): consent per theme
* [Audience segments](/en/contacts-api/como-funciona/segmentos-na-audiencia): dynamic audiences
* [Dashboard campaigns](/en/contacts-api/como-funciona/campanhas-no-painel): batch send