Managing relationships between contacts is an important aspect of organizing customer data efficiently. HighLevel CRM’s Contact Associations feature allows structured connections between contacts and other objects, such as business partners, family members, and employees. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of setting up and managing these associations to improve CRM organization.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• What Are Contact Associations?
• Key Benefits of Contact Associations
• Where to View Contact Associations
• How to Create a Contact Associations
• How to View / Link Contacts Using Associations
• Managing and Editing Associations
• Frequently Asked Questions

What Are Contact Associations?

Contact Associations enable structured relationships between contacts and objects in HighLevel CRM. Instead of managing disconnected profiles, associations provide clear connections between related entities, such as spouses, managers, employees, or linked objects.

Types of Association Labels

• Single Label: A label that applies to both contacts in the association (e.g., “Colleague”).
• Pair Labels: Distinct labels for each contact in the relationship (e.g., “Manager” and “Employee,” “Buyer” and “Seller”).

Key Benefits of Contact Associations

• Improved Contact Organization: Associations provide a structured way to manage relationships between contacts, making it easier to track connections and access relevant information in one place.

• Streamlined Communication: By linking related contacts, businesses can quickly reference and reach out to connected individuals, ensuring smoother interactions and improved collaboration.

• Enhanced Relationship Management: Whether it’s family connections, business partnerships, or internal hierarchies, associations help businesses understand and manage relationships effectively.

• Efficient CRM Workflow: With clear associations in place, users can reduce duplicate data entry, quickly update linked contacts, and maintain a well-organized CRM system.

Where to View Contact Associations

Contact associations can be accessed in two main areas:

• Contact Profile View: Within a contact’s profile, the right-side panel contains the Associations icon, which displays related objects and linked contacts.

• Objects Management Section: The Settings > Objects > Contacts section provides an overview of all associations, enabling the creation and management of labels and relationships.

How to Create a Contact Associations

Creating associations involves a few steps:

Open the Objects Section

Go to Settings > Objects, then select Contacts.

Click "Create Association"

Select the "+ Create Association" button to define a new relationship.

Choose the Associated Object

Pick an object, such as Contacts, Surfboards, or another available entity.

Select the Label Type

Determine if the relationship requires a Single Label (e.g., "Partner") or Pair Labels (e.g., "Buyer - Seller").

Define the Relationship Type

Select between Many-to-Many or Many-to-One associations.

How to View / Link Contacts Using Associations

Once an association is created, linking contacts follows these steps:

Open a Contact Profile

Navigate to the Contacts section and select a contact’s profile.

Click the Association Icon

Located on the right-side panel, this provides access to association options.

Add the Relationship

Click “Add”, select the relevant contact, and assign an appropriate label.

Confirm the Association

The linked contact appears in the Related Objects section, and the association updates both profiles automatically.

Managing and Editing Associations

Editing an Existing Association

Go to Settings > Objects > Contacts, find the relevant association, and modify it using the three-dot menu (⋮).

Removing an Association

Within a Contact Profile, navigate to the Related Objects section, locate the associated contact, and remove the link.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is the difference between Single and Pair Labels?

Single Label: Both contacts receive the same label (e.g., "Colleague").

Pair Labels: Each contact has a distinct role in the relationship (e.g., "Manager" and "Employee").

Q. Can associations be used in automations or workflows?

At present, associations serve as an organizational tool. Future updates may introduce automation capabilities.

Q. Can contacts be linked to custom objects?

Yes, contacts can be associated with predefined objects such as Surfboards, with additional custom object support expected in future updates.

Q. Can an association label be deleted?

Yes, but deleting a label is permanent and requires removing all linked associations first.

Q. How many associations can a single contact have?

A contact can have up to 10 associations, and one label can link up to 1000 contacts.