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

# Managing Leads

> Create, edit, and organize leads with custom variables and secondary contacts

Learn how to create, edit, and manage leads effectively for your campaigns with proper variable setup and secondary contact management.

## Creating a New Lead

### Basic Information

1. **Phone Number:** Enter the primary contact number in international format
2. **Campaign Assignment:** Select which campaign this lead belongs to
3. **Status:** Automatically set to "Created" for new leads

<Note>
  **Phone number format:** Use international format without spaces or parentheses (+1234567890) for automation imports and file uploads.
</Note>

### Variable Setup

#### Assistant Default Variables

When you select a campaign, the lead automatically inherits variables from the [assistant configuration](/ai-assistants/settings/prompt-and-tools#call-variables):

* **Pre-filled values:** Assistant's default variables appear in the form
* **Customization:** Modify values specific to this lead
* **Required fields:** Some variables may be required for campaign functionality

#### Custom Variables

Add personalized information for your AI assistant to use:

**Common variable types:**

* **customer\_name:** Person's name for personalized greetings
* **company:** Business name for B2B conversations
* **last\_interaction:** Previous conversation context
* **preferences:** Customer preferences or requirements
* **budget\_range:** Financial information for sales calls

**Variable format example:**

```json theme={null}
{
  "customer_name": "Sarah Johnson",
  "company": "TechStart Solutions", 
  "last_interaction": "Requested demo of premium features",
  "preferred_contact_time": "Afternoon EST",
  "industry": "Software Development"
}
```

### Secondary Contacts

Add additional phone numbers for the same lead when you have multiple ways to reach them.

#### When to Use Secondary Contacts

* **Decision makers:** Multiple people involved in the decision
* **Backup numbers:** Mobile, office, home numbers for same person
* **Department contacts:** Different departments in same company
* **Time-based contacts:** Different numbers for different times

#### Secondary Contact Setup

1. **Add Secondary Contact:** Click "Add Secondary Contact" in the form
2. **Phone Number:** Enter additional phone number
3. **Variables:** Set specific variables for this contact (optional)
4. **Order:** Contacts are tried in the order you add them

<Tip>
  **Contact order matters:** Campaign will try contacts in sequence. Put the most likely to answer first.
</Tip>

#### Secondary Contact Variables

Each secondary contact can have unique variables:

* **Different person:** Use different name and role variables
* **Same person:** Use same personal info but different contact preferences
* **Department-specific:** Customize for specific department needs

**Example - Multiple decision makers:**

```json theme={null}
// Primary: CEO
{
  "contact_name": "John Smith",
  "role": "CEO", 
  "decision_authority": "Final approval"
}

// Secondary: CTO  
{
  "contact_name": "Jane Doe",
  "role": "CTO",
  "decision_authority": "Technical decisions"
}
```

## Editing Existing Leads

### Modifying Lead Information

* **Phone number:** Update if contact information changes
* **Campaign:** Move lead to different campaign if needed
* **Status:** Manually change status for campaign control

### Variable Management

* **Update values:** Modify existing variable values
* **Add variables:** Include new information for better AI context
* **Remove variables:** Delete outdated or irrelevant data

<Warning>
  **Campaign compatibility:** When changing campaigns, ensure variables match the new assistant's configuration.
</Warning>

### Secondary Contact Management

* **Add contacts:** Include additional phone numbers
* **Remove contacts:** Delete invalid or unnecessary numbers
* **Reorder contacts:** Change calling sequence priority
* **Update variables:** Modify contact-specific information

## Lead Status Management

### Understanding Status Changes

Lead status automatically updates based on campaign activity:

* **Created → Processing:** When campaign starts calling
* **Processing → Completed:** When call succeeds or goal achieved
* **Processing → Rescheduled:** When call needs retry
* **Rescheduled → Max Retries:** When retry limit reached

### Manual Status Control

You can manually change lead status when needed:

#### Reset for Re-calling

**Set to "Created":** Resets lead to be called again

* **Use case:** Lead requested callback at specific time
* **Effect:** Lead rejoins campaign queue
* **Considerations:** Respects campaign retry limits

#### Mark as Complete

**Set to "Completed":** Stops campaign from calling this lead

* **Use case:** Goal achieved through other channels
* **Effect:** Lead excluded from future campaign calls
* **Considerations:** Cannot be automatically reset by campaign

#### Other Status Changes

* **"Scheduled":** Queue for next retry attempt
* **"Max Retries":** Manually mark as exhausted
* **"Rescheduled":** Reset retry timer

<Tip>
  **Status strategy:** Use manual status changes sparingly. Let campaign automation handle most status updates for consistent behavior.
</Tip>

## Bulk Operations

### Bulk Delete

Select multiple leads and delete them:

1. **Filter leads:** Use table filters to select specific leads
2. **Select leads:** Check boxes for leads to delete
3. **Bulk delete:** Choose delete action from bulk actions menu
4. **Confirm:** Review changes before applying

### Bulk Export

Export filtered lead data for external processing:

* **Apply filters:** Filter by campaign, status, date range
* **Select columns:** Choose which data to export
* **Include secondary:** Option to include secondary contacts
* **Download:** CSV format for spreadsheet compatibility

## Lead Organization

Use table filters, sorting, and search to organize leads by campaign, status, date range, or variable content.

## Campaign Integration

* **Single campaign** assignment per lead
* **Variable inheritance** from assistant configuration
* **Automatic coordination** with campaign schedule and retry logic

## Best Practices

### Key Points

* **Phone format:** International format without spaces (+1234567890)
* **Variables:** Use consistent naming and relevant information
* **Secondary contacts:** Order by priority, avoid duplicates
* **Privacy:** Follow data protection requirements

<Note>
  For troubleshooting common lead issues, see [Leads Troubleshooting](/troubleshooting/leads).
</Note>

<Note>
  For information about importing leads in bulk, see [Importing Leads](/leads/importing-leads).
</Note>