This article covers how to set, change, and remove contact types in Keap™, how contact types work with default contact groups, how to update contact types in bulk, and which events automatically update a contact's type. Contacts can be labeled as Lead, Client, or Other. Setting a contact type automatically updates Keap's default Lead and Client groups. To create custom groups, see how to create and manage contact groups in Keap.

Change or Remove a Contact's Type

Contact types can be set when a contact is created or updated at any time as the relationship progresses. Changing a contact type also updates the default Lead and Client groups automatically.

1. Navigate to the contact record.

2. Select the desired contact type label at the top of the contact record.

   

   The screenshot above shows the contact type labels at the top of a Keap contact record.

3. To remove a contact type, select the currently active contact type label to deselect it.

   

   The screenshot above shows a contact type label that can be selected to remove the currently set contact type.

Default Contact Groups

Keap automatically creates four default contact groups — Clients, Leads, Other, and No Contact Type — that correspond to the contact type set on each contact record.

1. Select Contacts from the left navigation.

   

   The screenshot above shows the Contacts option in the Keap left navigation.

2. Select Groups.

   

   The screenshot above shows the Groups tab in the Keap Contacts section.

3. The four default groups — Clients, Leads, Other, and No Contact Type — are listed automatically.

   

   The screenshot above shows the four default contact groups in Keap.

4. Each default group contains contacts with the corresponding contact type set on their record.

   

   The screenshot above shows a default contact group with the contacts belonging to that group.

Change a Contact Type From the List View

1. Navigate to Contacts, then select People.

   

   The screenshot above shows the Contacts People list view in Keap.

2. Select Add to or the current contact type label next to the contact in the list.

   

   The screenshot above shows the Add to button and contact type label in the Contacts list view.

3. Select the new contact type.

   

   The screenshot above shows the contact type selector in the Contacts list view.

4. The contact type is updated immediately.

   

   The screenshot above shows the updated contact type label in the Contacts list view.

Update Contact Types in Bulk

1. Navigate to Contacts, then select People.

   

   The screenshot above shows the Contacts People list view in Keap.

2. Select the avatar of each contact to update.

   

   The screenshot above shows multiple contacts selected for a bulk update in the Contacts list view.

3. Select Contact type from the action bar at the bottom of the screen.

   

   The screenshot above shows the Contact type button in the bulk action bar.

4. Select the checkbox for the contact type to apply to all selected contacts.

   

   The screenshot above shows the bulk contact type selection panel with the available type options.

5. Select Apply to confirm the change.

   

   The screenshot above shows the Contacts list after the bulk contact type update has been applied.

Automatic Contact Type Updates

Certain events automatically update a contact's type to Lead or Client.

A contact advances from no type to Lead when any of the following occur:

• A new contact is added through a web form

• A new contact is added through a landing page

• A new contact is added through the REST API

• A new contact is added through a public form

• A new contact is added through an internal form

• A new contact is added through an appointment booking page

• A quote is sent to a contact

A contact advances from Lead or no type to Client when any of the following occur:

• A contact pays an invoice through Keap

• A contact pays an invoice through QuickBooks Online when synced with Keap

• A contact makes a manual payment processed through Keap

• A new or existing contact makes a payment through a checkout form

• A contact is set up for recurring payments and the first payment is processed

The following additional rules apply to automatic contact type updates:

• Contacts added through the XML-RPC API do not advance automatically from no type to Lead.

• Contact types do not move backward through automatic updates — a Client cannot be automatically downgraded to Lead.

• Contacts with a contact type of Other are not affected by automatic contact type updates.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this article cover?

This article covers how to set, change, and remove contact types in Keap, how to update contact types in bulk, and which events trigger automatic contact type changes.

Can the criteria for the default Leads or Clients groups be changed?

No. The default Leads and Clients groups cannot be edited. They can be hidden if custom groups with specific criteria are preferred, but any custom group must have a unique name. To create custom groups, see how to create and manage contact groups in Keap.

Can the automatic contact type update rules be changed?

No. Automatic contact type updates are managed by Keap and cannot be modified through Settings or Easy Automations.

Can the available contact type options be changed?

No. Lead and Client are the default contact types and cannot be renamed or removed. The Other type is available for contacts that do not fit either category.