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Contacts Guide

A contacts database gives Claude Code context about the people you interact with. Commands use this to:

  • Recognise email senders and suggest appropriate responses
  • Identify meeting attendees and their roles
  • File emails to correct vendor folders
  • Draft communications with proper context

File Location

Store contacts in your vault or project:

vault/03-Resources/contacts.yaml     # Personal vault
docs/references/contacts.yaml        # Project-specific

File Format

YAML format with structured fields:

contacts:
  - name: Jane Smith
    organization: Acme Corp
    role: Project Manager
    email: jane.smith@acme.com
    phone: 0400 123 456
    notes: |
      Primary contact for Website Redesign project
      Prefers email over phone
    tags:
      - client
      - acme
      - primary-contact
    first_contact: 2024-01-15
    last_contact: 2024-03-20

See examples/templates/contacts.yaml for a complete template.

Required Fields

Field Purpose
name Full name for recognition
email Match against email senders
organization Group contacts, suggest filing

Optional Fields

Field Purpose
role Context for drafting responses
phone Reference when calling
notes History, preferences, context
tags Filtering and categorisation
first_contact Track relationship timeline
last_contact Know when you last interacted

How Commands Use Contacts

/email-action-sweep

When processing inbox:

  1. Matches sender email against contacts database
  2. Uses organization to suggest vendor folder
  3. Uses tags to identify priority contacts
  4. References notes for context on relationship

Example: Email from jane.smith@acme.com → recognised as client → suggests Vendors/Acme/ folder

/meeting-process

When processing transcripts:

  1. Matches attendee names against contacts
  2. Pulls role and organisation for meeting notes
  3. Flags unknown attendees for adding to database
  4. Updates last_contact date

Example: Meeting with "Jane Smith" → pulls "Project Manager, Acme Corp" into notes

/email-reply-draft

When drafting responses:

  1. Looks up sender in contacts
  2. Uses notes for relationship context
  3. Adjusts tone based on tags (client vs vendor vs colleague)
  4. References recent interactions from last_contact

Keeping Contacts Updated

After meetings

/meeting-process

The command detects new attendees and prompts to add them.

Periodic review

Add to your weekly review:

  • Update last_contact dates
  • Add notes from recent conversations
  • Remove outdated contacts

Automated updates

The meeting-process command can:

  • Add new contacts automatically
  • Update roles if they've changed
  • Flag contacts not seen in 6+ months

Tags Taxonomy

Consistent tags enable filtering:

By relationship:

  • client, vendor, recruitment, network, colleague

By priority:

  • primary-contact, escalation, decision-maker

By domain:

  • technical, finance, legal, sales

By status:

  • active, dormant, former

Privacy Considerations

  • Store contacts locally (not in cloud-synced folders if sensitive)
  • Don't include passwords or credentials
  • Be mindful of GDPR/privacy if storing customer data
  • Use for professional contacts, not personal relationships

Alternative: Markdown Format

For simpler needs, use markdown tables:

# Project Contacts

| Name | Organisation | Role | Email | Notes |
|------|--------------|------|-------|-------|
| Jane Smith | Acme Corp | PM | jane@acme.com | Primary contact |
| Bob Johnson | Acme Corp | Tech Lead | bob@acme.com | Integration questions |

YAML is preferred for:

  • Richer metadata (dates, tags, notes)
  • Easier parsing by commands
  • Structured updates

Markdown works for:

  • Quick reference
  • Sharing with others
  • Simpler projects