Skip to main content

3 minutes read Level: BeginnerLast Updated: October 2025

Update the Contact

Update the Contact writes data from the current flow into a contact’s profile. Typical use cases include saving names, schools, or flags such as registration status. This updates a contact field with a flow result (adds the flow result to a contact field), allowing it to be reused in later messages and future flows. Contact variables can also hold static values like 0, 1, Yes, etc., and can be used as needed.

This is especially useful when users need,

  • Consistent reuse of data: e.g., greeting the contact by name in future flows.
  • Segmentation: splitting flows based on language, location, or status.
  • Record keeping: tracking school, registration status, last participation date, etc.
  • Avoiding repeated questions: once saved, you don’t need to ask again.

Glific has some predefined variables to use. Organisations can also define their custom variables when needed. It is recommended not to have many custom variables defined. Anything under 20 is good number of custom variables.

Prerequisites​

How to Update Contact​

Step 1: Define Custom Variables​

  • Add a Send Message node, and in the Wait for Response node that follows it, provide a result name.
  • In the example below, name is used as the result name.

(Note: Please use the result variable name in lowercase and it should be without any space in between two words. You can use underscore, if you want to put in the name)

Screenshot 2025-10-08 at 11 42 49 AM

Step 2: Add Update the contact​

  • Add an Update Contact node after the wait for the response node.
  • Select the contact field to update, create one if needed(To create a contact field, just type what you want in the ‘Select what to update’ field and click on Create - in the image below, name is created and added)
  • Enter the value to save
  • In the example below, Contact field name is saved as @results.name
Screenshot 2025-10-08 at 11 44 26 AM

Step 3: Access Contact Update Variables​

  • To access the updated value in the contact details, use the syntax @contact.fields.name
Screenshot 2025-10-08 at 11 45 37 AM

Here, @contact.fields.name displays the response given by the beneficiary to the name question.

Note: If a contact variable has capital letters or spaces in its name, use lowercase letters and underscores (_) to access it. For example, ‘Date of Birth’ becomes @contact.fields.date_of_birth

Screenshot 2025-10-08 at 11 47 52 AM

To learn and understand Update Contact’s different applications in flows, explore here

Video of Showcase

Video Link