> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://resend.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Contact Update
> Update contact fields during an Automation.
The contact update step modifies a contact's fields as part of an Automation. You can update a contact's name, subscription status, or custom properties.
Common use cases:
* **Enrich profiles**: Copy event data into the contact record.
* **Set flags**: Mark contacts as VIP, or churned based on their activity.
* **Sync properties**: Keep custom properties up to date as events flow in.
## How it works
Add an **Update contact** step and update the fields you want to change.
Add a `contact_update` step to your Automation's `steps` array.
```ts Node.js {13-24} theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"vesper"}}
import { Resend } from 'resend';
const resend = new Resend('re_xxxxxxxxx');
const { data, error } = await resend.automations.create({
name: 'Enrich contact on signup',
steps: [
{
key: 'start',
type: 'trigger',
config: { eventName: 'user.created' },
},
{
key: 'update',
type: 'contact_update',
config: {
firstName: { var: 'event.firstName' },
lastName: { var: 'event.lastName' },
properties: {
company: { var: 'event.company' },
vip: true,
},
},
},
],
connections: [{ from: 'start', to: 'update', type: 'default' }],
});
```
```php PHP {11-22} theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"vesper"}}
$resend = Resend::client('re_xxxxxxxxx');
$resend->automations->create([
'name' => 'Enrich contact on signup',
'steps' => [
[
'key' => 'start',
'type' => 'trigger',
'config' => ['event_name' => 'user.created'],
],
[
'key' => 'update',
'type' => 'contact_update',
'config' => [
'first_name' => ['var' => 'event.firstName'],
'last_name' => ['var' => 'event.lastName'],
'properties' => [
'company' => ['var' => 'event.company'],
'vip' => true,
],
],
],
],
'connections' => [['from' => 'start', 'to' => 'update', 'type' => 'default']],
]);
```
```python Python {13-24} theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"vesper"}}
import resend
resend.api_key = "re_xxxxxxxxx"
params: resend.Automations.CreateParams = {
"name": "Enrich contact on signup",
"steps": [
{
"key": "start",
"type": "trigger",
"config": {"event_name": "user.created"},
},
{
"key": "update",
"type": "contact_update",
"config": {
"first_name": {"var": "event.firstName"},
"last_name": {"var": "event.lastName"},
"properties": {
"company": {"var": "event.company"},
"vip": True,
},
},
},
],
"connections": [{"from": "start", "to": "update", "type": "default"}],
}
resend.Automations.create(params)
```
```ruby Ruby {13-24} theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"vesper"}}
require "resend"
Resend.api_key = "re_xxxxxxxxx"
params = {
name: "Enrich contact on signup",
steps: [
{
key: "start",
type: "trigger",
config: { event_name: "user.created" },
},
{
key: "update",
type: "contact_update",
config: {
first_name: { var: "event.firstName" },
last_name: { var: "event.lastName" },
properties: {
company: { var: "event.company" },
vip: true,
},
},
},
],
connections: [{ from: "start", to: "update", type: "default" }],
}
Resend::Automations.create(params)
```
```go Go {18-29} theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"vesper"}}
package main
import "github.com/resend/resend-go/v4"
func main() {
client := resend.NewClient("re_xxxxxxxxx")
params := &resend.CreateAutomationRequest{
Name: "Enrich contact on signup",
Steps: []resend.AutomationStep{
{
Key: "start",
Type: resend.AutomationStepTypeTrigger,
Config: map[string]any{
"event_name": "user.created",
},
},
{
Key: "update",
Type: resend.AutomationStepTypeContactUpdate,
Config: map[string]any{
"first_name": map[string]any{"var": "event.firstName"},
"last_name": map[string]any{"var": "event.lastName"},
"properties": map[string]any{
"company": map[string]any{"var": "event.company"},
"vip": true,
},
},
},
},
Connections: []resend.AutomationConnection{
{From: "start", To: "update", Type: resend.AutomationConnectionTypeDefault},
},
}
client.Automations.Create(params)
}
```
```rust Rust {22-32} theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"vesper"}}
use resend_rs::{
json,
types::{
AutomationStatus, Connection, ConnectionType, CreateAutomationOptions, Step, TriggerStepConfig,
},
Resend, Result,
};
#[tokio::main]
async fn main() -> Result<()> {
let resend = Resend::new("re_xxxxxxxxx");
let opts = CreateAutomationOptions {
name: "Enrich contact on signup".to_owned(),
steps: vec![
Step::Trigger {
key: "start".to_owned(),
config: TriggerStepConfig {
event_name: "user.created".to_owned(),
},
},
Step::ContactUpdate {
key: "update".to_owned(),
config: json!({
"firstName": {"var": "event.firstName"},
"lastName": {"var": "event.lastName"},
"properties": {
"company": {"var": "event.company"},
"vip": true
}
}),
},
],
connections: vec![Connection::new("start", "update").with_type(ConnectionType::Default)],
status: AutomationStatus::Disabled,
};
let _automation = resend.automations.create(opts).await?;
Ok(())
}
```
```java Java {21-29} theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"vesper"}}
import com.resend.*;
import com.resend.core.exception.ResendException;
import com.resend.services.automations.model.AutomationConnection;
import com.resend.services.automations.model.AutomationStep;
import com.resend.services.automations.model.ConnectionType;
import com.resend.services.automations.model.CreateAutomationOptions;
import com.resend.services.automations.model.CreateAutomationResponseSuccess;
import java.util.Map;
public class Main {
public static void main(String[] args) throws ResendException {
Resend resend = new Resend("re_xxxxxxxxx");
CreateAutomationOptions options = CreateAutomationOptions.builder()
.name("Enrich contact on signup")
.steps(
AutomationStep.trigger("start")
.eventName("user.created")
.build(),
AutomationStep.contactUpdate("update")
.firstName(Map.of("var", "event.firstName"))
.lastName(Map.of("var", "event.lastName"))
.properties(Map.of(
"company", Map.of("var", "event.company"),
"vip", true))
.build()
)
.connections(
AutomationConnection.builder()
.from("start")
.to("update")
.type(ConnectionType.DEFAULT)
.build()
)
.build();
CreateAutomationResponseSuccess data = resend.automations().create(options);
}
}
```
```csharp .NET {7-16,24} theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"vesper"}}
using Resend;
using System.Text.Json;
IResend resend = ResendClient.Create( "re_xxxxxxxxx" );
var startConfig = JsonSerializer.SerializeToElement( new { event_name = "user.created" } );
var updateConfig = JsonSerializer.SerializeToElement( new
{
first_name = new { @var = "event.firstName" },
last_name = new { @var = "event.lastName" },
properties = new
{
company = new { @var = "event.company" },
vip = true,
},
} );
var resp = await resend.AutomationCreateAsync( new AutomationCreateData()
{
Name = "Enrich contact on signup",
Steps = new List
{
new AutomationStepData { Ref = "start", Type = "trigger", Config = startConfig },
new AutomationStepData { Ref = "update", Type = "contact_update", Config = updateConfig },
},
Connections = new List
{
new AutomationEdge { From = "start", To = "update", EdgeType = "default" },
},
} );
```
```bash cURL {10-21} theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"vesper"}}
curl -X POST 'https://api.resend.com/automations' \
-H 'Authorization: Bearer re_xxxxxxxxx' \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{
"name": "Enrich contact on signup",
"steps": [{
"key": "start",
"type": "trigger",
"config": { "event_name": "user.created" }
}, {
"key": "update",
"type": "contact_update",
"config": {
"first_name": { "var": "event.firstName" },
"last_name": { "var": "event.lastName" },
"properties": {
"company": { "var": "event.company" },
"vip": true
}
}
}],
"connections": [
{ "from": "start", "to": "update", "type": "default" }
]
}'
```
```bash CLI theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"vesper"}}
resend automations create --name "Enrich contact on signup" --file ./automation.json
```
## Dynamic variables
Each field value is a fixed value (string, number, or boolean), or a reference with `{ "var": "" }`:
* `event.*` is a field from the event that triggered the Automation, such as `event.firstName`.
* `contact.*` is a field from the contact, such as `contact.properties.company`.
* `wait_events..*` is a field from an event a previous [wait for event](/docs/dashboard/automations/wait-for-event#use-the-received-event-in-later-steps) step received. If the Automation waited for that event more than once, this is the most recent one before this step.
For more help working with variables in templates, see the [Send Email](/docs/dashboard/automations/send-email#template-variables) step documentation.
```json {5-6,8} theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"vesper"}}
{
"key": "update",
"type": "contact_update",
"config": {
"first_name": { "var": "event.firstName" },
"last_name": { "var": "event.lastName" },
"properties": {
"company": { "var": "event.company" },
"vip": true
}
}
}
```
## Configuration
The contact's first name. Accepts a hardcoded string or a variable reference.
The contact's last name. Accepts a hardcoded string or a variable reference.
The contact's unsubscribed status. Accepts a boolean or a variable reference.
A map of custom contact properties to update. Keys correspond to your [Contact
Custom Properties](/docs/dashboard/audiences/properties). Each value can be a
hardcoded value (string, number, boolean) or a variable reference.
```json Example theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"vesper"}}
{
"key": "update_contact",
"type": "contact_update",
"config": {
"properties": {
"company": { "var": "event.company" },
"vip": true
}
}
}
```