I would like to get a notification if someone added a new contact in Infusionsoft so I can tract, I will be the one of the Admins. This is better if this can be automated, however, if not possible I would like to know how to check this manually. I’m planning to do this on a weekly basis.
Thank you in advance!
Hi Ardin, That is a great question. You can do a couple of things to track New Contacts. You can create a Saved Search using the CRM > Contacts > Misc Criteria tab > Date Created
Help Guide #6
https://help.infusionsoft.com/userguides/contact-management/search-and-tag-contacts/advanced-search-techniques
Another way is to have a task and/or tag applied when a new contact is added. This is done by going to
Admin > Settings > Left hand menu click “Application”
Incoming Action Set
So it’s important to define your source here. Are these getting created in the UI or by API processes. What @Amanda_Madsen suggests with the actions set trigger will only work with API created contacts. If these are getting created directly in the UI, then there actually is no trigger to tell you. In this case, what Amanda points to with search criteria, I usually create a saved search for called ‘Most Recently Created’ (you can do the same for most recently updated).
Actually John, I think the “Incoming Action Set” feature DOES work with manually created contacts. For a long time I assumed it didn’t because it was under the API section, but recently I’ve been testing and it appears those action sets run for ALL contacts created.
Ardin - I see you’ve got a lot of information down below, and you may already have what you need, but I’m wondering “Why” you want this info?
I know list growth is important, but if you’re growing at a rapid rate do you really want to see a list of every name that was added to your database every week?
I ask because usually people are after the NUMBER of new contacts, and not specifically who they are - so if we can get some context around the question it’ll help us answer with the best solution for ya.
That’s interesting, @Greg_Jenkins. I always thought, too, that it was just contacts created by the API via 3rd parties, etc.
I just tested again (like I have at least 100 times lol) to be sure. It does NOT trigger when the contact is created inside the UI.
Thank you, Amanda!
Hey John, not sure what to say here - I mean, I believe you, so I tested again, and mine DEFINITELY is raising a tag - on contacts added externally, AND on contacts added using the quick add form.
I will say this though - the tag was not applied immediately. So I waited a few hours, and when I checked again it HAD been applied. So, I’m wondering if maybe it runs in batches, like orders created via action sets?
Also, I know this image doesn’t prove anything to anyone other than myself - but I added this contact this morning (using the quick add form, not sure if that matters), then I walked away and when I came back the incoming action set tag that I made (only used in the incoming action set feature) had been applied. Very curious indeed.
@Greg_Jenkins, so you’ve found it to work on new contacts created within Infusionsoft? For those externally submitting a form, have you found it to matter if an Infusionsoft form (html or even Javascript) is used as opposed to a third party that creates the contact through the API and a trigger tag starts a campaign?
Hi @Greg_Jenkins,
So taking your lead in your testing I re-produced what you’ve described minus the external contact creation on three full featured apps (1 sandbox and 2 production). The tag was newly created so nothing could be tied to it and the contacts were new contacts without any information previously created by other processes. I used the quick add (plus sign) to create the new contacts. I did this at 1am and am only now checking them at almost 9am. Not one has applied the tag.
So obviously, there must be something that would explain your results, however, I don’t see it being the APPLICATION:api_contact_as_add incoming create action set trigger being it?
Yeah - haha, ran another test, this time creating it using the standard “add contact” form, and then waited (roughly 8 hours) and came back to check, and the tag had been applied. A new tag also, so there are no other actions applying this, or any other automation involved. Bizarre.
This is a live app, not sandbox, though I know you tested both. Not sure what to tell ya John, I fear I may be going crazy. 
Yup don’t know what to say either. I’ve run the exact same tests so many times I can’t count…never once has it raised a the tag in response to the contact being created…there has to be something else to explain it though. I just did the sandbox as part of the testing to cover some bases. I actually expected to have to go to the tag application report so we could all see how long this actually took but like I said, I got nothin’
I’m here to eat crow. 
I had a zap set up to run a split testing function on ALL contacts that were created in my app. And it appears that this Zap, though updating the contact and NOT creating it, was somehow trigging the Incoming Action Set (add) actions and possibly applying the tag as a result.
I won’t pretend to understand exactly how or why this works - but it means that my tests I mentioned above weren’t as clean as I had intended, because I forgot about this other process running in the background.
If that explains WHY the tag was being applied for me, then I’d imagine John’s correct on his understanding, and with the way he describes his testing procedures, I’d say that’s more than likely.
Interesting nevertheless, @Greg_Jenkins! The mystery of the seemingly useless Incoming action Set (add) function ensues lol
Not such a mystery, I’d say, as a wish list. The action set works consistently for externally created (or updated) contacts. What we would all LOVE is for there to be an out of the box trigger for anything that originates in our IS apps. However!..what @Greg_Jenkins has stated about using Zapier for split testing would also be a method to accomplish in app creation/updated notification…which I never thought of doing and would at least be a solution for that need, which I’m guessing we’ve all come across wanting at one point or another. So once again, yay @Greg_Jenkins!!!
In the Settings tab of most of our webforms, we set it up to send an email whenever a contact has been added. I set it up initially just to make sure the form was submitting correctly. Over time, this has become the primary means by which our team is notified whenever new contacts come in via our website.
Similarly, I have set up for other campaigns to send an email that a contact has been added (whether by internal or external form). I included it in the Follow Up sequence.
