> ## 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/v3"
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 {15-23} theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"vesper"}}
import com.resend.*;
import java.util.Map;
public class Main {
public static void main(String[] args) {
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 can be a hardcoded value (string, number, boolean) or a dynamic variable reference using the `{ "var": "..." }` syntax. Variable references use dot-notation with one of these scopes:
* `event.*`: references a field from the triggering event payload.
* `contact.*`: references a field from the current contact record.
For more help working with variables in templates, see the [Send Email](/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](/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
}
}
}
```