Understanding and Managing Your Candidate Records
A Contact in FranFlow is an individual record for a candidate in your system.
Think of it as the central profile where everything about that candidate lives.
Every interaction, update, and automation ties back to the Contact record.
Why Contacts Matter
The Contact record is the foundation of FranFlow.
Every:
email
text message
workflow
pipeline update
FranTracker™ sync
…is connected to a Contact.
If your contacts are clean and organized, everything else in FranFlow works better.
What a Contact Record Includes
Each Contact stores:
Personal details
Synced FranTracker™ data
Communication history (email & SMS)
Pipeline (opportunity) status
Tasks and activity
Automation history
This gives you a full view of each candidate in one place.
Where to Find Contacts
To access your contact database:
Click Contacts in the left navigation
This opens your main contact view where you can:
Search for a contact
Filter your database
Edit records
Add new contacts
Perform bulk updates
How to Add a New Contact
Manual Entry
Click Contacts
Click + Add Contact (top right)
Enter required information:
First Name
Last Name
Email or Phone
Click Save
‼️ Important: Always search before creating a new contact. Duplicate records can break automation, tracking, and reporting.
How Contacts Are Created Automatically
Contacts may also be created when:
A lead is added in FranTracker™
A form is submitted
An integration sends a lead (ex: BizBuySell or other sources)
What Are Contact-Level Fields?
Contact-Level Fields are the individual data points stored on each Contact.
These fields power:
Automation
Filtering and segmentation
Reporting
Pipeline logic
FranTracker™ synchronization
You can expand or collapse sections within a contact record to view different field groups.
Types of Contact Fields
1. Synced FranTracker™ Fields (Out of the Box)
These fields sync directly with FranTracker™ and are your primary source of structured candidate data.
Examples
Status
Desired Market
Investment
Investment Source
Liquid Capital
Net Worth
Currently Employed
Planning to Stay Employed
Business Ownership Experience
Decision Time Frame
Initial Franchise
Lead Source
Lead Type
Placement Process Stage
FranTracker Date Created
FranTracker Date Last Updated
🪄 Best Practice: Use these fields as your source of truth. Do NOT recreate these as custom fields.
‼️ Important: Fields in Additional Information are used for system syncing. Do NOT edit these unless instructed.
2. Standard FranFlow Fields
These are built-in fields used for identity and communication.
Examples
First Name
Last Name
Email
Phone
Address (Street, City, State, Zip, Country)
Tags
Date Created
Last Activity
‼️ Important: Time Zone does NOT come from FranTracker™.
Instead:
It is automatically set based on the State field
If the State changes, the Time Zone updates automatically
3. Custom Fields (Optional)
Custom fields allow you to track additional information unique to your process.
Key Things to Know
Custom fields are fully customizable (DIY)
You can create, edit, or remove them anytime
Before Creating a Custom Field
Ask:
Does this already exist in FranTracker™?
Is this already a standard field?
Am I duplicating data?
Example to Avoid
Creating both:
“Investment”
“Investment Range”
Tags on Contact Records
Tags help you label and organize contacts.
You can use tags to:
Group contacts
Trigger workflows
Filter lists
🔎 Examples
New Lead
Hot Prospect
Follow-Up Needed
DND (Do Not Disturb)
Tags are flexible and can be added or removed at any time.
Conversations & Activity
Each Contact record includes a full history of activity.
This includes:
Emails
SMS messages
Notes
Tasks
Workflow activity
This gives you complete visibility into every interaction with a candidate.
Pro Tips for Searching Contacts
Search Bar
You can search by:
Name
Email
Phone
Tags
Field names
Field values
Advanced Filters
To filter multiple contacts:
Click Contacts
Select Advanced Filters
Choose your criteria
Smart Lists
If you frequently use the same filters:
Save them as Smart Lists
👉 See: How to Create and Manage Smart Lists
⚠️ Common Issue
Searches and filters stay active until removed.
If contacts “disappear,” clear your filters first.
Contact Management Best Practices
✔ Search before creating a new contact
✔ Avoid duplicate records
✔ Do not duplicate FranTracker™ fields
✔ Avoid editing integration-only fields
✔ Keep State accurate (for time zone)
✔ Use tags consistently
✔ Keep your data clean and intentional
Why Clean Data Matters
Clean contact data ensures:
✔ Accurate automation
✔ Reliable reporting
✔ Better candidate tracking
✔ Stronger communication