# Collect Contacts’ Emails and Phone Numbers
Contacts’ email addresses and phone numbers are valuable information that can be used to identify an existing customer or lead for more context. With a better understanding of a customer or lead, agents can provide better assistance.
### Benefits of Collecting Contacts’ Emails and Phone Numbers
Use the email addresses or phone numbers collected to:
* [merge Contacts](broken://pages/-McXG4gUmU-h-1O8_-Bn) when a Contact messages you from a different Channel.
* be able to [sync Contacts](/ismessenger/support-use-cases.md) and Contact properties with another CRM.
### Methods for Collecting Contacts’ Emails and Phone Numbers
Here are four methods that you can use to collect Contacts’ emails and phone numbers:
1. Automatically obtained from Channel's Metadata.
2. Ask for email or phone number using Workflows.
3. Use Pre-Chat Form on Website Chat Widget.
4. Identify logged-in Contacts via Website Chat Widget.
### **Automatically obtained from Channel's Metadata**
{% hint style="success" %}
**Use this method** when you are using channels that pass metadata containing Contact's email or phone number to respond.io platform.
{% endhint %}
Respond.io platform automatically receives Contacts’ emails or phone numbers for the following channels:
* [WhatsApp](/ismessenger/workspace-setting/channels.md)
* [SMS](/ismessenger/workspace-setting/channels.md)
* [Email](/ismessenger/workspace-setting/channels.md)
For channels that do not provide Contacts’ emails or phone numbers to respond.io platform, use the other methods to collect the information.
### **Ask for email or phone number using Workflows**
{% hint style="success" %}
**Use this method** when you expect Contacts to message you via instant messaging.
{% endhint %}
**Method Objectives**
* Select a Workflow Template and customize steps if needed
* Continue the Workflow when the question is skipped
### **Select Workflow Template and customize steps if needed**
In the **Workflows** module, click **+ Add Workflow** and choose your template:
* To collect emails, click **Welcome Message & Ask For Email** > Click **Use Template**.
* To collect phone numbers, click **Welcome Message & Ask For Phone Number** > Click **Use Template**.
Customize the steps based on your business needs.
**1.** [**Trigger**](/ismessenger/modules/workflow.md): The Workflow starts when a conversation is opened by a Contact.
**2. Welcome Message**: [Sends a message](/ismessenger/modules/workflow.md) to greet your Contact.
**3. Have Email** / **Phone # already?**: This is a [Branch](/ismessenger/modules/workflow.md) step to check if the Contact Field already contains the email address or phone number.
| **Condition** | **Outcome** |
| ---------------------------------------------- | ------------------ |
| Contact’s email or phone number does not exist | Asks the question |
| Contact’s email or phone number exists | Skips the question |
**4. Ask for Email** or **Ask for Phone Number**: This [Ask a Question](/ismessenger/modules/workflow.md) step lets you send a message to the Contact asking for email or phone number if the Contact Field does not contain the email or phone number.
{% hint style="info" %}
Consider continuing your Workflow with [Routing](/ismessenger/support-use-cases/how-to-identify-contacts-by-email-and-phone-numberi.md) or [Assignment](/ismessenger/support-use-cases/how-to-identify-contacts-by-email-and-phone-numberi.md).
{% endhint %}
{% hint style="success" %}
Once you have completed the setup, click **Save** and **Publish** to activate the Workflow.
{% endhint %}
### **Use Pre-Chat Form on Website Chat Widget**
{% hint style="success" %}
**Use this method** when you expect Contacts to message you via Website Chat Widget.
{% endhint %}
When Contacts message from the Website Chat Widget, you’ll need to get their names in addition to the email addresses or phone numbers.
{% hint style="warning" %}
**Must-have:** Firstly, add and install the [IS Messenger Chat Widget](/ismessenger/messaging-channels/website-chat-widget.md). Learn more about [Pre-Chat Forms here](/ismessenger/messaging-channels/website-chat-widget.md).
{% endhint %}
Here’s how to set up the Contact information you want to collect from the Pre-Chat Form:
1. Click **Settings** > Click **Channels** > Click **Website Chat Channel** > Click **Customize**.
2. Open the Pre-Chat toggle and enable Pre-Chat Form.
3. Add *First Name* and *Email Address* or *Phone Number* fields to the form, and then make the fields Mandatory for Contacts to fill them out.
**Identify logged-in Contacts via Website Chat Widget**
{% hint style="info" %}
**Use this method** when you expect Contacts to message you via Website Chat Widget from a logged-in area on website.
{% endhint %}
If Contacts are logged in, you can automatically get the names, email addresses, phone numbers and more.
Follow the instructions to add JavaScript code to your website [here](/ismessenger/messaging-channels/website-chat-widget.md).
---
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