Contact Data and Privacy

Resool gives you the tools to handle customer data responsibly: you decide which roles can see contacts' emails and phone numbers, you can export everything stored about a contact when they ask for it, erase a contact's personal data completely, keep track of WhatsApp marketing consent, and block contacts who shouldn't reach you. These tools help you answer data access and deletion requests under privacy laws such as the GDPR.

#Before you begin

You can change who gets each permission with custom roles. See Roles and permissions.

#How to hide emails and phone numbers from a role

Members whose role doesn't include See contact emails and phone numbers see contact details partly hidden, for example s@g.com and +20 * 45. The contact page shows a Partly hidden badge.

1. Go to Settings › Roles.
2. Create or edit a role.
3. Under Communication, turn off See contact emails and phone numbers.
4. Save the role and assign it to the members who shouldn't see this data.

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Contacts › open a contact (signed in as a member without "See contact emails and phone numbers")

The contact page with the "Partly hidden" badge on the Details card and the email and phone shown masked.

File: screenshots/contact-data-privacy-masked.png

Members without this permission:

• can still reply to the contact in the Inbox;
• can type a new email or phone; leaving the field blank keeps the current value;
• can't filter contacts or build segments on email or phone;
• get masked values in CSV exports.

#How to export a contact's data

Use this when a customer asks for a copy of the data you hold about them (right of access).

1. Open the contact.
2. Click the ⋯ menu at the top right and choose Export contact data.

Resool downloads a file with the contact's profile, channels, conversations with their messages, tickets and satisfaction ratings. The export is recorded in the audit log. See Audit log.

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Contacts › open a contact › ⋯ menu

The ⋯ menu with Export contact data and Erase personal data highlighted.

File: screenshots/contact-data-privacy-menu.png

#How to erase a contact's personal data

Use this when a customer asks you to delete their data (right to erasure).

1. Open the contact.
2. Click the ⋯ menu and choose Erase personal data.
3. Read the confirmation, Erase all data about {name}?, and confirm with Erase personal data.

Resool deletes the contact with their conversations, messages, channels and broadcast history. Tickets stay for your records but lose the link to the contact, the requester's email and the customer's own messages. This can't be undone.

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Contacts › open a contact › ⋯ › Erase personal data

The confirmation dialog "Erase all data about Sara Ahmed?" with the explanation and the Erase personal data button.

File: screenshots/contact-data-privacy-erase.png

#Delete contact or erase personal data?

#How WhatsApp marketing consent works

Each contact has a WhatsApp marketing field: Not asked, Opted in or Opted out. You can set it on the contact page, in an import, or let Resool update it:

• When a contact sends STOP, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL or إلغاء on WhatsApp, they're marked Opted out and receive a confirmation reply.
• When they send START, SUBSCRIBE or اشتراك, they're marked Opted in again.
• If Meta reports that the person stopped marketing messages, Resool marks them Opted out.

Broadcasts always skip contacts who opted out, and you can choose to send only to contacts who opted in. See Creating a broadcast.

#How to block a contact

Block a contact who sends spam or abuse:

1. Open their conversation in the Inbox.
2. Choose Block Contact from the conversation's actions and confirm with Block.

Their open conversations close, their new messages don't reach your inbox and replies to them are turned off. Internal comments still work. Blocked contacts are listed under Blocked Contacts in Contacts and in the Inbox. To unblock, open the conversation and click Unblock.

#How to export or delete all workspace data

To export everything in the workspace, or delete the workspace and all its data, see Exporting and deleting data.

#FAQ and troubleshooting

#Does deleting a contact remove their messages?

No. Delete contact keeps their conversations in the Inbox. Use Erase personal data to remove conversations and messages too.

#Can I recover an erased contact?

No. Erasing is permanent. Export the contact's data first if you need a copy.

#Why can't I see Erase personal data?

Only Owners and Admins can erase personal data, because it can't be undone.

#Does the customer get a message when I change their consent by hand?

No. Only the STOP and START keywords on WhatsApp send an automatic confirmation.

#What's next?

• Roles and permissions
• Exporting and deleting data
• Audit log
• Contact profile