How to Convert an Agent to a Contact
In BoldDesk, agents and contacts serve different roles and are managed separately. At this time, BoldDesk does not support direct conversion of an agent into a contact. However, administrators can achieve the same outcome using a supported manual workflow.
This article explains the recommended process to deactivate an agent and re‑add the same user as a contact, while maintaining data consistency within BoldDesk.
Use Cases
Use this process when you need to:
- Move an internal agent to a customer or end‑user role
- Reassign agent responsibilities while retaining ticket history
- Prevent login access for an agent but continue communication as a contact
- Align user roles after organizational or staffing changes
1. Edit and Deactivate the Agent
Currently, BoldDesk does not have an option to permanently delete agents. Optionally, the only available action is to deactivate them. Explore further instructions about How to Manage Agents in BoldDesk for more insights. To edit and deactivate the agents, please follow the steps below.
- Log in to your BoldDesk account as an Admin
- Go to Agents under Users and Permissions.
- Click on the agent you want to convert to contact.
- Edit the agent’s email address to a placeholder or dummy email and save.
- Deactivate the agent.
Please watch the visual below for more insights
2. Re-add the Agent as a Contact
After editing and deactivating the agent, create a new contact using the agent’s original email address. Explore further instructions about How to Add and Edit Contacts in BoldDesk. Please check the visual for more insights.
Use Bulk Edit Ticket to assign tickets from the agent to the new contact. Filter tickets with requester emails changed to deactivated agents to modify requesters. Explore further instructions about How to Bulk Update the Multiple Tickets for more details.
FAQs
-
Can I directly convert an agent into a contact?
No. BoldDesk does not currently support direct conversion between roles. -
Why do I need to change the agent’s email address?
BoldDesk requires email addresses to be unique across active users. -
Can the same email be reused for a contact?
Yes, after the agent account using that email is updated (replaced with a dummy email) and deactivated. -
Can I reverse this process?
Yes. A contact can later be converted back into an agent using the supported workflow.
