How to Convert an Agent to a Contact in BoldDesk
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.
When to Use this Workflow
Use this workflow when administrators need to:
- Move an internal user from an agent role to a customer/end-user contact role
- Reassign agent responsibilities while retaining existing ticket history under the agent account
- Prevent login access for an agent but continue communicating with the same person 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.
- When forwarding a ticket, the recipient email address must not be associated with a deactivated agent account. If the email address belongs to a deactivated agent, BoldDesk will treat it as an invalid recipient and display an “Email ID invalid” validation message. To forward the ticket successfully, either reactivate the agent account or convert the agent into a contact before using the email address as a forwarding recipient.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Can I directly convert an agent into a contact in BoldDesk?
No. BoldDesk does not currently support direct conversion from agent to contact. -
Why do I have to change the agent’s email address before deactivating?
Because the original email address must be released so it can be reused for the new contact record. -
Can I reuse the same email address for the contact?
Yes. After the agent email address is replaced with a dummy email and the agent is deactivated, the original email address can be used for the contact. -
Can I reverse the process later (contact back to agent)?
Yes. Use the supported contact-to-agent workflow: How to Convert a Contact to an Agent in BoldDesk -
Will deactivating the agent delete ticket history?
No. Deactivation prevents login access, but it does not remove historical ticket associations from the agent record. -
Why does BoldDesk show “Email ID invalid” when forwarding a ticket?
If the email address is associated with a deactivated agent, BoldDesk can treat that recipient email address as invalid for forwarding. Reactivate the agent or convert the deactivated agent to a contact so the email exists as a contact. -
Do I need to update existing tickets after creating the contact?
Only if the requester on existing tickets must become the new contact. If ticket history can remain under the original agent requester identity, bulk requester reassignment may not be necessary.
