# Linking a conversation to a client or a supplier

> How a chat is linked to a client in the address book or to a supplier's contact person, automatically from the phone number or by hand, what changes in the list and how to view the record or unlink.

Last updated: 23 October 2026. Source: https://narciso.io/en/docs/collegare-a-un-cliente/

A conversation can be **linked** to a person in the address book: a **client** ([Clients](https://narciso.io/en/docs/clienti/)) or a **supplier's sales contact** ([Supplier companies](https://narciso.io/en/docs/aziende-fornitrici/)). The link shows the real name instead of the number, lets you open the record with a click and gathers into **a single row** the chats of the same client on different channels ([The conversation list](https://narciso.io/en/docs/elenco-conversazioni/)).

A chat is linked **to a client or to a supplier, never to both**: linking one removes the other.

## Automatic linking

The program tries to link by itself, comparing the phone number (with or without the +39 prefix):

| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| A contact **writes for the first time** on WhatsApp (Personale or Aziendale) | If the address book has a client with that number, in the calls phone or in the WhatsApp one, the chat is linked. If more than one client has that number, the most recently modified wins |
| A client is **created or modified** in the address book with a phone number | The chats not yet linked with that number are linked to them |
| A person **books online** and the number matches a chat | The chat is linked to the client of the booking |

Automatic linking **never overwrites** an existing link, nor one made by hand. It is based on the phone number: Instagram, Facebook, Telegram and email chats are in practice linked by hand.

## Linking by hand

1. **Right-click** the conversation and choose **Associa a Cliente / Fornitore** (Link to Client / Supplier) (the entry only appears if the chat is not already linked, [Muting, banning and deleting a conversation](https://narciso.io/en/docs/gestire-conversazioni/)). Alternatively, inside the chat press the button with the **person icon** («Profilo contatto», Contact profile) at the top right.
2. The **«Collega questa chat»** (Link this chat) window opens with two tabs: **Cliente** (Client) (selected every time it opens) and **Fornitore** (Supplier).
3. Type in the search field to search. Then click the right person.

**Cliente tab.** The field has the hint «Cerca per nome o telefono...» (Search by name or phone...). Each row shows the initials, first name and surname and the phone number (or «Nessun telefono» (No phone)). The list is in alphabetical order and **loads in blocks as you scroll**, up to the last client. A single letter is not searched (the list stays complete), whereas a single digit is.

**Fornitore tab.** The field says «Cerca referente, ruolo o azienda...» (Search contact person, role or company...). The list contains the **sales contacts** of the suppliers, one per row: first name and surname, and below «role · company» (or the phone number, or «Referente commerciale» (Sales contact)). The search works on name, role, company and phone number. A supplier with no contact persons does not appear: contact persons are entered in the supplier's record ([Supplier companies](https://narciso.io/en/docs/aziende-fornitrici/)).

After the click:

- the green notification **«Contatto associato con successo!»** (Contact linked successfully!) appears for 3 seconds, the window closes and the list updates;
- if it fails, the red notification **«Errore durante l'associazione.»** (Error while linking.) appears for 5 seconds and the window stays open.

It also closes with the **×** or with a click outside the window; the Esc key does not close it.

> **Note.** You can **change** the link at any time: if a chat is already linked to a supplier and you press «Profilo contatto», «Collega questa chat» opens again and, by choosing a client, the supplier is replaced. If instead it is linked to a client, that button opens the record: to change client, unlink first.

### What changes afterwards

- **The name** of the row becomes the client's (or «Mario Rossi (Cosmetici Srl)» for a contact person).
- If the same person has other linked chats (for example WhatsApp and Instagram), the rows **merge into one**, with the channel dots overlapping.
- The client also becomes visible in the **locations** where the chat is visible (for example when the contact writes to a number shared between two locations) ([Locations map and active location](https://narciso.io/en/docs/mappa-sedi/)).
- Messages and folders stay where they are: the link does not move or delete anything.

## Opening the record

For a linked chat:

- **Right-click ▸ Scheda Cliente** (Client record) (or **Scheda Fornitore**, Supplier record), or
- the button with the person icon in the chat header, if the chat is linked to a client. For a supplier's contact person the record opens from the right-click.

**The client's record** is a wide window that closes with the ×, with a click outside, with **Chiudi** (Close) or with **Esc**:

- at the top: avatar, name, phone, email, age (calculated from the year of birth, so it may be a year off) and the channel of the chat;
- a **band with four pieces of data**: **Speso Totale** (Total Spent) (recorded turnover), **Punti Fedeltà** (Loyalty Points) (with «Card: attiva/non attiva» (Card: active/not active), [Loyalty points](https://narciso.io/en/docs/punti-fedelta/)), **Ultima Visita** (Last Visit) (or «Nessuna» (None)) and **Barbiere Preferito** (Favourite Barber) (or «Nessuno» (None): the one chosen by hand in the client's record, otherwise the team member they have visited most often);
- if the client has allergies or skin conditions recorded, a **strip of coloured pills**: red for allergies, amber for conditions. If there are many, scroll with the arrows that appear at the sides;
- **Dettagli anagrafica** (Personal details): WhatsApp phone, calls phone, email, acquisition channel, privacy and consents («Consenso OK» (Consent OK) or «Da acquisire» (To be obtained)) and tax code («Non registrato» (Not recorded) if missing).

It is a **read-only** record: to change a piece of data, go to the address book ([Clients](https://narciso.io/en/docs/clienti/)).

**The supplier's record** shows the contact person's name, role, company, phone and email (with «Non specificato» (Not specified) where a piece of data is missing). The header shows «Scheda Fornitore» and a short code.

At the bottom of both: **Scollega da questa chat** (Unlink from this chat) (on the left) and **Chiudi**.

## Unlinking

Two ways, both for all roles and without confirmation:

1. **Right-click ▸ Scollega Cliente** (Unlink Client) (or **Scollega Fornitore**, Unlink Supplier): «Associazione cliente rimossa» (Client link removed) (or «Associazione fornitore rimossa», Supplier link removed) appears for 3 seconds.
2. **From the record ▸ Scollega da questa chat**: «Cliente scollegato con successo» (Client unlinked successfully) (or «Fornitore scollegato con successo», Supplier unlinked successfully) appears and the record closes.

Unlinking removes the link **on the chat only**: the client or supplier in the address book stay as they are. If you unlink a client's **single merged row**, the link is dropped on **all their channels** and the row splits again into one row per chat. If the operation fails, a browser window appears with the text «Errore:» (Error:) followed by the reason.

> **Warning.** A wrong link shows one person's messages under another person's name, and replies go out on the wrong person's channels. If you did it by mistake, unlink straight away and link to the right person.

If you unlink an automatically linked chat, the program does not link it again by itself until the client is modified in the address book: saving the record again with that number brings the automatic link back.

## What to do if...

| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| The client does not appear in the search | Type part of the name or phone number (at least two letters). If they are not there, they must be created first in the address book ([Clients](https://narciso.io/en/docs/clienti/)) |
| The supplier does not appear | The Fornitore tab only lists contact persons: add a contact person in the supplier's record |
| The chat did not link by itself | It only works from a phone number already in the address book and only for chats with no link; otherwise link by hand |
| The two chats of the same client stay separate | One of the two is not linked to them: link it by hand |
| «Errore durante l'associazione.» appears | Try again; if it persists, reload the page and check that you are connected ([Internet connection](https://narciso.io/en/docs/connessione-a-internet/)) |
| I want to change the linked client | Right-click ▸ Scollega Cliente, then Associa a Cliente / Fornitore |

## Related entries

- [The conversation list](https://narciso.io/en/docs/elenco-conversazioni/)
- [Muting, banning and deleting a conversation](https://narciso.io/en/docs/gestire-conversazioni/)
- [Clients](https://narciso.io/en/docs/clienti/)
- [Supplier companies](https://narciso.io/en/docs/aziende-fornitrici/)
- [Comunicazioni](https://narciso.io/en/docs/comunicazioni/)