Single customer view overview

AI-generated summary

Genesys Cloud's single customer view feature consolidates multiple customer identifiers into unified external contact records and links interactions across supported channels through an automated identity resolution system. The platform automatically stitches interactions to existing contacts when matching identifiers—such as phone numbers, email addresses, or social identifiers—are detected across voice, email, SMS, and other channels. When an interaction matches multiple external contacts with the same identifier, the system prioritizes the first-created contact, though agents can manually select alternative matches if needed. If no matching contact exists, agents can create a new contact or search and merge with an existing record. Identity resolution operates through a configurable mapping table that automatically assigns divisions to external contacts based on channel-specific identifiers. For identified contacts, the system auto-links when a single match is found using channel-specific identifiers: email addresses for email and web chat, phone numbers for voice, messaging IDs for messaging, and social channel user identifiers for platforms including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Twitter. Web chat interactions prioritize email addresses, then phone numbers, then names. Authenticated web messaging contacts are merged based on messenger configuration and identity resolution settings, using external IDs when configured or alternative identifiers like email and phone number otherwise. For open messaging interactions, the system uses opaque IDs as the primary identifier with phone numbers and email addresses as fallback options. When web events lack personally identifiable information, Genesys Cloud creates temporary ephemeral contacts using cookie identifiers; these contacts expire 60 days after last interaction but can be manually linked or converted to new contacts by agents. The platform supports canonical contact records, allowing agents to merge duplicate contact records from different channels into a single canonical contact with previous records becoming aliases. Genesys Cloud can automatically merge duplicate curated and identified external contacts sharing identical identifiers, though this auto-merge feature is disabled by default and requires administrator configuration. The system automatically tracks customer journey across all associated channels and linked contacts, including cases, for both linked and temporary contacts. Identity resolution configuration is available through the Genesys Cloud interface and API endpoints. The functionality requires specific role-based permissions for contact management, interaction viewing, case management, and workitem editing, with access levels varying by user role. The feature can be disabled by removing External Contacts permissions from user roles. Genesys Cloud does not perform identity stitching for campaigns, co-browse, knowledge support centers, agentless email notifications, workitems, or certain ephemeral contacts. Genesys Cloud Predictive Engagement can further enhance these identity resolution and customer journey capabilities.

PrerequisitesClick to expand

The following permissions:

To associate contact to an interaction: External Contacts > Conversation - Associate
To view interactions based on division: Analytics > Agent Conversation Detail - View (for agents)
To view interactions based on division: Analytics > Conversation Detail - View (for admins and supervisors)
To view cases in customer journey: Case Management > Case - View
To view interactions for a contact across all divisions: External Contacts > Conversation - View All (for admins and supervisors)
To create a contact: External Contacts > Contact - Add
To view a contact: External Contacts > Contact - View
To update a contact: External Contacts > Contact - Edit
To delete a contact: External Contacts > Contact - Delete
To see a contact's journey: External Contacts > Session - View
To promote an auto-created contact to a curated contact (Add to contacts): External Contacts > Identity - Promote
To merge an auto-created contact to an existing curated contact: External Contacts > Identity - Merge
To edit workitems: Workitems > Workitem - Edit
To view workitems: Workitems > Worktype - View

Single customer view joins different identifiers into one external contact record and links interactions across supported channels in Genesys Cloud.

Profile tab with auto stitched external contacts and other external contacts for an identifier

When an external contact matches a previously created external contact with an identifier (for example, a phone number for a voice call, an email address for an email, and a social identifier for a Genesys cookie), Genesys Cloud stitches the interaction to the external contact. If other external contacts for that identifier are available, the identifier is automatically added to the search field and the results related to other external contacts are displayed.

Click the image to enlarge.

For example,

A contact named Alexis is created with her phone number +1 803-123-0000 on February 4.
Another contact named David is created with the same phone number +1 803-123-0000 on March 20.
On receiving a phone call from +1 803-123-0000, the interaction is stitched to Alexis and not David as Alexis is the first created external contact with the phone number.

Note: If the agent deletes the first created external contact from the system manually or via API, Genesys Cloud points the interaction to the next created external contact.

Profile tab with wrongly matched external contact and no existing external contacts for an identifier

If the agent identifies that the existing external contact is not the best match for that interaction, the agent can choose the best match from the other possible external contact and link that interaction to the external contact. If Genesys Cloud cannot find the existing external contact using the contact identifiers, Genesys Cloud displays the Temporary contact data box. The agent can click the Save Contact button to create and save the external contact. Genesys Cloud also provides an option to search for a matching contact and allows the agent to merge the resulting contact by clicking Select Contact.

Click the image to enlarge.

For more information about creating a contact, see Add a contact.

Notes:

Both interactions and External Contacts are division-aware.
To disable external contacts and single customer view, remove All permissions under External Contacts > Contacts from the user role.

Identity resolution

With the single customer view, when an interaction begins, Genesys Cloud automatically uses to attempt to link the contact to an existing contact record.

With the single customer view, when an interaction begins, Genesys Cloud automatically uses identity resolution to try to link the contact to an existing contact record. The identity resolution mapping for various channels such as voice, email, and SMS with divisions are configured in the Identity Resolution mapping table. When resolving the identity of a contact in an interaction, Genesys Cloud automatically assigns a division for the external contact or leave it as unassigned based on the settings configured in the mapping table.

Identity resolution makes the single customer view happen with four types of contacts:

Contact type	Description
Identified	If Genesys Cloud finds a single match, it auto-links the contact: For email interactions, Genesys Cloud uses the email address. For voice interactions, Genesys Cloud uses the phone number. Note: For outbound voice calls outside a queue in Associate, the interaction gets automatically linked to a contact only when the agent selects the contact’s phone number directly from the type-ahead search results. For web chat interactions, Genesys Cloud uses the email address, if supplied. If the email address is not available, Genesys Cloud uses the phone number. If either the email address or the phone number search results in a single match, Genesys Cloud auto-links the contact. If an email address or a phone number is unavailable, Genesys Cloud searches for the name entered. If that search results in a single match, Genesys Cloud shows the profile, and the agent can link it. For more information about configuring web chat fields, see the Developer Center. For authenticated web messaging interactions, Genesys Cloud merges the contacts based on the messenger configuration and identity resolution configuration settings. For configuring identity resolution for authenticated web messenger via Genesys Cloud, refer to Identity resolution for authenticated web messaging quick start guide. For configuring identity resolution via API, refer Developer Center. If the Authentication toggle in Messenger configuration is turned on and the External source field is also configured, Genesys Cloud merges contacts based on the supplied external ID from the external source. If the Authentication toggle in Messenger configuration is turned on and the External source field is not configured, Genesys Cloud merges contacts based on other identifiers such as email address or phone number, if present. If the Authentication toggle in Messenger configuration is turned off, the External source field is disabled and you cannot select an external source from the list. In this case, Genesys Cloud merges contacts based on the cookie ID. For messaging interactions, Genesys Cloud uses the messaging ID. If Genesys Cloud cannot auto-link with the messaging ID, Genesys Cloud tries to search for the contact name. If the search results in a single match, Genesys Cloud shows the profile, and the agent can link it. To configure identity resolution, see Configure identity resolution for different channels. For social channels, Genesys Cloud stitches the identity of a contact based on the user identifier shared by the respective social channel. Apple Messages for Business - AMB Opaque ID Facebook - Facebook ID Instagram - Instagram ID Line - Line ID Twitter - Twitter ID WhatsApp - Phone number or Business-Scoped User ID For open messaging interactions, Genesys Cloud uses the opaque ID provided through the open messaging integration. If the opaque ID is not available, Genesys Cloud uses the phone number or email address, if supplied. The opaque ID is stored as an external ID. If either the opaque ID, the email address, or the phone number search results in a single match, Genesys Cloud automatically links the contact. To configure identity resolution from the Identity Resolution page, see Configure identity resolution for different channels. To configure identity resolution through APIs, see the Developer Center. Genesys Cloud does not stitch identities for the following channels: Campaigns including callbacks Co-browse Knowledge – Support center Identified contacts expire 60 days after their last interaction with your organization.
Ephemeral	For interactions with no personally identifiable information (PII), if Genesys Cloud finds no likely match, it uses a cookie identifier to create an ephemeral or temporary contact. An agent can create a new contact from the temporary contact or link a temporary contact to an existing external contact. Ephemeral contacts expire 60 days after their last interaction with your organization.
Canonical	Sometimes, multiple contact records represent a single contact. For example, a contact connects with your organization by email on one occasion, and then the same person uses web messaging to contact your organization. Genesys Cloud allows an agent to merge the contact records. In this case, the previous contacts become aliases to the canonical contact. The resulting merged canonical contact is a curated contact, which does not expire.
Curated	After an agent links a contact, Genesys Cloud saves it as a curated contact. Curated contacts do not expire and are searchable.

Note: Ephemeral and identified contacts become curated contacts after an agent or API client/integration the contact.

Genesys Cloud can automatically merge duplication of curated and identified external contacts that share the same identifier, such as phone number, WhatsApp number, or email address, into a single canonical contact. Ephemeral contacts, which have no deterministic identifier, are not evaluated for auto-merge. By default, the background auto-merge is disabled; administrators must turn it on for your organization. To configure auto-merge, see Configure auto-merge in identity resolution. For more information, see auto-merge of External Contacts.

For more information and examples that show how single customer view impacts External Contacts, see Single customer view examples.

Customer journey

Regardless of whether a contact is linked, Genesys Cloud automatically tracks a contact’s journey. The contact’s journey includes every experience that the contact has had with your organization–across all channels that are associated with the linked contacts including cases. For temporary contacts, Genesys Cloud still tracks the contact’s interaction with your organization. You can promote temporary contacts to linked contacts.

Genesys Cloud Predictive Engagement can further enhance these features.

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Single customer view overview

Identity resolution

Customer journey

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