---
title: "Linking phone numbers to customers"
description: "Link an inbound SMS or phone call to an existing customer profile, or create a new customer, from the conversation or call context panel."
doc_type: how-to
audience: merchant
sidebar_position: 14
# Provenance — do not edit by hand; used by re-run diffing and redirects.
confluence_page_id: "4189454337"
confluence_url: "https://ultracart.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/ucdoc/pages/4189454337"
last_updated_in_confluence: "2026-02-26T21:10:04.832Z"
---
When a customer contacts you via SMS or phone, you can link their phone number to an existing customer profile or create a new one. Linking connects the conversation to the customer's full history -- orders, account details, loyalty balance, and previous interactions -- so your team has complete context without leaving the conversation.

## Why link customers

Without linking, an inbound SMS or phone call is just a phone number. Your agents see no customer context -- no order history, no account preferences, no prior conversations. Linking solves this by connecting the phone number to a customer profile.

Once linked:

-   **During conversations**, the customer's profile is displayed alongside the chat or call, giving your agent instant access to their data.
-   **In the customer timeline**, the conversation appears alongside orders, email interactions, and other activity.
-   **For future contacts**, the phone number is automatically recognized so the profile loads without manual linking.

## Linking to an existing customer

When you're in a conversation with an unlinked phone number, select **Add to Profile** to open the linking dialog.

1.  Make sure **Add to Customer** is selected (this is the default mode).
2.  Type an email, name, or phone number into the search field and select **Search**.
3.  Browse the results. Each result shows the customer's email, name, and phone number (if on file).
4.  Select the matching customer from the results list.
5.  Select **Link to Profile** to complete the link.

The phone number is added to the customer's shipping address and the conversation is immediately associated with their profile.

:::tip

If you're unsure which customer matches, open their profile in a separate tab to verify before linking. Linking the wrong customer can be corrected, but it's easier to get it right the first time.

:::

## Creating and linking a new customer

If the caller doesn't have an existing customer record, you can create one directly from the linking dialog.

1.  Select **Create New** to switch to the create mode.
2.  Enter an **Email** address (required, must be a valid email format).
3.  Enter a **Password** (required, minimum 6 characters).
4.  Select **Create & Link** to create the customer and link the phone number in one step.

The phone number is automatically added to the new customer's shipping address.

## Where linking appears

The linking dialog is available in two contexts:

-   **SMS conversations** -- when viewing a conversation with an unrecognized phone number, the option to link or create a customer is presented in the conversation sidebar.
-   **Active calls** -- during a phone call with an unlinked number, the same linking interface is accessible from the call context panel.

In both cases, the workflow is identical: search for an existing customer or create a new one, and the phone number is associated with the profile.

## Related pages

-   [Customers overview](./index.md) -- capabilities summary and page navigation
-   [General customer settings](./general-customer-settings.md) -- customer profile fields
-   [Searching and filtering customers](./searching-and-filtering-customers.md) -- finding customers in the list view