Overview

Contacts can be associated with many items in Actionstep, and the ability to search, access, and edit them is key for productivity. This article will explain the basics of finding and editing contacts in Actionstep.

Finding a Contact

Contacts can be accessed from several places in Actionstep, but the three primary methods for finding a contact are by using the Quick Search Bar, contact list views, or directly from a matter. All three methods will direct you to a contact record so you can view or edit information related to that contact.

Quick Search Bar

The Quick Search Bar is available in the upper, right-hand corner of most screens. It can be used to search matters and contacts.

To find a contact using the Quick Search Bar, simply enter the contact’s first and/or last name. You don’t need to hit “Enter” after you’ve entered the information, as a drop-down will appear with any contacts or matters matching the text you’ve typed. You will know that an item in the drop-down is a contact if the icon next to the record is a contact card.

If you see the contact you’d like to view in the drop-down, you can click on it to open the contact record. If you don’t see it or there are too many results to filter through, you can access the advanced search tool using the link at the bottom of the drop-down.

For a more in-depth look into how results are returned for the Quick Search Bar, see this article.

Contact List Views

The “Contacts” menu on the top navigation bar in Actionstep will show you any contact lists you have available. You can see a list of all contacts or view any custom lists that have been configured by your firm. Selecting any of these options will open the list. Once the list is open, you can filter any column with the “Filter” option in the top left, and sort by any column by clicking on the column header. Clicking a contact’s name in the list will open their contact record.

From a Matter

NOTE: When contacts are accessed via a matter, they are locked for editing. Use the Quick Search Bar or Contact List Views to find and edit a contact.

When viewing a matter in Actionstep, you can jump directly to any related party’s contact record. There are three places where this can be accomplished.

The Primary Participant Card

All matters have a designated primary participant. In the Parties area of the matter, the Primary Participant’s Role (usually the Client) will have an asterisk displayed in the list.

The Primary Participant’s contact card will display in the upper right corner of the matter. To get to the contact record from there, simply click the contact’s name on the Primary Participant Card.

The Parties Panel on the Matter Home Screen

Two of the available panels on the matter home screen are Parties and Parties (detailed).

On the Parties panels, you can click the name of any participant related to the current matter to enter their contact record.

For more information on Matter Overview Panels, see Matter Overview

The Green Parties Icon

Each matter will also have a green icon for Parties. This page will display what contacts are listed as which participant type on the matter. Like the other options, any name on this page can be clicked to enter that participant’s contact record.

Viewing and Editing a Contact

Once you’ve opened a contact record you can view the details of the contact, such as email address and phone number, matters on which the contact is a party, and personal details about the contact. You can also navigate to different tabs across the top of the contact page to view other detailed information, such as notes or documents related to the contact, portal activity, etc.

To edit the details of a contact, click the Edit button in the top right of the contact page. Then you will be able to edit any of the details that you were able to view on the contact home page, such as contact information and personal details.

Editing a Contact Record after entering through a matter

Keep in mind that if you’ve accessed a contact record through any of the methods listed under “From a Matter” above, certain details about the contact will be locked for editing. In order to edit these locked fields, you will need to access the contact using a different method, such as the Quick Search Bar” or "Contact List View” methods above.

Help Center

Finding and Editing Contacts