> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.intellixent.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Leads

> Manage the contacts your campaigns will call, including primary and secondary numbers, custom variables, and status tracking.

Leads are the contacts your outbound campaigns will call. Each lead has a primary phone number, optional secondary numbers for fallback contact attempts, and custom variables your AI assistant can use to personalise each conversation.

## What a lead contains

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Primary contact" icon="user">
    The main phone number and contact details. This is the first number the campaign dials.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Secondary contacts" icon="users">
    Additional phone numbers for the same lead — backup contacts, alternative numbers, or other decision-makers.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Custom variables" icon="code">
    Lead-specific data your AI uses during the conversation, such as name, company, last interaction, or preferences.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Status tracking" icon="chart-line">
    Tracks where each lead is in the campaign lifecycle — from first attempt through completion or retry exhaustion.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Lead status system

Each lead moves through the following statuses during campaign execution:

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Created">
    The lead is queued and ready for its first contact attempt.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Scheduled">
    The lead is queued for its next retry attempt based on campaign settings.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Processing">
    A call is currently in progress for this lead.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Rescheduled">
    The call attempt was unsuccessful. The lead will be retried after the configured retry interval.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Max retries">
    The maximum number of call attempts has been reached. The campaign will not call this lead again.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Completed">
    The lead was successfully contacted or the campaign goal was achieved.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Primary vs secondary contacts

### Primary contacts

* The main record for each lead
* The first number dialled in the campaign sequence
* Inherits default variable values from the assistant's configuration
* Controls the lead's overall status and completion

### Secondary contacts

* Additional numbers for the same person or business
* Called if the primary number doesn't answer (based on campaign retry settings)
* Each secondary contact tracks its own status independently
* Can have their own variable values separate from the primary contact

<Tip>
  **Example:** A B2B lead might have the main office number as the primary contact, with the decision-maker's direct line and mobile as secondary contacts.
</Tip>

## Variables system

Variables let your AI personalise each conversation using lead-specific information. They are inherited from your assistant's configuration and can be customised per lead.

**Example variables:**

```json theme={null}
{
  "customer_name": "Sarah Johnson",
  "company": "TechStart Solutions",
  "last_interaction": "Requested demo of premium features",
  "preferred_contact_time": "Afternoon EST",
  "industry": "Software Development"
}
```

Your assistant can reference these in conversations using syntax like `{customer_name}` and `{company}`.

## Key capabilities

* **Manual creation or bulk import** via CSV or Excel, with validation and error reporting
* **Status tracking** throughout the campaign lifecycle with automatic updates
* **Export** filtered lead data to CSV
* **Single campaign assignment** per lead
* **Manual status control** for cases where you need to reset, complete, or reschedule leads outside normal automation

<Note>
  Phone numbers should always be in international format without spaces or parentheses — for example, `+14155551234`.
</Note>

## Next steps

* [Manage individual leads](/leads/managing-leads) — create, edit, and control lead status
* [Import leads in bulk](/leads/importing-leads) — upload CSV or Excel files with validation