Feature Update: Special Characters Now Supported in Directory Contact Names

Feature Update: Special Characters Now Supported in Directory Contact Names

Summary:

The Directory feature now supports special characters in contact names. This allows for more accurate and flexible data entry, particularly when names require formatting, branding, or international characters.

You can now use special characters such as:

! @ / _ & – + # ( ) * ~

This applies across all contact types, including Vendor, Customer, Contractor, Employee, Lead, and Misc Contact.

How to Access the Directory:

1. From the main dashboard, click on “Menu”.

2. Select “Directory”.

3. At the bottom of the Directory screen, you’ll see a list of existing contacts.

Each contact in the list includes the following information:

• Company
• Name
• Phone
• Cell
• Address
• Type (Vendor, Customer, Contractor, Employee, Lead, Misc Contact)

How to Add or Edit a Contact with Special Characters:

You can now add special characters when creating a new contact or editing an existing one.

To add a new contact:

1. Click the “+ Contact” button.
2. Choose a contact type, such as:
   • Contractor
   • Vendor
   • Customer
   • Employee
   • Lead
   • Misc Contact

3. In the Name field, enter the contact’s name using special characters as needed.

Examples:

• Taha_Qureshi
• John Smith / Partner @ ACME
• Lucia Pérez – International Lead
• Amir-Khan (Contractor)

4. Fill in the rest of the form as needed.
5. Click “Save”.

To edit an existing contact:

1. Click on the name of the contact you want to update.
2. In the Name field, modify the name to include special characters.
3. Click “Save”.

Use Case Examples:

Old Name: John Smith
New Name: John Smith / Partner @ ACME

Old Name: Amir Khan
New Name: Amir_Khan #1 (Lead)

Old Name: ACME Vendor
New Name: ACME-Vendor_International

These formatting changes help better reflect branding, roles, or structured naming conventions.

Additional Notes:

• This change only affects the contact name field in the Directory module.
• All modern browsers and mobile interfaces support the updated input.
• The system will no longer block or remove supported special characters.
• Unsupported characters such as emojis or non-standard symbols are still not allowed.

Need Support?

If you encounter any issues or have questions, contact the product or support team directly or message in the internal Slack channel for Directory-related questions.