How are the user name and email populated and how can I update them?

In Customerly, the User Name and User Email fields are crucial for identifying and communicating with your contacts. These properties are automatically populated based on how the user enters your platform or is added to your Customerly workspace. Here’s a breakdown of how these properties are typically populated:

Main methods for setting user name and email

There are four primary ways that Customerly sets the user.name and user.email properties:

1. JavaScript SDK (Authenticated Messenger Load)

2. When the Customerly Messenger is loaded on your website and the user is authenticated via the JavaScript SDK, the name and email provided in the authentication payload are used to populate these fields.

3. REST API (POST /user)

4. If you’re using the Customerly API to programmatically create or update users, the data you provide in the POST /user request will set the user name and email.

5. CSV or Excel Import

6. When importing users into Customerly via CSV or Excel, any values included in the name and email columns will directly set those contact properties.

7. Manual Updates via Inbox or Contact View

8. You or your team can manually update these fields from the Contact View inside the Inbox interface.

Can you overwrite the user name?

Yes—but with a caveat. If the user is authenticated through the JavaScript SDK and the payload contains outdated or incorrect values (e.g. name = “NA”), these will overwrite any manual changes you’ve made. Customerly assumes the most recent data passed from your platform is the most accurate, regardless of where it originates.

Example scenario:

• A user is authenticated with:
  - Name: “NA”
  - Email: “x@c.com”

• You manually change the name to “Raluca” from the inbox.

• If the user returns and your JS SDK still sends "name": "NA", then the “Raluca” name will be replaced with “NA”.

Why your chatflow may not update the user name

If you’re using a Chatflow to ask for the user’s name and expect it to update the User Name field directly, that won’t work unless:

• You’re collecting the name into a Conversation Property, and

• That property is then mapped to user.name via API or manual action.

Simply assigning values to generic properties (like “name” or “username”) in the Chatflow won’t override the official user.name property unless explicitly handled afterward.

Best practices to avoid overwriting accurate user names

• Do not send a name field if it’s not available. Sending “NA” or a placeholder will overwrite correct data.

• Ensure your JS SDK is sending clean and up-to-date data. Before authenticating a user, validate the fields you’re passing.

• Use Chatflows + API if you want to update contact properties dynamically. Chatflows can gather input, but need follow-up logic or API calls to write it to user.name.

Final tip

If you’re troubleshooting issues where the User Name keeps reverting or not updating:

1. Double-check the authentication payload from your JS SDK.

2. Avoid defaulting to placeholders like “NA”.

3. Confirm if the user is authenticated or anonymous—this affects how data is handled and retained.

Let your developers know that data integrity starts from the source, and clean inputs will ensure reliable, consistent user information within Customerly.