Preferences control event-channel pairs. Contacts store delivery addresses.
Manage which notifications each login receives and where they are sent.
Preferences control the event-channel pairs (e.g. billing alerts via email). Contacts store the email addresses and phone numbers that receive the notifications — they are separate from the login email.
Without registered contacts, email/SMS/WhatsApp notifications are not sent. Only the dashboard bell receives them. Every login starts with an empty contact list.
Key differences
| Concept | Preferences | Contacts |
|---|---|---|
| What it controls | Which events on which channels | Where notifications are delivered |
| Channel names | Uppercase: EMAIL, SMS, WHATSAPP, DASHBOARD | Lowercase type: email, phone |
| Limit | 40 pairs (fixed) | Up to 3 emails + 3 phones per login |
| Scope | Per login | Per login |