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

# List and search contacts

> Returns your contacts and leads one page at a time, with every number, email, tag and custom field on each row. Narrow the list with `search`, `tagIds`, `type` and `updatedSince`. For an exact phone or email match, use [Look up contacts](/api-reference/contacts/look-up-contacts). To follow changes as they happen, subscribe to the [`contact.created`, `contact.updated` and `contact.deleted`](/guides/webhooks/events/contacts) webhooks.

**How `search` matches.** Text fields (name, company, title, industry, website, address, city, state and zip) match by word prefix, and every word must match. Emails match by substring. Phone numbers are searched only when the query has no letters, and then match any number that contains its digits. Custom fields and notes are not searched. With `search`, `tagIds` matches plain tag links only.

**Ordering.** Without `search`, the newest contacts come first; with `updatedSince` (and no `search`), the most recently updated come first. With `search`, the best matches come first. The order stays stable while you page through one query. A filtered page can hold fewer than `limit` contacts while more pages follow.

**Syncing with `updatedSince`.** Send the time your previous run started. `updatedAt` moves on changes made through this API, the Dashboard contact form and CSV import. Dashboard bulk edits, CRM list sync, and renaming or deleting a contact tag do not move it, so contacts changed only that way are not returned.



## API Specification

The full API specification for this endpoint is available in the [documentation index](https://help.cloudtalk.io/llms.txt).


## Related topics

- [List contacts](https://help.cloudtalk.io/api-reference/contacts-legacy/list-contacts.md)
- [Inspect a contact](https://help.cloudtalk.io/api-reference/contacts-legacy/inspect-a-contact.md)
- [Look up contacts](https://help.cloudtalk.io/api-reference/contacts/look-up-contacts.md)


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