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

# Capture leads

> Have the agent ask interested people for their details, save them to your Inbox, and tell you when a new lead arrives.

A **lead capture** action lets the agent save someone's contact details for you to follow up. When a conversation shows real interest — asking about prices, availability, or how to get started — the agent offers to take their details, asks for them a little at a time, and saves the lead once it has what you marked as required.

It does not ask everyone for their details up front. It asks when the conversation calls for it.

## What a new agent has

Every new agent starts with a lead capture action called `save_lead`, switched on for voice, chat and email:

| Field | Type  | Required |
| ----- | ----- | -------- |
| Name  | Text  | Yes      |
| Phone | Phone | No       |
| Email | Email | No       |

Only the name is required, so the agent takes whichever contact detail the person offers. On a call that is usually a phone number; in chat, an email.

To change it, go to **Agents → your agent → Actions** and click the edit button next to `save_lead`.

## Add a lead capture action

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Actions">
    Go to **Agents → your agent → Actions** and choose **Add action → Lead capture**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Name the tool">
    Enter a **Tool name**, such as `request_quote`. Use lowercase letters, digits and underscores, 3–40 characters, starting with a letter.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose the fields">
    Under **Fields to collect**, each row has a label, a type (**Text**, **Email** or **Phone**) and a **req** box for required. A new lead capture action starts with **Name** and **Email**, both required. Add rows with **Field** and remove them with the bin icon.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pick channels and save">
    Leave **Voice**, **Chat** and **Email** ticked, or untick the ones it should not run on. Click **Add**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

Keep it short. A name and one way to reach them is usually enough, and every extra required field is another reason for someone to stop.

### Field rules

* At least one field, and at most 12.
* Each field's key is made from its label: lowercased, with spaces and punctuation turned into underscores. **Preferred time** becomes `preferred_time`. Two fields cannot end up with the same key.
* The agent keeps asking until it has every required field. Each value is trimmed and cut at 500 characters.

<Tip>
  Label your contact fields exactly **Name**, **Email** and **Phone**. Those three fill the **Name** and **Contact** columns on the Leads page. A field labelled "Full name" or "Phone number" gets a different key and shows under **Extra** instead.
</Tip>

## Where leads land

Leads appear under **Inbox → Leads** as they are saved, newest first. Each row shows:

| Column      | What it shows                                                    |
| ----------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Name**    | The name field, or "Unknown" if there was none.                  |
| **Agent**   | Which agent took it.                                             |
| **Contact** | Email and phone.                                                 |
| **Extra**   | Any other fields, linked to the conversation the lead came from. |
| **When**    | When it was saved.                                               |

Filter by agent at the top of the page, and use **Export CSV** to download the list for a spreadsheet or CRM. The page shows the latest 200 leads.

When a lead includes a name, WireDesk also adds it to that person's contact if the contact has no name yet. It never overwrites a name you already have. See [Contacts](/docs/workspace/contacts).

## Getting told about new leads

Each new lead sends a **New lead** notification. By default it is an email to the workspace owner, with the name, email and phone, and a link to the Leads page.

To change how it arrives, or switch it off, go to **Settings → Notifications** and find **New lead**. You can choose **Email**, **Text**, or **Email and text**.

A text goes to the agent's transfer number — the same number set under **Channels → Phone** for [live transfers](/docs/actions/hand-calls-to-you). If the agent has no transfer number, or text messages are not available on your workspace, the notification arrives by email instead.

Every lead is on the Leads page whether or not a notification goes out. See [Notifications](/docs/workspace/notifications).

## Leads and messages are different

Separately from lead capture, every agent can take a message when it cannot help someone — a callback request, a complaint, anything outside what it knows. Messages are not leads. They show under **Needs attention** on the [dashboard](/docs/workspace/dashboard) and in the conversation, and they send a **Message taken** notification.

## Related

* [Collect data](/docs/actions/collect-data)
* [Inbox](/docs/workspace/inbox)
* [Notifications](/docs/workspace/notifications)
* [Exports](/docs/workspace/exports)