Custom Contacts
Custom Contacts allow teams to add people to Muck Rack who are not eligible to be included in Muck Rack’s database due to our criteria. Additionally, Muck Rack’s internal research team evaluates requests to determine if individuals meet the platform’s public inclusion criteria. If they qualify, their profiles may be added or updated. Common reasons for ineligibility include the individual not being a journalist or media professional, or not meeting Muck Rack's profile requirements.
NOTE: Custom contacts can be visually identified by a specific icon, such as a card logo, while verified profiles are marked with a Muck Rack checkmark.
Custom Contacts are created when a Media List is imported, and a person in your list cannot be matched to an existing Muck Rack profile, either with a matching email address or X (Twitter) handle. The internal research team may also assess these individuals to determine if they meet the criteria for inclusion in the database.
Important: Custom contacts are not synchronized across different media lists, so updates must be made individually for each list.
NOTE: Custom Contacts can include specific people or generic contacts (ex: sports@faketimes.com). Muck Rack ensures that custom contacts are private by default. No other organizations or users outside your team can access or view your custom contacts. This makes them a secure way to manage private contact information within your organization.
Internal Research Team Assessment
Muck Rack’s internal research team plays a crucial role in evaluating individuals who are not in the database. If a request is made, the team assesses whether the individual meets the platform’s public inclusion criteria. Profiles that qualify may be added or updated, while those that do not meet the criteria or lack recent journalism-related activity may be marked as out of date. This often includes individuals who are not journalists or media professionals, or those who do not meet the platform's profile requirements.
Watch the video below to learn about Muck Rack Custom Contacts.
NOTE: Do you have 500 or more Custom Contacts you want to add? If so, please contact our team. We can import those contacts for you in bulk to save you time.
Create A Custom Contact
Custom Contacts can be created for people or generic email addresses like news desks. When adding a Custom Contact, if we find a match to an existing Muck Rack profile, we’ll add the maintained Muck Rack profile to your Media List instead. If no match is found, the internal research team may review the contact to determine if they meet the inclusion criteria for the database.
From the navigation bar, select Relationships > Custom Contacts.
Select Add Contact.
Edit your Custom Contact’s information then select Save at the bottom.
You can now bulk add up to 500 Media Lists Imports in Muck Rack. Any contacts without a match in the Muck Rack database will be added as a Custom Contact.
To prepare for bulk updates, you can create a CSV or Excel list of contacts with missing or outdated information for review and updating.
Edit a Custom Contact
NOTE: All Custom Contact edits made from the organization page or Media Lists automatically syncs to contacts in other lists.
You can edit Custom Contacts by following the steps listed below:
Find your Custom Contact in a Media List or your organization’s Custom Contacts list and select their name.
In the Actions menu, select Edit.
Update your Custom Contact’s information and select the Save button at the bottom of the page.
NOTE: You can now bulk add up to 500 Media Lists Imports in Muck Rack. Any contacts without a match in the Muck Rack database will be added as a Custom Contact.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Question | Answer |
Can everyone see my Custom Contacts? | Custom Contacts are only visible to your organization and are not part of Muck Rack’s maintained database of journalists. |
What happens if my Custom Contact gets added to Muck Rack's system? | If we ever add a person to our database who matches one of your Custom Contacts, we will promote your contact to the profile maintained by Muck Rack’s team. Your team’s data about that contact, like activities and relationship owners, will remain private. |
Will Custom Contacts appear when I search? | Because Custom Contacts are only visible to one organization, they cannot appear in search results, and Muck Rack does not track new bylines or Tweets for Custom Contacts. |
I added a Custom Contact, but their profile is not visible/not updating. Why? | Custom Contacts do not have profiles updated by Muck Rack. Therefore, you will not see any live updates about their activity. |
How can I bulk upload lists of custom contacts into Muck Rack? | You can now bulk upload up to 500 contacts into new or existing Media Lists directly via CSV or XLSX.
Once uploaded, you’ll see a summary screen with import results and receive an email confirmation.
You can read more about the process in our Import Media Lists and Import Outlet Lists articles. |
Why isn’t a specific person included in Muck Rack? | Individuals who do not meet Muck Rack’s inclusion criteria will not appear in the database. This often includes non-journalists or those who do not meet the platform's profile requirements. |
Can I still track someone who isn’t eligible for inclusion? | Yes, you can add them as a Custom Contact. This allows you to store their information and collaborate with your team effectively. |
What should I do if a contact shows as "Unknown"? | a contact displays as "Unknown" and is not a custom contact, you cannot edit its details directly. Instead, consider removing or replacing outdated contacts on your lists. Use the contact’s profile or linked professional history to confirm current affiliations. |
How can I manage bulk updates? | Prepare a CSV or Excel list of the contacts requiring updates and review them for accuracy. This approach is particularly useful for managing large media lists efficiently. |
What happens to email privacy when a Custom Contact is merged with an existing profile? | Emails added via custom contacts remain private and are visible only to your organization, even if merged with an existing profile. If the email is not publicly available, it will not appear on the journalist’s profile. |
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