Why it matters
Objects hold structured data connected to your contacts, such as orders, appointments, or jobs. This data is used to personalize messages and drive automations based on real-world actions. When configured correctly, objects help Whippy send the right message at the right time.
Key Concepts
Objects: Custom data structures related to contacts or related records (for example, order, appointment, location, job, assignment, candidate). Each object has one or more properties (fields).
Relationship to Contacts: Objects are usually tied directly to a contact. They can also be connected indirectly, for example via an external ID (for instance, a job record links to an assignment, which links to a candidate whose ID matches the contact’s external_id).
Automation and Personalization: Object fields can be used to personalize messages and drive automations and campaigns based on real-world events and statuses.
Creation and Population: Most objects and their data are created programmatically through integrations (for example, ATS sync apps) or via the public API. Users can define object structures in the UI but, at present, cannot create or populate individual object records from the UI.
Custom Object Schema: The definition of an object and its properties: property names, types, default values, and whether properties are required or searchable.
Channel Mappings: Settings that map object properties to specific channels so that certain values can influence channel behavior.
AI Extraction: You can configure your AI agent to extract custom data objects from calls or messages with a contact and populate your object model.
Step-by-Step: Viewing and Configuring Custom Objects
View object data in the Data tab
Go to Data in the main navigation.
If your workspace has custom objects, you will see Objects listed alongside Contacts, Segments, and Lists.
Click Objects to view all object records available to your organization.
Explore objects and download CSVs
Review the table of objects and their fields.
Use filters to narrow down objects by specific field values.
Adjust visible fields to choose which columns appear in the table.
Sort objects by supported fields as needed (for example, ascending or descending by date).
Download a CSV of all objects or filtered objects using the available export option.
Open custom object definitions in Settings
Go to Settings.
Under the Organisation section, select Data.
In the Custom Data area, review the list of all custom object types for your organization, including their names, created date, and updated date.
Edit an existing object definition
Click the three horizontal dots beside an object and select Edit object.
In the object view, review the existing properties, their types, and search visibility.
Click the pencil icon in the top right to open the Edit object modal.
Adjust the sort order if needed.
Configure associations by selecting:
Source custom property
Target custom object
Target custom property
Association type
Click Add another association to define additional relationships if needed, then save.
Create a new property on an object
From the object’s details, click New property.
In the Create new property modal, enter a Property name (minimum three characters).
Choose a Property type (text, number, float, boolean, date, list, or map).
Set a default value if applicable.
Toggle Required if the property must always have a value.
Toggle Search visibility to make the property available in search.
Save the property.
Configure channel mappings for objects
In Settings → Data → Custom Data, switch to the Channel mappings tab.
Review existing mappings, including the name, custom data type (for example, candidate or assignment schedule), custom property, and timestamps.
Click Add channel mapping to create a new mapping, or use the three vertical dots beside an entry to edit or delete a mapping.
When editing a mapping, update:
Channel mapping name
Custom data type
Custom property
Value and channel ID combinations
Save your changes.
Tips and Best Practices
Treat objects as the source of truth for structured operational data such as jobs, assignments, appointments, or orders.
Use associations to model real relationships (for example, job → assignment → candidate → contact) rather than duplicating data.
Mark only relevant properties as searchable to keep search fast and focused.
Keep property names consistent and descriptive so they are easy to reuse in segments, automations, and message templates.
Work with your integration or engineering team to ensure your ATS or internal systems sync objects correctly into Whippy.
Consider configuring your AI agent to extract object data from calls or messages where appropriate, to keep objects up to date.
Troubleshooting
Issue | Possible Cause | Fix |
Objects do not appear under Data | Workspace has no custom objects configured or synced | Confirm integrations or API syncs are set up; check Settings → Data → Custom Data for defined objects |
Cannot create object records in the UI | Current UI supports defining object structure but not manual record creation | Use integrations, the public API, or AI extraction to populate object data |
Segment does not reflect expected object-based conditions | Object relationships or fields are not set as expected | Review object associations and property values; verify the data path between object and contact (for example via external_id) |
Property not available in search | Search visibility is turned off for the property | Edit the object’s property in Settings → Data and enable search visibility |
Channel behavior not matching object values | Channel mapping misconfigured or missing | Review channel mappings in the Channel mappings tab and verify property, values, and channel IDs are correct |