Differences Between Roles and Contacts

Display in Conversations

Contact

MaiAgent creates a contact ID in the synchronized user information storage to identify user conversation information.

Users do not need to log in or have a MaiAgent account to be created.

To learn more about contacts, please refer to 🌐Contact

Contact name not set: Users default to anonymous

Role

To assign a role to a user, that user must have a MaiAgent account and be part of the organization. Enterprises can predefine roles internally, such as: customer service representative, administrative staff, intern, etc. Within the organization, roles can be created in advance with usable permissions and reference databases. Organization members can select roles according to their needs and directly apply the settings.

Role user basic information display

To learn more about contacts, please refer to 🌐Role Permission Management

Permission Method Comparison

AI assistant embedded view

Comparison Item	Contact	Role
🎯 Use Case	External users, system integration	Internal users, organizational management
👤 MaiAgent Registration	❌ No registration required	✅ Registration and organization membership required
📋 Creation Method	Automatically created by system or manually created	Predefined role templates
🔄 Update Mechanism	Dynamic user information synchronization	Static role permission settings
🎯 Purpose	Identify user conversation information	Apply default permission settings, manage AI assistant backend permissions
👥 Target Users	External visitors, members	Internal employees, organization members
⚙️ Management Method	Managed through API integration	Managed through backend role management
📊 Permission Control	Dynamic control based on Contact ID	Static control based on Role

Typical Application Scenarios

Contact Use Cases: Suitable for scenarios requiring clear role division and permission definition

• Corporate Website: Visitors receive different product information based on their identity

• Member Center: Access corresponding service content based on membership level

• Customer Service Center: Provide differentiated support based on customer type

Role Use Cases

• Internal Operations: Employees handle work according to departmental roles

• Customer Service Team: Query knowledge base according to scope of responsibility

• Management Level: Conduct content review and maintenance according to permissions

Comprehensive Usage Strategy

Contact management is suitable for external business (where explicit user identity is not required)

Role management is suitable for internal business (where clear permission division is needed / multiple members can use the same permissions)

Contact and role authorization usage recommendations