Spoke provides four different types of contact directories to help you find and call the right people efficiently. Each directory serves a specific purpose and has different access levels.
Overview of Phonebook Types
Internal Directory (Read-Only)
Shared Company Contacts (Read-Only)
Assigned to Me (Read-Only)
My Personal Contacts (Editable)
Internal Directory
Everyone in your company
Shared Contacts
External contacts available to everyone
Assigned to Me
Company contacts only you can see
Personal Contacts
Contacts you manage yourself
1. Internal Directory
What it contains: All company employees, teams, and internal extensions
Who can access it: All users within your organization
How it works: This directory automatically includes everyone in your company who uses Spoke. You can search for colleagues by name, department, or team to quickly connect with internal contacts. Team extensions and group calling numbers are also found here.
Managed by: Your company's IT administrator
2. Shared Contacts
What it contains: External business contacts (customers, vendors, partners) that are available company-wide
Who can access it: All users within your organization
How it works: These contacts are typically synced from your company's CRM system or other business databases. Everyone in your organization can see and call these contacts, making it easy to connect with important external stakeholders.
Managed by: Your company's IT administrator or CRM system
3. Assigned Contacts
What it contains: External contacts assigned specifically to you based on your role or territory
Who can access it: Only you can see these contacts
How it works: Your company manages these contacts but restricts visibility based on business rules. For example, you might only see customers assigned to your territory or accounts you're responsible for managing. While you can view and call these contacts, you cannot edit their information.
Managed by: Your company's IT administrator or CRM system
4. Personal Contacts
What it contains: Private contacts that you create and manage yourself
Who can access it: Only you can see these contacts
How it works: These are contacts you add directly in the Spoke app for your personal use - such as local suppliers, frequently called vendors, or other business contacts specific to your work. You have complete control over these contacts and can add, edit, or delete them as needed.
Managed by: You
How to Access Your Phonebooks
In the Spoke app, you'll find two main directories:
Internal Directory
Contains all company employees and teams. This is accessed separately from external contacts.
External Directory
All external contacts are searchable in one unified directory. When you search the External Directory, you'll see results from:
- Company Shared Contacts
- My Assigned Contacts
- Personal Contacts
You don't need to search these separately - they're all combined into one convenient external contact search.
Search Behavior
Internal Directory: Shows all company employees and teams that everyone can access.
External Directory: Shows all external contacts you have access to in one combined search, including:
- Company Shared Contacts (visible to everyone)
- My Assigned Contacts (visible only to you)
- Personal Contacts (visible only to you)
The system automatically filters results based on your access permissions, so you'll only see contacts you're authorized to view.