Overview
When you compose an email or create an activity in Matrix, you may notice that a contact you know exists in the system doesn't appear in the To, CC, or Contact fields. This is one of the most common points of confusion for new Matrix users. The good news is it's not a bug. It's by design, and it's easy to fix once you understand why it happens.
Why This Happens
Matrix ties available contacts to the specific record you're working on. When you start an activity (including an email), you first select the Lead or Account/Opportunity the activity belongs to. That selection acts as a filter, so Matrix only shows you contacts who are already associated with that Lead or Account.
This is intentional to keep Contact associations clean and accurate.
So if a contact exists in Matrix but isn't linked to the Lead or Account you're working on, their name simply won't appear. They are not missing from the system; the association just has not been made yet.
How to Fix It
If a contact isn't showing up when you try to send an email or log an activity, you have two options to establish the association. Use whichever fits your workflow.
Option 1: Add the Contact to the Lead Record
This is the best path when you're actively working a lead and you know the contact belongs on it.
Go to the Lead record you're working on, find the Contacts field, and add the contact there. Once saved, that contact will appear in the To/CC fields the next time you compose an email or create an activity on that Lead.
Option 2: Add the Account to the Contact Record
This is the better path when the contact is missing a broader account association, for example after a data import where account links weren't fully established.
Navigate to the Contacts menu in the left sidebar, search for and open the contact record, then locate the Accounts field and add the appropriate account. Once the account is linked, the contact will be available for any activities or emails attached to that Account or its related Leads.
A contact record can be associated with any number of Leads and Accounts in Matrix.
A Note on Imports
If your team imported contacts from another system, some contacts may have landed in Matrix without being linked to any Account. This is a common cause of the issue appearing across multiple contacts at once. The fix is the same: use Option 2 above to associate those contacts with the correct accounts.
Key Takeaway
A contact record can be associated with any number of Leads and Accounts in Matrix. The more completely your contacts are linked, the smoother your email and activity workflow will be. If you're regularly finding contacts missing from the selection list, it's worth doing a quick audit to make sure your contact-to-account associations are complete.
Questions? Email support@m1intel.com