Node reference

Update Contact for Joomla

Updates an existing Joomla contact record (com_contact) when the flow runs. Use to sync CRM changes, fix details after form submissions, or batch-update contact categories.

Overview

Updates an existing Joomla contact record (com_contact) when the flow runs. Use to sync CRM changes, fix details after form submissions, or batch-update contact categories.

When the flow reaches this step, JOrchestrator executes Update Contact against your linked site or an external integration, using the field values you set on General and Design. Downstream steps can read the output payload fields defined for this node.

Why use this node

Update Contact is a action step in the Contacts group. Action steps run in the middle or end of a flow. They perform work on your CMS, call external services, or transform data for the next step.

Typical reasons teams add Update Contact to a flow:

  • Update Contact on your linked Joomla site when the flow reaches this step
  • Update contact based on webhook, schedule, or CMS event data
  • Integrate Contacts operations with messaging, AI, or database steps in one canvas

Example workflows

Common patterns on the canvas:

  1. Trigger or Webhook → upstream steps → Update ContactSend Email or CMS update
  2. Scheduled triggerUpdate ContactDebug (while testing) → production action

How to set it up

Pick the contact from the Joomla list. To change category: id / {{…}} and/or Contact Categories; leave manual and picker empty to keep current category.

Good to know

Name and slug fields follow com_contact validation rules.

Properties panel

The designer shows these tabs for this node:

TabPurpose
InfoPlain-language description and output payload fields for downstream steps
GeneralCanvas label and read-only node ID
AIOptional assistant to help draft settings from plain language
DesignNode-specific configuration fields

System (automatic — not edited by the user)

These fields are managed by the designer or runtime — you do not type into them directly:

Property keyLabelTypeRequiredVisible whenNotes
_nodeIdNode IDnode-idNo
_payloadFieldsAvailable Fieldspayload-panelNo

User-configured — General tab

Property keyLabelTypeRequiredVisible whenNotes
labelLabeltextNoNode label

User-configured — Design tab

Property keyLabelTypeRequiredVisible whenNotes
nameNamepayload-textNoLeave empty to keep current
catid_manualContact category (id or {{placeholder}}) — optionalpayload-textNoLeave empty to keep category; or type id / {{…}} — or choose below (shows category name)
aliasAliaspayload-textNo
publishedPublishedselect (` | 0 | 1; default: `)No
email_toContact emailpayload-textNo
addressAddresspayload-textNo
suburbCity / Suburbpayload-textNo
stateState / Countypayload-textNo
postcodePostal codepayload-textNo
countryCountrypayload-textNo
telephoneTelephonepayload-textNo
mobileMobilepayload-textNo
webpageWebsitepayload-textNo

CMS-backed (options from the linked site)

Property keyLabelTypeRequiredVisible whenNotes
idContact to updatecontact-selectYesSelect contact from Joomla
catidContact Categories (optional)contact-category-selectNoSelect category (fills the field above)
languageLanguagecontent-language-selectNoSelect language (* = all)

CMS site configuration (not on this node's properties panel)

Credentials, API keys, mailers, SMTP, and integration defaults are configured in the CMS plugin under Node Configuration, not per step on this node. Link the flow to a domain before testing CMS-backed fields.

Output payload fields

After this step runs, later nodes can reference these fields using placeholders such as {{update_contact.id}}.

Field keyTypeDescription
idstringPrimary record identifier.
namestringDisplay name of the record.
aliasstringURL-safe alias / slug.
catidstringCategory ID.
publishednumberPublished flag (0 or 1).
email_tostringContact form recipient email.