Administrators can specify for a user whether they should also be created as a contact. To do this, a synchronization from the User module to the Contacts module is initiated for that user.
From then on, changes made to the user are automatically transferred to the contact.
In the Contacts module, these user contacts can be identified by the 
profile icon.
two users who have been synchronized with the Contacts module
Synchronize users
You can initiate synchronization with the Contacts module both when creating a new user and for existing users:
In the admin area, open the snap-in General system configuration > User settings > Users.
In the toolbox, click "Create user" and fill in the required fields.
or
Double-click an existing user.
Toggle the "Synchronize user to contact module" switch.
Save the user.
Direction of synchronization
All changes made to the user are automatically applied to the synchronized contact. The user is the active data source, which can also be edited and deleted.
The corresponding contact cannot be edited or deleted in the Contacts module.
Reversing Synchronization
Administrators can also reverse the synchronization direction so that the contact becomes the active data source, which can be edited and deleted.
Please note
In the vast majority of cases, however, such a reversal is not advisable, as it could result in a user being deleted.
Data update
After the initial synchronization, synchronization occurs again in the following cases:
Toolbox action "Synchronize users" (main view of the Users module)
Adding and changing values for the user
Re-enabling the "Synchronize user to contact module" switch
Field mapping
Field mapping allows you to control which metadata from the User module is transferred to the Contact module. This lets you specify exactly which information is synchronized.
By default, all available metadata fields are transferred. With custom mapping, you can limit the transfer to specific fields.
Set up field mapping
In the admin area, open the snap-in General system configuration > User settings > Synchronized users.
In the left column, you’ll see the metadata fields from the User module and in the right column, the metadata fields from the Contacts module.
Use the drop-down menus to select the metadata fields that should be mapped from the user to the contact.
Example:
"Academic title" (Users module)
"Title" (Contacts module)
Click the "Save" button
in the toolbox to apply the mapping.Then trigger the synchronization of user data (again), e.g., via the "Update all synchronized users" button.
drop-down menus for field mapping between the Users and Contacts modules
Please note
Metadata fields can only be mapped once each.
Mapping transfers values exclusively between existing metadata fields. It does not create new metadata fields.
Unmapped fields remain empty in the Contacts module. For example, if no mapping exists for "Email", the "Email" field in the Contacts module will remain empty.
Remove Field Mapping
Click the "Delete" icon 
next to a row to delete that mapping. This allows you to specify exactly which data is transferred from the user to the contact, for example, only:
first name
last name
email address
phone number
Click the icon 
in the left column to delete all mappings.
Delete contact & Delete user
Above the field mapping, you can specify the behavior when deleting a user or a contact.
Using the "Delete contact when user is deleted" toggle, you can control whether a synchronized contact should be deleted or remain when the linked user is deleted.
By default, it is not deleted automatically.
If the synchronization direction has been reversed, you can also configure this setting. In that case, use the "Delete user when contact is deleted" toggle.
settings for deleting both user and contact
💡 Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Can I edit the synchronized contact in the Contacts module?
No. As long as the user is the active data source, synchronized contacts cannot be edited or deleted in the Contacts module.What data is transferred from the user to the contact?
You define which metadata is transferred via the field mapping in the "Synchronized users" admin snap-in. By default, all available metadata fields are included.Why aren’t changes to the field mapping applied immediately?
After making changes to the mapping, you must trigger the synchronization again, for example, via "Update all synchronized users".What happens to the contact when the user is deleted?
This depends on the setting "Delete contact when user is deleted". If it is enabled, the linked contact is also deleted.