Filtering by Owner

April 23, 2026

Filtering by Owner #

Contact ownership is a key feature in PloverCRM that helps teams manage contacts effectively. Filtering by owner allows you to view contacts assigned to specific team members, track workload distribution, and manage your personal contact list.

Overview #

Owner filtering enables you to:

  • View your own contacts
  • View team members’ contacts
  • Find unassigned contacts
  • Track workload distribution
  • Manage contact assignments
  • Generate owner-based reports

Understanding Contact Ownership #

Contact Owner: The user assigned to manage the contact — their primary point of contact, responsible for follow-ups, and can be reassigned.

Unassigned Contacts: No owner assigned; available for claiming; visible to all (depending on permissions).

See Contact Ownership for detailed information.

Filtering by Owner #

View Your Own Contacts

  1. Navigate to PloverCRM → Contacts
  2. Click the My Contacts filter (or select your name from the Owner dropdown)
  3. View your assigned contacts

Shortcut: PloverCRM → My Contacts (direct menu item)

You will see contacts you own, unassigned contacts (if view_scope = all), and your role will exclude others’ contacts if view_scope = owned.

View Another User’s Contacts

  1. Navigate to PloverCRM → Contacts
  2. Click the Owner filter dropdown
  3. Select a team member’s name
  4. Click Filter

Permission required: view_scope = all (Super Admins can always view)

Owner: John Smith
Result: All contacts assigned to John Smith

View Unassigned Contacts

  1. Navigate to PloverCRM → Contacts
  2. Click the Owner filter dropdown
  3. Select Unassigned
  4. Click Filter

Use cases: Claim new leads, distribute workload, find orphaned contacts, clean up assignments.

View All Contacts

  1. Navigate to PloverCRM → Contacts
  2. Click the Owner filter dropdown
  3. Select All Contacts
  4. Click Filter

Permission required: view_scope = all (Super Admins always have access)

Combining Owner with Other Filters #

Owner + Stage

Owner: Jane Doe
Stage: Prospect
Result: Jane's prospects

Owner + Lists

Owner: John Smith
List: Newsletter
Result: John's newsletter subscribers

Owner + Tags

Owner: Me
Tag: Hot Lead
Result: Your hot leads

Owner + Search

Owner: Jane Doe
Search: @example.com
Result: Jane's contacts from example.com

Owner + Date Range

Owner: Me
Date: Last 30 days
Result: Your contacts created in the last month

Ownership-Based Workflows #

Daily Contact Review

1. Filter: My Contacts
2. Sort: Last Activity (oldest first)
3. Review: Contacts needing follow-up
4. Action: Update, add notes, schedule tasks
5. Report: Daily activity summary

Lead Distribution

1. Filter: Unassigned
2. Filter: Stage = Lead
3. Sort: Date Created (newest first)
4. Select: Batch of leads
5. Bulk Action: Assign to team member

Workload Balancing

1. Filter by each team member
2. Count contacts per person
3. Identify overloaded members
4. Reassign contacts to balance
5. Monitor distribution

Territory Management

1. Filter: Unassigned
2. Search: City/State
3. Select: Contacts in territory
4. Assign: To territory owner
5. Repeat: For each territory

Claiming Unassigned Contacts #

Claim Process

Method 1: Individual Claim

  1. View the unassigned contact
  2. Click Claim Contact
  3. Contact is assigned to you

Method 2: Bulk Claim

  1. Filter: Unassigned
  2. Select multiple contacts
  3. Bulk Action: Assign to Me
  4. Apply

Permission required: view_scope = all, or the contact is unassigned and you have claim permission.

Claim Strategies

  • First Come, First Served: Team members claim as they see them; fast response to new leads; self-directed workload
  • Round Robin: Automated assignment rotation; fair distribution; requires automation setup
  • Territory-Based: Claim based on location; geographic responsibility; clear ownership boundaries
  • Skill-Based: Claim based on expertise, industry specialization, or product knowledge

Reassigning Contacts #

Reassignment Process

Method 1: Individual Reassign

  1. Open the contact
  2. Change Owner in the metabox
  3. Select new owner
  4. Save

Method 2: Bulk Reassign

  1. Filter by current owner
  2. Select contacts
  3. Bulk Action: Reassign
  4. Select new owner
  5. Apply

Permission required: reassign_scope = all (any contact) or reassign_scope = owned (own contacts only)

See Reassigning Contacts for a detailed guide.

Reassignment Scenarios

Team Member Leaving:

1. Filter: Departing member's contacts
2. Select: All contacts
3. Reassign: To remaining team members
4. Distribute: Evenly or by territory

Workload Rebalancing:

1. Identify: Overloaded team member
2. Filter: Their contacts
3. Select: Portion to reassign
4. Reassign: To less busy members

Specialization:

1. Filter: By industry/product
2. Select: Relevant contacts
3. Reassign: To specialist
4. Improve: Customer experience

Owner-Based Reporting #

Contact Distribution

Manual Count:

1. Filter by each owner
2. Note contact count
3. Create spreadsheet
4. Calculate percentages
5. Visualize distribution

Report Output:

John Smith: 150 contacts (30%)
Jane Doe: 125 contacts (25%)
Bob Johnson: 100 contacts (20%)
Unassigned: 125 contacts (25%)
Total: 500 contacts

Performance Metrics

Metrics to track: Total contacts owned, new contacts this month, contacts by stage, conversion rates, average deal size, response time.

Example Report:

Owner: John Smith
Total Contacts: 150
Leads: 50
Prospects: 40
Customers: 60
Conversion Rate: 40%
Avg Deal Size: $5,000

Activity Reports

Metrics to track: Notes added, emails sent, calls made, meetings scheduled, last activity date.

Example:

Owner: Jane Doe — This Week
- 25 notes added
- 30 emails sent
- 15 calls made
- 5 meetings scheduled
- Avg response time: 2 hours

Advanced Owner Filtering #

Multiple Owners

  1. Click the Owner filter dropdown
  2. Select multiple owners (Ctrl+Click)
  3. Click Filter
Owners: John Smith, Jane Doe
Result: Contacts owned by either John or Jane

Owner + Unassigned

View your contacts alongside available leads:

1. Filter: My Contacts
2. Include: Unassigned
3. Result: Your contacts + leads to claim

Exclude an Owner

View contacts not owned by a specific person:

1. Select all owners except the one to exclude
2. Apply filter
3. View remaining contacts

Ownership Permissions #

view_scope = owned: Can only see own contacts and unassigned contacts; cannot see others’ contacts.

view_scope = all: Can see all contacts regardless of owner.

update_scope = owned: Can only update own contacts; may update unassigned (if permitted).

update_scope = all: Can update any contact, including others’ and unassigned.

reassign_scope = owned: Can reassign own contacts only.

reassign_scope = all: Can reassign any contact, including unassigning.

See Roles and Permissions for details.

Troubleshooting #

Cannot See Other Owners’ Contacts

Problem: Owner filter shows only your contacts.

  1. Check view_scope setting
  2. Request view_scope = all permission
  3. Contact administrator
  4. Verify role permissions

Cannot Filter by Owner

Problem: Owner filter not available.

  1. Check if ownership is enabled
  2. Verify you have the appropriate role
  3. Refresh the page
  4. Check for JavaScript errors
  5. Contact support

Unassigned Filter Shows No Results

Problem: No unassigned contacts appear.

  1. Verify unassigned contacts exist
  2. Check if all contacts are already assigned
  3. Remove other filters
  4. Check view permissions
  5. Verify contacts are not in trash

Cannot Claim Contact

Problem: Claim button is disabled or missing.

  1. Check if contact is truly unassigned
  2. Verify claim permissions
  3. Check view_scope setting
  4. Ensure contact is not locked
  5. Contact administrator

Owner Changes Don’t Save

Problem: Reassignment doesn’t persist.

  1. Check reassign permissions
  2. Verify the new owner has CRM access
  3. Check for validation errors
  4. Review browser console
  5. Check server error logs

Best Practices #

Ownership Management

  1. Assign Promptly: Assign new contacts quickly; don’t leave contacts unassigned for long; clear ownership means better service
  2. Regular Reviews: Weekly ownership audits, identify unassigned contacts, rebalance workload
  3. Clear Responsibilities: Document ownership expectations, define follow-up requirements, set response time standards

Team Coordination

  1. Ownership Rules: Define assignment criteria, document territory boundaries, clarify specializations
  2. Communication: Notify on reassignment, explain ownership changes, coordinate handoffs
  3. Workload Balance: Monitor distribution regularly, rebalance as needed, consider capacity

Filtering Workflow

  1. Start with Owner: Filter by owner first, then add other filters, narrow progressively
  2. Save Common Views: “My Active Prospects”, “My Hot Leads”, “Unassigned Leads”
  3. Daily Routine: Morning — review your contacts; Midday — check unassigned; Evening — update activities

Need Help? #

If you’re having trouble filtering by owner:

  1. Verify your view_scope permissions
  2. Check if ownership is enabled
  3. Try filtering by different owners
  4. Review role permissions
  5. Contact support with specific filter criteria

Last updated: February 3, 2026

Updated on April 23, 2026

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