---
sourceDocument: Australia Customer Service Management
sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/customer-service-management

 Release :

    - australia

ft:locale :

    - en-US

ft:publication_title :

    - Australia Customer Service Management

ft:clusterId :

    - csm

bundleId :

    - csm

workflow :

    - Customer and Industry


---

# Configure accounts and contacts

# Configure accounts and contacts {#ariaid-title1}

* Release version: Australia
* 
* Updated March 12, 2026
* 
* ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 1 minute to read

An account is a supported external customer and a contact is a user who is an
employee of an account.

## Before you begin

Role required: One of the following roles:

* sn_crm_account_data_manager
* sn_crm_account_relationship_data_manager
* sn_crm_foundation_data_manager
* sn_crm_foundation_admin
* admin
{#configure-csm-accounts-contacts__ul_lmr_qmw_m3c}

## About this task

There are two types of accounts: customer accounts and partner accounts. The
Customer and Partner fields on the
Account form denote the account type. An account can be a customer account, a
partner account, or both.  
A partner is a supported external customer that sells to and supports other customers. A partner can report and manage cases on behalf of customers. A partner can also be a customer.  
Note:  
After importing customer account data, you must also [set the account
code system property](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/GCjtL7TFoGrAHIfMZHXOjQ "After importing customer account information, update the com.snc.cs_base.last.generated.code.tree.path property with the correct account code value.").  
An account can have multiple contacts but a contact can be associated with only one account. A contact can have one or more associated assets and service contracts. A contact can also have a user ID and can log in to the customer portal.  
Note:  
A contact is a user in the system. If you create a contact, that person is also added to the User table (sys_user).

## Procedure

* You can import existing accounts and contacts using guided setup.
* You can create accounts and contacts using the Customer Service Management application.
{#configure-csm-accounts-contacts__steps-unordered_ukg_jyh_rlb}
**Related concepts**   

* [Account hierarchy](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/_uNSFHilgV~zekE2~yvvIQ "Use the account hierarchy feature to create and view a parent-child relationship between accounts.")  
**Related tasks**   

* [Create customer accounts](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/Nntsn8fLoqUeDioSZCgv8A "An account is a supported external customer. Use the Customer Service Management application to create account records.")