Overview

When working across Bright products, you will need to search for and select existing clients, or create new ones. BrightClient stores all client, person, and contact records in one central place so that your data stays consistent across every product you use.

This article explains how to search for business clients, individual clients, contacts, and addresses, and what happens in each scenario.

Quick Reference

Use this table to find the right section for your task:

Before You Start

• You must have access to BrightClient and the relevant Bright product (for example, BrightBooks, BrightAP, or BrightManager).
• You will need at least three characters to trigger a search result.
• Important: When adding individual clients or contacts, always search for the person first. This prevents duplicate records being created.

Searching for a Business Client

Use this search when you need to find or create a limited company, partnership, or other business entity.

How to Search

1. Begin typing the registered company name (not the trading name) into the client name field.
2. Search results will appear after you have entered at least three characters.
3. Review the results and select the correct client.

Selecting an Existing Business Client

1. Select the client from the search results.
2. The client details will populate automatically. The client name field will be locked while you complete the process.

3. To start again, click the X icon on the name field to deselect.

    

Creating a New Business Client

1. If the client does not appear in the search results, click Create New in the dropdown.
2. Complete all required fields for the new client.
3. The new client record will be saved in BrightClient when you finish.

Searching for an Individual Client

Important: When adding an individual client, you search for the person first,  not the client record. This is by design. BrightClient stores one person record per individual, which keeps their details consistent across all products and services.

How to Search

1. Begin typing the person's full name into the search field.
2. Search results will appear after at least three characters have been entered.
3. Review the results,  three outcomes are possible.

Searching for a Contact

Contacts represent the relationship between a person and a client - for example, a director, shareholder, or authorised signatory linked to a business.

There are three ways to add a contact, depending on whether the person already exists in BrightClient.

Option 1: Select from Associated Contacts

If you have already selected a business client, BrightClient may display people who already have a relationship with that client. You can select directly from this list.

1. Review the list of associated contacts shown.
2. Select the person you need.
3. A pop-up will appear with two options:
4. Use the existing contact — Select this to use the existing contact relationship. Their details will populate and the name field will be locked.
5. Create a new contact for this person — Select this if you need to record a different role or relationship for the same person.
6. To deselect, click the X icon on the name field.

Option 2: Search for an Existing Person

Use this option when the person exists in BrightClient but is not currently associated with this client.

1. Begin typing the person's name.
2. Select the correct person from the search results.
3. Their details will populate automatically.
4. When you finish, a new contact record will be created linking this person to the client.

Option 3: Create a New Contact and Person

Use this option when the person does not exist in BrightClient at all.

• Type the person's name.
• Click Create New in the dropdown.
• Complete all required details.
• When you finish, a new person record and a new contact record will both be created.

Searching for an Address

BrightClient stores multiple address types for each client and contact, including registered office, trading address, home address, and correspondence address. You can reuse an existing address or enter a new one.

Using an Existing Address

1. Click into the address field.
2. A dropdown will appear showing addresses grouped by type.
3. Select the address type you need.
4. The address details will populate automatically.
5. To remove the address and start again, click the X button.

Adding a New Address

1. If the address you need is not listed, select Create New from the dropdown.
2. Enter the address details manually.
3. The new address will be saved in BrightClient when you complete the process.

What Happens Next

Once you have selected or created a client, person, contact, or address:

• The selected record is linked to your current task in the relevant Bright product.
• Any new records created (clients, people, contacts, or addresses) are saved to BrightClient and will be available across all connected Bright products.
• Changes made to shared records — such as a person's contact details — will update wherever that record is used.

Troubleshooting

I cannot find the client in the search results

• Check you are searching by the registered name, not the trading name.
• Ensure you have entered at least three characters.
• If the client does not exist, use Create New to add them.

The name field is locked

This is expected while you are in the process of creating or linking a record. The field unlocks once you have completed the process. To start again, click the X icon to deselect.

A person appears more than once in the contacts list

This is correct behaviour. A person can hold more than one role at a business - for example, both Director and Shareholder, and each role appears as a separate entry.

The address dropdown is empty

You must select a client or contact first. The address search will only display options once a client or contact has been chosen.