## Search contacts

`POST /v1/contacts/search`

Searches contacts using conditions in the request body. Accepts the same filters as the contact list and is designed for compound conditions and large result sets.

## Request fields (body)

| Parameter | Type | Required | Default | Description |
|----------|-----|:-----:|-----------|---------|
| `filter` | object | no | — | Filter by fields from `GET /v1/contacts/fields`.<br>[Filtering syntax](/docs/filtering). Example: `{ "companyId": 15 }` |
| `limit` | number | no | `50` | Number of records (up to 5000) |
| `offset` | number | no | `0` | Skip N records. Rejected when combined with a date range filter spanning more than 14 days — see `UNSTABLE_OFFSET_PAGINATION` in Errors |
| `sort` | object | no | — | Sort order: `{ "lastName": "asc" }` |
| `select` | string[] | no | — | Field selection: `["id", "name", "lastName", "phone"]` |

Filtering by contact category `categoryId` is also supported: `filter[categoryId]=0` in a GET request or `{ "filter": { "categoryId": 0 } }` in the search request body. Use the exact spelling `categoryId`.

## Examples

### curl — personal key

```bash
curl -X POST "https://vibecode.bitrix24.com/v1/contacts/search" \
  -H "X-Api-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "filter": { "companyId": 15 },
    "limit": 10,
    "sort": { "lastName": "asc" }
  }'
```

### curl — OAuth application

```bash
curl -X POST "https://vibecode.bitrix24.com/v1/contacts/search" \
  -H "X-Api-Key: YOUR_APP_KEY" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer USER_SESSION_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "filter": { "companyId": 15 },
    "limit": 10,
    "sort": { "lastName": "asc" }
  }'
```

### JavaScript — personal key

```javascript
const res = await fetch('https://vibecode.bitrix24.com/v1/contacts/search', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'X-Api-Key': 'YOUR_API_KEY',
    'Content-Type': 'application/json',
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    filter: { companyId: 15 },
    limit: 10,
    sort: { lastName: 'asc' },
  }),
})

const { success, data } = await res.json()
```

### JavaScript — OAuth application

```javascript
const res = await fetch('https://vibecode.bitrix24.com/v1/contacts/search', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'X-Api-Key': 'YOUR_APP_KEY',
    'Authorization': 'Bearer USER_SESSION_TOKEN',
    'Content-Type': 'application/json',
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    filter: { companyId: 15 },
    limit: 10,
    sort: { lastName: 'asc' },
  }),
})

const { success, data } = await res.json()
```

## Response fields

| Field | Type | Description |
|------|-----|---------|
| `data` | array | Array of contacts (for fields, see [Fields](/docs/entities/contacts/fields)) |
| `meta.total` | number | Number of records matching the filter |
| `meta.hasMore` | boolean | Whether there is another page |
| `meta.nextAfterId` | string | ID of the last returned record. Present when sorting strictly by `id` in ascending order while `hasMore` is `true`. Pass it back in the `>id` filter as a low-cost alternative to an increasing `offset` |
| `meta.durationMs` | number | Request duration in milliseconds |

The `meta` fields are alongside `data`, not inside it. Use `meta.hasMore` to paginate: a `data` length equal to `limit` does not rule out the last page.

Use the `id` of any contact in the `data` array to form its detail page URL:

```
https://<portal>.bitrix24.com/crm/contact/details/<id>/
```

`<portal>` is the Bitrix24 account domain. Access is subject to the employee's permissions in Bitrix24.

## Response example

```json
{
  "success": true,
  "data": [
    {
      "id": 71,
      "name": "John",
      "lastName": "Brown",
      "phone": "12025550123",
      "companyId": 15,
      "assignedById": 1,
      "typeId": "CLIENT"
    }
  ]
}
```

## Error response example

403 — missing scope:

```json
{
  "success": false,
  "error": {
    "code": "SCOPE_DENIED",
    "message": "This endpoint requires 'crm' scope"
  }
}
```

## Errors

| HTTP | Code | Description |
|------|-----|---------|
| 400 | `UNSTABLE_OFFSET_PAGINATION` | `offset` is greater than zero with a date range filter spanning more than 14 days. Two different retrieval algorithms produce inconsistent results, so the request is rejected. Retrieve everything in one request with `limit` up to 5000, pass `autoWindow: false` with sorting by `id`, or split the date range yourself |
| 403 | `SCOPE_DENIED` | The API key does not have the `crm` scope |
| 401 | `TOKEN_MISSING` | The API key has no configured tokens |
| 429 | `RATE_LIMITED` | Rate limit exceeded: 300 requests per minute per portal. All API keys of the portal share one limit. The current limit is returned in the `x-ratelimit-limit` header. Retry after the delay in the `Retry-After` header |

For the full list of common API errors, see [Errors](/docs/errors).

## Known specifics

**Email addresses by type.** In addition to the primary `email` value, contact responses include three separate fields: `emailWork`, `emailHome`, and `emailMailing`. You can list them in `select` and filter by them: `"select": ["id", "name", "emailWork"]` and `"filter": { "emailWork": "info@example.com" }`. The `$contains` operator also works with these fields. An address can only be written through `email`, so these three fields are read-only. If the contact has no address of a given type, the field returns `null`.

**The phone filter does not suit every search.** A value without an operator is compared against the entire stored string: a contact with the number `+1 (202) 555-0123` matches that exact string and does not match `12025550123`, because the plus sign, spaces, parentheses, and hyphens are part of the value. The filter also sees only the first number in the record: if both work and mobile numbers are stored, searching by the mobile number returns an empty list. To find a contact by any of its phone numbers in any format, use [Duplicate search](/docs/duplicates). The `$contains` operator also works here: it searches for a substring within the value and can be used for email: `{ "email": { "$contains": "@example.com" } }`.

## See also

- [List contacts](/docs/entities/contacts/list)
- [Duplicate search](/docs/duplicates)
- [Filtering syntax](/docs/filtering)
- [Batch](/docs/batch)
- [Limits and optimization](/docs/optimization)