Cannot search with custom contact attributes in Amazon Connect?

I understand your frustration with not being able to search using custom contact attributes in Amazon Connect, especially when they're populated from Pinpoint segments. Let me explain why this is happening and how you can address it.

For outbound calls initiated from Amazon Connect, including those using the outbound campaign feature with Pinpoint, contact attributes are typically set after the call is established. This means that during the "Connecting" state, these attributes may not yet be available. The attributes are usually populated once the call transitions to the "Connected" state.

This behavior differs from inbound calls, where contact attributes can be set earlier in the call flow, often before the agent receives the call. This is why you're able to see the attributes in the Contact details page after the calls are completed, but they're not immediately available for searching.

To make custom contact attributes searchable in Amazon Connect, you need to follow these steps:

1. Ensure you have the necessary permissions. The "Configure searchable contact attributes" permission is required to set up searchable attributes.

2. Go to the Contact search page and choose "Add filter," then "Custom contact attribute."

3. If this is your first time, you'll need to specify searchable attribute keys. Click on "Specify searchable attribute keys."

4. In the "Attribute key" box, type the name of your custom attribute (the one populated by Pinpoint), and then choose "Add key."

5. Save your changes.

After completing these steps, users with the "Contact attributes" permission should be able to search for contacts using these custom attributes.

It's important to note that this configuration only applies to future contacts. If you need to search historical contacts with these attributes, you may need to work with AWS support to explore options for indexing past contact data.

Remember, the searchability of contact attributes is separate from their visibility in the Contact details page. Just because an attribute is visible in the details doesn't automatically make it searchable without proper configuration.

If you've followed these steps and are still unable to search using these attributes, I recommend reaching out to AWS support for further assistance, as there might be specific configurations or limitations related to your Pinpoint integration that need to be addressed.

Sources
Search for contacts in Amazon Connect by using custom contact attributes - Amazon Connect
List of security profile permissions in Amazon Connect - Amazon Connect
Contact Attributes not loading before call gets connected for outbound calling | AWS re:Post