The Little Details That Make You a Thoughtful Friend

You know where your best friend lives and where she works. But do you know she's dairy-free? That she prefers experiences over physical gifts? That she's a night owl who won't see your 7am text until noon?

These are the details that separate knowing someone from actually knowing them.

We built YourPond to help you track the people in your life — where they are, how they're connected, the big facts. But the big facts are just the start. The details that make you a thoughtful friend are smaller and harder to remember: what someone can eat, what they want for their birthday, how they prefer to be reached, what kind of person they are day to day.

That's why we just shipped Contact Preferences — a new feature that lets you track four categories of personal details for every contact in YourPond.

The four categories

Dietary

Vegetarian. Vegan. Pescatarian. Gluten-free. Dairy-free. Halal. Kosher. Nut allergy. Shellfish allergy. Soy allergy. Egg allergy.

Plus a notes field for anything specific — "can't do spicy food," "recently went plant-based," "deathly allergic to shellfish, carries an EpiPen."

You're hosting a dinner party. You invited eight people. Two are vegan, one has a nut allergy, one keeps kosher. Do you remember all of that? Now you don't have to. Check their preferences in YourPond before you plan the menu.

Gifts

Loves gifts. No gifts please. Prefers experiences. Prefers homemade. Gift cards are great. Donates to charity instead.

Plus notes for specifics — "anything Anime related," "collects vintage vinyl," "always wants books."

It's December. You need gifts for twelve people. Instead of scrambling to remember what everyone likes, you open YourPond and see exactly what kind of gift each person prefers. One friend wants experiences, another collects vinyl, a third would rather you donate to charity in their name. That's a gift list that actually feels personal.

Communication

Prefers texting. Prefers calling. Slow to respond. Best reached on Instagram. Best reached on LinkedIn. Best reached by email. Prefers WhatsApp.

You know that friend who never checks email but responds to Instagram DMs in seconds? Or the one who prefers phone calls and finds texts impersonal? Or the colleague who's only reachable on LinkedIn?

Stop guessing. Write it down once and you'll always reach people the way they actually want to be reached.

Lifestyle

Doesn't drink. Doesn't smoke. Night owl. Early riser. Dog person. Cat person. Outdoorsy. Homebody.

These are the details that shape how you spend time with someone. You wouldn't suggest a bar hangout with a friend who doesn't drink. You wouldn't plan a 7am hike with a night owl. You wouldn't bring your dog to visit someone who's a cat person (okay, maybe you still would — but at least you'd know).

Why this matters

We surveyed 129 people about how they track the relationships in their lives. 84% rely on memory. 93% have been embarrassed by forgetting a detail about someone they care about.

But here's the thing — most of that embarrassment isn't about forgetting the big stuff. It's about the small stuff. Forgetting someone went vegan three months ago. Buying a physical gift for someone who explicitly said "no gifts please." Texting someone who told you they prefer calls.

These aren't catastrophic failures. They're small moments where someone realizes you weren't paying attention. And over time, those small moments erode the feeling that you actually know each other.

Contact Preferences is designed to catch exactly those moments. It's not about tracking data. It's about being the kind of friend who remembers.

How it works

On any contact's page in YourPond, you'll see a new Preferences card. It shows any preferences you've saved — dietary tags, gift notes, communication style, lifestyle details.

Tap Edit and you get a modal with four tabs. Each tab has predefined tags you can tap to toggle on or off, plus a notes field for anything custom.

Tags save immediately when you tap them. No submit button, no extra steps. Tap "Vegan," tap "Prefers texting," add a gift note, and you're done.

The whole interaction takes about 10 seconds per person. And once it's saved, it's there every time you check that contact — before a dinner party, before buying a gift, before reaching out.

What no other tool does

We looked at every personal CRM on the market — Dex, Clay, Monica, Covve, Nat. None of them have structured preference tracking. The best you can do is bury a note somewhere in a free-text field and hope you remember to check it.

YourPond's preferences are structured, searchable, and visible right on the contact page. They're not hidden in a notes blob. They're front and center, categorized, and designed to be checked at the moment you need them.

This is what we mean by "intentional over comprehensive." We're not trying to sync your LinkedIn or auto-import 2,000 contacts. We're building the features that make you better at caring about the people who matter.

Start tracking preferences today

Contact Preferences is live now for all YourPond users. Open any contact, tap the Preferences card, and start adding details.

The next time you host a dinner party, buy a birthday gift, or reach out to someone you haven't talked to in a while — you'll know exactly how to show up for them.

Try YourPond free →

Frequently asked questions

What preferences can I track in YourPond?

YourPond tracks four categories of preferences: Dietary (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, allergies, and more), Gifts (loves gifts, prefers experiences, donates to charity, and custom notes), Communication (prefers texting, calling, email, Instagram, WhatsApp, and more), and Lifestyle (doesn't drink, night owl, dog person, outdoorsy, and more). Each category also has a free-text notes field for anything custom.

Can I add custom preferences that aren't in the predefined tags?

Yes. Every preference category has a notes field where you can write anything. The predefined tags are there for quick one-tap entry, but the notes field handles anything specific like "collects vintage vinyl" or "allergic to cilantro."

Where do preferences show up on a contact's page?

Preferences appear in a dedicated card on the contact detail page, showing all saved tags and notes at a glance. They're visible without scrolling so you can check them quickly before a dinner party, gift shopping, or reaching out.

Do other personal CRMs have preference tracking?

No. We reviewed Dex, Clay, Monica, Covve, and other personal CRM tools. None of them offer structured preference tracking. The closest alternative is adding free-text notes, which aren't categorized or designed for quick reference.

Is this feature free?

Contact Preferences is available to all YourPond users during the beta period. Sign up free at yourpond.io.