Contact recommendation system for a user communication

Abstract

Techniques are described for allowing a first user to efficiently send contact information to a second user using a user communication of a messaging application such as email programs, instant messaging programs, social media websites, or chat rooms. The messaging application may maintain a name database that stores names that are relevant to a first user. When the first user then types or speaks a name into a user communication (e.g., an email, instant message, or voice message), the messaging application provides the first user with the names stored in the name database that match the name in the user communication. Additionally, the messaging application may use ranking data associated with each matched name to order the names according to relevance. The first user can then select the correct name (if there are multiple matched names) which prompts the messaging application to automatically send contact information to the intended recipient of the user communication either within the current user communication or in a separate communication. In this manner, the first user is able to efficiently send contact information of relevant names to a recipient. The recipient may then use the contact information to communicate with the suggested contact.