Managing Duplicate Contact Records

Overview

To maintain a clean and effective database, the system is set up by default to prevent the creation of duplicate contact records. A contact is considered a duplicate only when the First Name, Last Name, City, Phone 1, and Email Address all match an existing record. This precision prevents two different contacts with the same name (e.g., Bob Smith) from being flagged as duplicates unless their other core details also match. You have the flexibility to change this default setting, manage duplicates during import, and clean up any existing duplicates through system reports.

How Duplicate Prevention Works

The system identifies potential duplicates in several ways depending on how the contact is being added:

• Manual Entry: When you manually add a contact whose five key fields (First Name, Last Name, City, Phone 1, Email) match an existing contact, the system will notify you that it is a duplicate and will not save the new record.
• Landing Pages: Submissions through a landing page are checked for duplicates based on the email address only. If a matching email is found, the new information and any associated actions are added to the existing contact's record instead of creating a new one.
• Importing Contacts: When using the data import tool, you are given specific options to either allow duplicates or choose how the system should handle them upon finding a match.

How to Allow Duplicate Records

If your business process requires you to keep multiple records for the same contact, you can disable the default prevention setting.

1. Navigate to Customize. Hover over your Profile Picture Menu in the top-right corner and select Customize.

2. Access Display/Hide Features On the Customize page, click the Display/Hide Features option.

3. Enable Duplicate Records. Locate and check the box labeled Allow duplicate contact records.

4. Save Changes Click the Save button to apply the change. The system will now permit you to create contacts with matching information.

Finding and Deleting Existing Duplicates

If you have allowed duplicates or suspect some already exist in your database, you can use a dedicated report to find and manage them.

1. Navigate to Reports in the main menu.
2. Select the Duplicate Contacts report.
3. Choose the criteria you want to use to search for duplicates (e.g., by matching email, phone, etc.).
4. The system will display a list of potential duplicates, allowing you to review, or delete them to clean up your database.

Managing Duplicate Contacts Questions and Answers

Q: What specific fields does the system check for a duplicate during manual entry?

A: The system checks for an exact match across five fields: First Name, Last Name, City, Phone 1, and Email Address.

Q: If I allow duplicates, how does the system identify them?

A: When duplicate records are allowed, the system will place an orange "D" icon next to an email address if that same email exists on multiple contact records. You can click this icon to see a list of the contacts sharing that email.

Q: Can I change my mind and turn duplicate prevention back on?

A: Yes, you can follow the same steps to navigate to your preferences and uncheck the "Allow duplicate contact records" box at any time.

Q: If a customer fills out a landing page form, will it create a second contact record if they are already in my system?

A: No. Landing pages use the email address to check for duplicates. If the email already exists, the new submission information is added to the original contact record