Records Assigned to the Default Contact
Everything you need to know about how Default Contacts affect the quality of your data in MinistryPlatform.
We recommend you keep the number of records using Default Contacts to a minimum. Where do Default Contacts come from? Essentially, when someone anonymously submits information that the system can't match to an existing Contact record, MinistryPlatform assigns that information to the Default Contact. This can include donation information, registration information, form responses, and more.
- Individuals can submit data anonymously through a widget on your website.
- The system does not assign individuals who log in to submit their information to the Default Contact.
- Individuals who don't log in to submit their information are anonymous.
- Anonymous individuals match to an existing Contact record if the system can match the details they submitted to that Contact record.
- Anonymous individuals match to the Default Contact record if the system can't match the details they submitted to a Contact record.
- To match a contact, the following must be true:
- The First Name or Nickname must match.
- The Last Name must match.
- The Email or Phone must match - only one is required to match. Note: Only one, either the Email or the Phone number, must match. When considering a Phone match, the system analyzes all of the Contact's phone numbers, including Mobile, Company, and Home Phone.
Use this table to determine which record an anonymous individual's data assigns to based on which information matches or mismatches.
| Name Mismatch | Name Mismatch | Email Mismatch | Phone Mismatch | Email/Phone Mismatch | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Name | Mismatch | Match | Match | Match | Match |
| Last Name | Match | Mismatch | Match | Match | Match |
| Match | Match | Mismatch | Match | Mismatch | |
| Phone | Match | Match | Match | Mismatch | Mismatch |
| Assigned To: | Default Contact | Default Contact | Matched Contact | Matched Contact | Default Contact |
Note: Matching criteria differs when a MinistryPlatform event has Minor Registration set to Yes. In this case, records match based on the Date of Birth that the parent must enter during registration. The matching criteria for minor registrations is as follows:
- The First Name and Last Name must match.
- The Email and Phone Number don't have to match because this information likely isn't on the child's Contact record.
- If the Date of Birth matches, the information assigns to the matching contact.
- If the Date of Birth is a mismatch, the information assigns to the Default Contact.
Tip: Want to learn how to keep your data clean when it comes to the default contact? Check out the Defeating the Default Contact webinar in the MinistrySmart Academy!