Combine Duplicates
The Duplicate Finder routine runs regularly on your system to search for duplicate records. The duplicate records identified must have multiple values in common (such as email, date of birth, and phone) and have similar names. While this routine is good at catching many duplicates, sometimes there is data that only an actual person can discern. As such, it's important that you train all Users to keep an eye out for duplicate Contact records.
When you find a duplicate Contact record, you should indicate a "Duplicate Of" Relationship for the duplicate Contacts. This process does not combine the duplicates, but instead notes the duplicate records so that a trained User can later use the Combine Contacts Tool to review and eliminate one of the records.
For details on how to handle Contacts that aren't actually duplicated, but might be seen as one, see the Combine Contacts Tool.
Combine Duplicates
Use the Combine Contacts Tool to regularly review and combine Contacts with "Duplicate Of" Relationships. A SPoC or other trained User should do this at least weekly.
Contact Relationships
The Contact Relationships page in the People List folder displays all designated Contact Relationships. On this page, you can search for the "Possible Duplicate" Relationship Type and find all of the potential duplicate relationships within the system. Utilize the Duplicates and Possible Duplicates views to identity and correct Contacts with these statuses. Use the Fix Delete Related 2 Self view to find and remove relationships that relate a Contact record to itself.
Indicate a "Duplicate Of" Relationship
- Open one of the duplicate Contact records.
- Click the Relationships sub-page.
- Click New.
- Click the [...] next to Related Contact to search for and select the duplicate record.
- Select the "Duplicate Of" Relationship.
- Click Save.