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Tools

Combine Households Tool

An overview of the Combine Households tool in MinistryPlatform, including general information and instructions to combine households.

With the Combine Households tool, you can merge duplicate household records to maintain clean data and ensure that records have complete and accurate information. You can also merge two households after the heads get married.

Note: There are several language differences for Catholic instances of MinistryPlatform. In this case, Catholic churches may see "Families" instead of "Households".
  • The tool is available on the Households or Families page. You can launch it from an open record, a selection of records, or the data grid without a selection.
  • The tool is the perfect way to combine households when the heads get married! Make sure to select the households to combine before launching the tool.
  • SPoCs should regularly use the Combine Households tool to keep data clean.
  • A drop-down list displays potential duplicate households.
    • If you launch the tool for an open record, the open record displays at the top of the drop-down list.
    • If you launch the tool from a selection of records, the selected records displays at the top of the tool.
  • Potential duplicate households share ANY of the following:
    • The same home phone number
    • The same address
    • The same seasonal address (alternate mailing address)
    • The same family call number
  • Need to find more duplicates? Click Find Duplicates and start combining!
  • The audit log records any changes made to the record you kept.

Combine Households tool example showing two potential duplicates and which data to keep

Combine Two Households

Note: To use this tool, you must have access through your security role. SPoCs can grant user access to this tool.
Note: There are several language differences for Catholic instances of MinistryPlatform. In this case, Catholic churches may see "Families" instead of "Households".
  1. Open the Households or Families page or record.
  2. If needed, select two households to combine. For example, you might do this when two heads of household get married. Otherwise, you can launch the tool to find potential duplicate households to combine.
  3. Click Tools, then click Combine Households.
  4. Review the records to be combined. The contact you select to keep is marked "(Keep)" in green. The contact you select to merge is marked "(Merge)" in red.
    In one column, the household record for Anderson with a green "(Keep)" next to it. In the other column, the household record for Andren with a red "(Merge)" next to it.
    1. If needed, select the checkbox to merge any additional households.
      Note: If the column for a household is grayed out and not selected, it will not be combined.

      Three columns. The far left column is titled "Field ID" with a list of field IDs. The middle column is the household record for the Anderson household that has been selected. The far right column is the household record for Andren that has been not selected and is grayed out.

    2. If needed, select any alternate options to change the household to keep.
      Three columns. The left column is the Field ID with a list of field IDs below it. The middle column is the selected household record for the Anderson household to keep with the field ID for "Address" deselected. The right column is the selected household record for the Andren household to merge, with the field ID for "Address" selected to merge.
  5. Click Combine Households.
  6. Optional: Click Find Duplicates to find additional duplicate households and repeat this process.
  7. When you're finished, close the tool.

You've combined the selected households into one household record.

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Last updated: October 8, 2026

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