When duplicate profiles are created, organization administrators and managers can merge those profiles using the Duplicate Detector or directly from a person's profile. Deleting a duplicate profile completely removes all data for that profile, but merging a duplicate profile keeps data from both profiles on the primary profile.
Duplicate profiles can be created in the following ways:
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When importing a CSV file with names that do not match exactly to existing profiles in your database
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When a person uses a different email address or phone number to:
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Register for an event
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Join a group
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Give
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Fill out a form
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Log in to Church Center
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Warning
If you have merged any profiles added to the database through an import, do not undo the import. Undoing the import will completely delete the merged person from your database, removing any scheduled positions, registered events, donations, etc.
When a person is merged with another profile, the following will happen:
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All email addresses are kept on the primary profile.
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All phone numbers are kept on the primary profile.
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The highest permission level for each product is retained on the primary profile.
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Active Text2Give and recurring donations are moved to the primary profile, but not the payment method. A new payment method must be assigned for them to work. Donors can add a new payment method in Church Center.
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All communication history is kept on the primary profile.
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All data from profile fields with multiple data points is kept on the primary profile.
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A profile photo is kept if it is saved to the primary profile.
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Profile fields with only one data point retain the primary profile's data.
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Background checks are saved to the primary profile. If both profiles have background checks, the primary profile's check will affect the badge color. Additional checks will show under Other background checks.
If a profile field can only store one datapoint, the primary profile's data will be kept in the merge. This includes:
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All Name fields
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Demographic info (birthdate, gender, marital status, anniversary, grade, school)
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Membership Type
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Profile Status (active or inactive)
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Custom Fields, except for data in Checkbox types.
*A Checkbox custom field allows for more than one data point, so the data from both profiles will be kept after a merge. All other custom field types only allow for one data point, so only the data stored in the primary will be kept.
The detector will suggest a potential duplicate based on:
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Exact name matches
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Double metaphones (names that sound similar, like John and Jon)
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Common nicknames
From those matches, the following criteria are not considered as duplicates:
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Genders that are set differently; however, if the gender is set for one and not for another, it will leave them in the potential duplicates list.
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Profiles that are in a household together.
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Names that are the same but have different suffixes (Jr., Sr., etc.).
On the Dashboard, potential duplicates appear in the bottom right.
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Select View Duplicates to see a list of all the duplicates in your database.
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Select X potential duplicate next to a name to see the duplicates for that profile.
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Select View ignored duplicates in the top right to see previously ignored duplicates. If profiles were ignored in error, you can manually merge them from a profile.
The primary profile will show, along with any potential duplicates. The one with the most accurate information should be the primary profile; if it's not, you can choose one of the duplicates to be primary by selecting the Make primary button on the right of the profile.
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Select Ignore if you’re certain these people are not duplicates. They will then be in the ignored duplicates list, and the two will not be suggested as duplicates again.
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Select Merge duplicate to combine this profile into the primary one. Any different information in the two profiles will be added to the primary profile.
Once you've confirmed the action, select View next duplicate to merge other duplicates.
Danger
It is not possible to undo a profile merge.
There are two ways to merge profiles without using the duplicate detector.
From the Actions dropdown
If the Actions button next to a person's name on their profile is orange, you know there's a duplicate for review. Select Review from the dropdown to see and resolve the duplicates.
From a profile
If you know you have two people who are the same, go to the duplicate profile to merge it into the primary profile.
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Select Merge Profile from the Actions dropdown to search for the primary profile.
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Search for the primary profile to keep and choose it from the list. If you're on the profile you want to keep, you can select the box under Person to Remove to search for the duplicate, and that person will replace the listed person.
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Type MERGE THESE PEOPLE in the box to confirm the merge.
After the merge is complete, you will be taken to the Person To Keep's profile page. All contact information and activity in any product will be moved from the Person To Remove to the Person To Keep. After the merge, this duplicate profile will be removed entirely from your account.