Identify duplicate contact records

After your initial data import, you should run a duplicate check to  consolidate data. The dup check tool identifies two matching records at a  time based on the criteria you select. You may need to run the dup  check and merge (dedupe) several times to identify all of the duplicate  records in your system. After the initial data import, you should check  for duplicates on a periodic basis. This will help keep your database  from getting bloated and help ensure your lists and reports are  accurate.

Pro-Tip! This process only identifies the duplicates. In the next user guide, you will learn how to actually merge duplicate records.

1. Go to Reporting > Data Cleanup in the main navigation menu
   
2. Click on Check for Duplicate Contact Records
   
3. Review the Intro to Duplicate Checking summary and click Next
   
4. Choose Who to Check:
   
   1. All records: Checks all contacts, even if they've already been checked before.
   2. All records that haven't been marked as a dup already: Checks only contacts that have not already been identified as a duplicate.
   3. Records that haven't been checked already: Omits all of the contacts that have already been checked at some point in the past.
       
5. Choose the checking logic, and then click Next.
   Review the logic summary to understand the logic behind stages and checks and the order in which the checks are run. Uncheck all of the boxes and select the criteria you want the system to use to identify duplicates. The best criteria is absolutely unique to an individual. In most cases, the email address is a good, unique identifier.
   
6. Click on OK to confirm you're ready for the dup check to begin
   
7. The system will run the dup check and then give you 3 options:
   1. View the list of contact records that are considered duplicates: Choose this to look at the list of duplicate contacts.
   2. Go back to clean up more of your data: Choose this to view all data cleanup options, including auto-merge.
   3. Click here to see all of your contacts: Choose this to see a list of all of your person records (not just the duplicates.)