This routine searches your database for duplicate records. When it determines that two records are likely to be duplicates, the routine creates a Contact Relationship record between those two records. The relationship is Duplicate Of and is visible under each Contact's Relationships sub-page. These relationships are also visible in the Contact Relationships page in People Lists. More importantly, users with rights to combine contacts see these duplicates listed when performing the normal Combine Contacts routine.

Required Matching Conditions

The nightly duplicate finder routine looks at the following. These 5 conditions must be true:

• First 4 characters or last 4 characters of Last Name must match,
• First Name or Nickname must match,
• Genders cannot be different,
• DOB cannot be different, and
• Household ID cannot be the same.
  • This routine does not look for duplicates within the same Household as it is common for family members to have the same last name, email and/or first name.

Additional Matching Condition

Plus, one of these:

• same Email Address,
• same Mobile Phone,
• same Home Phone,
• Home Phone of record # 1 matches Mobile Phone of record # 2,
• Home Phone of record # 2 matches Mobile Phone of record # 1,
• same Address Line 1 AND City, or
• same Donor ID AND Routing # AND Account #.

If you find a duplicate in your system and are surprised that the Duplicate Finder didn't include it, here are some reasons records would be disqualified from being noted as duplicates automatically:

• Conflicting values in Gender (empty value in one and not the other won't disqualify them).
• Conflicting values in Date of Birth, including Time (note: empty value in one and not the other won't disqualify them).
• The records are already related somehow.
• The records are already in the same Household.

 The routine will also check for Spanish/Latin characters in the name so the routine can find them when one record has it and another duplicate record does not (example Canas = Cañas).

For details on handling Contacts that aren't actually duplicates, but might be perceived as one, see this KB.

To View all of the records that have been identified as duplicates in your system:

1. Go to the Contact Relationships Page in People Lists.
2. Use the "Duplicates" and/or "Possible Duplicates" view