---
title: Finding duplicates and merging records
description: Find duplicate accounts and contacts, dismiss false matches and merge two records without losing any history.
url: "https://illizeo.com/en/centre-aide/crm-duplicates-and-merging/"
updated: "2026-11-09"
category: CRM
---

# Finding duplicates and merging records

The same customer entered twice, a contact created by two sales representatives: duplicates distort the figures and scatter the history. The CRM detects them, shows them to you in pairs and lets you merge two records into one, or dismiss a pair that is not a duplicate. This article is intended for sales representatives, their managers and CRM administrators.

## Before you start

- The CRM module must be enabled for your workspace and open to you (see [Enabling and administering the CRM module](https://illizeo.com/en/centre-aide/crm-enable-and-administer/)).
- The **CRM › Duplicates** entry appears if you have “CRM accounts — View” or “CRM contacts — View”. The **Accounts** tab follows the first permission, the **Contacts** tab the second.
- Dismissing a pair requires the permission to edit both records (“CRM accounts — Edit” or “CRM contacts — Edit”).
- Merging requires the permission to delete both records (“CRM accounts — Delete” or “CRM contacts — Delete”), within your scope for each of them (see [CRM settings](https://illizeo.com/en/centre-aide/crm-settings/)).

## How the CRM detects duplicates

Two records are matched as soon as one criterion links them. Each criterion has a weight; a pair’s score is that of its best criterion, plus 5 for each additional criterion, up to 100.

| Records | Criterion (reason shown) | Weight |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Accounts | same legal identifier (same type, same country, same value) | 100 |
| Accounts | very similar name (legal name or trading name) | 80 |
| Accounts | same domain (website or email address) | 60 |
| Accounts | same phone number (last nine digits) | 50 |
| Contacts | same email | 100 |
| Contacts | same name in the same account | 80 |
| Contacts | same phone number | 60 |

The same criteria apply when you enter data: when you create an account or a contact, you are warned if a similar record already exists (see [Managing accounts](https://illizeo.com/en/centre-aide/crm-accounts/) and [Managing contacts](https://illizeo.com/en/centre-aide/crm-managing-contacts/)).

## The probable duplicates screen

Open **CRM › Duplicates**. The **Probable duplicates** page is computed on the spot, among the records you can read: a pair only appears if you can read both of its records. A merge, a correction or a dismissed pair therefore disappears from the screen straight away.

Choose the **Accounts** or **Contacts** tab. Each pair shows:

- its **Score** and the reasons for the match;
- both records side by side, with a link to each, their main details, their owner and their creation date; an archived account is flagged;
- the buttons your permissions allow: **Merge** and **These are not duplicates**.

The most likely pairs come first. The list is split into pages.

![CRM Probable duplicates screen, Accounts tab: a pair of accounts with its score, its reason, both records side by side and the Merge and These are not duplicates buttons.](https://i0.wp.com/illizeo.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/crm-duplicates-and-merging-01.en_.png?resize=800%2C231&quality=80&ssl=1)
Probable duplicates: score, reasons and both records of each pair.

## Dismissing a pair

If the two records really are two different organisations or two different people, click **These are not duplicates**. The message “Pair dismissed: it will no longer be suggested.” confirms it. The pair does not come back on the screen, and the action is recorded in the timeline as “Dismissed from probable duplicates”.

## Merging two records

A merge brings two records together into one. The **Kept record** remains; the **Absorbed record** disappears, and everything that pointed to it moves to the kept record.

![Diagram of merging two records: start from a pair or a record, check of the right to delete both records, choice of the kept record and values, confirmation, check that both records still exist, then transfer to the kept record and notice to the owners.](https://i0.wp.com/illizeo.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/crm-duplicates-and-merging-flux-04.en_.png?resize=800%2C582&quality=80&ssl=1)
From choosing the pair to the kept record: a merge cannot be undone.

1. On the duplicates screen, click **Merge** on the pair. From an account or contact record, click **Merge with…**, then search for the other record (at least two characters): the record you start from is the kept record.
2. Check which record is kept. To switch them round, click **Swap**: the preview is recalculated.
3. Under **Value kept, field by field**, choose for each field that differs the **Kept** or **Absorbed** value. For notes, a third option, **Both, one after the other**, puts the kept record’s text first, then the absorbed one’s. Identical fields are hidden: **Show identical fields** expands them.
4. Read the **Will move to the kept record** section: it counts what will follow the absorbed record.
5. Click **Merge**, then confirm in the “Confirm the merge?” window. A merge cannot be undone.

The kept record then opens. The owners of both records are notified by the bell, except the person who carried out the merge.

![Merge two accounts window: the kept record and the absorbed record on either side of the Swap button, then the value kept field by field.](https://i0.wp.com/illizeo.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/crm-duplicates-and-merging-02.en_.png?resize=800%2C714&quality=80&ssl=1)
The merge preview: kept record, values kept and what will follow.

### Default choices

For each field, the preview preselects the kept record’s value, the absorbed record’s value when the kept one is empty, and both texts when the notes differ. A merge accepted without changing anything therefore loses no information.

### What moves to the kept record

- For two accounts: account types, legal identifiers, addresses, subsidiaries, tags, attachments, attached contacts, custom field values, and the absorbed account’s activities, opportunities, quotes and projects; depending on the features in use, also its links to other organisations, its club memberships, its accounting parties, the time and expenses recorded against it, its place in projects, the emails logged on it, its suggested Outlook meetings and the calendar charging rules that point to it. An email the kept record already has appears on it only once. The absorbed account’s organisation is deleted if nothing else uses it.
- For two contacts: emails, phone numbers, tags, account attachments, custom field values, and the activities, opportunities, quotes and projects the absorbed contact appeared in; also their club memberships, their event registrations and invitations, and the emails logged with them. An activity or opportunity that named both contacts keeps only one.
- A contact’s legal basis carries its consent date and proof with it: they always come from the same record.

### Contact refusals are always kept

When two contacts are merged, the refused channels (**Do not call**, **Do not email**, **No mail**) are never a matter of choice: the kept contact refuses every channel that either of the two refused. The preview says so with “These refusals are kept, whatever the choice:”. If the preferred channel kept is one of the refused channels, it is dropped. Likewise, if either contact had objected, the kept contact has objected too (see [Protecting contact data (GDPR)](https://illizeo.com/en/centre-aide/crm-contact-data-protection/)).

![Merge two contacts window: the These refusals are kept, whatever the choice box, with Do not call, then the Will move to the kept record section.](https://i0.wp.com/illizeo.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/crm-duplicates-and-merging-03.en_.png?resize=800%2C714&quality=80&ssl=1)
Merging two contacts: contact refusals are always kept.

## Finding a merge again

The kept record’s timeline records the merge (“Merge: account absorbed” or “Merge: contact absorbed”), with the values taken from the absorbed record, what moved over and, for a contact, the refusals kept. It also takes over the absorbed record’s history. Filter the timeline on the **Merges** type to find them.

## Good to know

- If one of the two records has just been merged or deleted by someone else, nothing is merged: the screen says so and refreshes.
- If you cannot delete one of the two records, the preview says so: “Merging requires the right to delete both records, and you do not have it on one of them.”
- An absorbed record can no longer be found in the lists: open the kept record.

## FAQ

### I can see a pair on my screen, but my colleague cannot.

A pair only appears if you can read both of its records. Your colleague may not have the same scope as you on accounts or contacts.

### The Merge button does not appear on a pair.

You need the permission to delete both records, within your scope. With the **Mine** scope, you can only merge two records you own; ask their owner or your manager.

### *Similaire*