Automatic duplicate merging helps keep the customer database up to date. This saves time and reduces the risk of errors.
Check if this option is available on your Bitrix24 plan.
In this article:
- How automatic duplicate merging works
- How to start automatic duplicate merging
- How to configure automatic duplicate merging
How automatic duplicate merging works
CRM items merge automatically if:
- All fields in the forms have matching values. For example, there are two contacts with the same first name, last name, and phone number. If at least one field value differs, CRM will suggest merging the items manually.
- The same employee is responsible for the CRM items.
- Leads are at the same Kanban stage. If leads are at different stages but have the same contact details in their forms, they need to be merged manually.
Fields used by CRM to check for duplicates:
- For leads: full name, company name, phone, and email.
- For contacts: full name, phone, and email.
- For companies: company name, phone, and email.
Let's consider some examples:
Automatic merging. There are two contacts: Paul and Paul Smith. The phone numbers are the same, and other field values match. The contacts will merge automatically.
Manual merging. There are two contacts: Paul and Paul Smith. The phone numbers are the same, but the positions in the company differ. In this case, the contacts need to be merged manually.
How to start automatic duplicate merging
By default, duplicate checking starts automatically, but you can run the process manually.
Role-based access permissions in CRM
To start automatic duplicate merging:
- Go to the CRM section.
- Select the CRM item tab. For example, Customers > Contacts.
- Click Settings (⚙️).
- Choose Duplicate control.
- Click Change.
- Select the fields to check for duplicates and click Save.
- Click Start scan.
If all field values match, duplicates will merge automatically. If at least one field value differs, CRM will suggest merging the forms manually. You can choose items to merge or skip them if processing is not needed.
To merge duplicates manually:
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Select the main record you want to keep in the CRM. The other duplicates will be removed. If a record is not actually a duplicate, click Not a duplicate. The system won’t suggest merging these again automatically, but another user can still merge them later if needed.
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Review the field values in all records. If the field values match, they will be kept automatically. If the values differ, choose the ones you want to save. For fields that allow multiple entries, such as multiple phone numbers and email addresses, you can keep them all.
On the left, you'll see a preview of the merge result.
Choose one of the following options:
- Merge — complete the process.
- Merge and edit — merge and then open the form for review.
- Later — cancel the merge for now.
After automatic merging, the form created earlier will remain, and the others will be deleted. You can check which items were deleted in the History tab. If necessary, they can be restored from the CRM Recycle Bin.
How to configure automatic duplicate merging
By default, CRM checks for duplicates once a day. You can change the frequency of checks in the settings.
- Go to the CRM section.
- Select the CRM item tab. For example, Customers > Contacts.
- Click Settings (⚙️).
- Choose Find and merge duplicates.
- Set the frequency of checks. If you want to disable automatic search, select Never.
- Click Save.
In brief
- Automatic duplicate merging helps keep the customer database up to date.
- Bitrix24 automatically merges CRM items if all field values match, the same employee is responsible for them, and the leads are at the same Kanban stage.
- After automatic merging, the form created earlier will remain, and the others will be deleted.
- By default, Bitrix24 automatically checks for duplicates once a day. You can configure the frequency of checks or start the process manually.
