Merging constituent records

In this article:

If you find duplicate records in your database, you can merge them together into one record. When records are merged, all related activity (gifts, tasks, contact reports, notes, etc.) and category information is automatically carried over.

NOTE: You can also have LGL look for duplicates from the Constituents > Duplicates page in your account. You can read more about that here.

Merging constituent from search results

A common case is that you run a search for constituents by name, and see that you have two identical records. In this case, you can take care of that right from the search results. For example, if we search for Ferris Bueller and get two records that are dupes, we can merge them in the following way:

  • Search results include two records, but we we only want one:

  • Click the Actions button for the record you want to keep, and then click Find duplicates:

  • Search for "Ferris Bueller" (the search text field might auto-populate for you as you type the name), and then click Compare to compare and do the merge.

  • Review and merge the second record into the primary one (by clicking the Merge button at the bottom of the page). During this process you can make adjustments to both records, including checking or unchecking certain pieces of information in the secondary record to determine what comes over.

    NOTE: Merging the two will cause gift records and other types of records, if present, from the record you are merging to be brought into the primary record.

What happens to the data in the two records when you merge

  • The Primary record will be preserved after the merge. 
  • The following record types will all be merged into the primary record:
    • Appeals
    • Contact Reports
    • Documents
    • Events
    • Gifts
    • Goals
    • Mailings
    • Notes
    • Tasks
    • Volunteer
  • You can hover over any field to add or edit the data in it. 
  • Contact information will be carried over from the merged record into the primary (preserved) record when the box next to it is checked. Be sure you uncheck any boxes for which you don't want to bring the data over. Keep in mind, any duplicate fields (except gifts) will be discarded. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please allow up to 30 minutes for giving history data to merge completely. You won't be able to unmerge two records you have merged until the merge you kicked off is complete.

When not to merge

If you decide that the records are not in fact duplicates, you can click the Not a dupe button. Alternatively, if you want to switch which record is the primary one, click the Switch button for the one you want to make primary.

Unmerging a merged record

If you need instructions for unmerging a merged record, read Unmerging a merged constituent record.

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