Administrate flags contacts as potential duplicates when they share the same name (first + last) or the same email address. You can resolve duplicates by editing one of the contact records (for example, correcting a name or email), or by merging contacts using the Potential Contact Duplicates tool.
Email addresses must be unique in Administrate. This prevents conflicts across the platform, including learner access and communications in the LMS/portal (email is commonly used for login and password recovery).
On this page
How duplicates are found
When you open Potential Contact Duplicates from the Control Panel, Administrate generates a list of contacts that may refer to the same person. If you have many potential duplicates, generating the list can take a moment.
Review the list
The duplicates table shows each suspected conflict and why it was flagged. Typical columns include:
- Reason: email conflict or name conflict.
- Contact 1: ID, name, and email.
- Contact 2: ID, name, and email.
Use contact IDs to distinguish records when names and emails are similar or identical.
Select a row to either:
- Merge contacts (see Merge contacts)
- View either contact and edit details such as name or email to remove the conflict
You can sort the list using the table column headers.
Merge contacts
Merging combines two contacts into one and resolves the conflict. During the merge, you choose which fields to keep from each contact. Fields you do not select will be lost, so review carefully. Merged contacts cannot be unmerged.
You can merge multiple contacts into one over time, but merges happen two contacts at a time.
Default selection rules
Administrate may preselect values using rules like:
- Populated fields are preferred over empty fields.
- True is preferred over False for boolean fields.
- First name and last name may default to Contact 2 (right side) when different.
Merge steps
- Select a duplicate pair and choose Merge.
- For each field, select which contact’s value to keep. The selection highlight indicates your choice.
- Double-check your selections. Merges cannot be undone.
- Click Merge to confirm.
Your contacts will be merged into one, resolving the duplicate conflict.
For a detailed walkthrough, see: Merging contacts.
FAQ
Can I merge multiple contacts into one contact?
Yes. Merge contacts in pairs until you have a single remaining contact. At each step, verify you’re keeping the correct information before confirming the merge.