Merge duplicate records

The agent finds duplicate records and merges them for you, with your approval on every merge. Duplicates happen when the same company emails from two domains, or a person gets added twice.

You can merge:

• accounts
• contacts
• opportunities, when both belong to the same account
• custom object records of the same type

Who can use it

Merging is on every plan. Owners, admins and members can merge in chat. Viewers can’t.

Merging happens in chat or through the Lightfield API. There’s no merge button on record pages.

Merge duplicates

A merge can’t be undone, so check the card before you accept it.

1. Open a chat and ask the agent to find duplicates, for example “Find duplicate accounts” or “Find duplicate contacts at Acme.” You can also name the records: “Merge the two Globex accounts.”
2. The agent lists the matches and recommends which record to keep (the primary), based on how complete each record is, recent activity, and how much is linked to it. Tell it if you’d rather keep the other one.
3. The agent shows the proposed merges in a card. Select a pair to open Merge details: a Merge summary of what moves across, the record that goes away, and which value wins for each field. Ask the agent to keep a different value for any field.
4. Select Accept merge (or Accept and merge in Merge details), or Dismiss to cancel.

Lightfield shows Merge applied. when it’s done. Nothing merges until you accept it, and the agent proposes up to 10 pairs at a time. If it needs a detail from you partway through, it asks in chat; reply and it carries on.

What happens when records merge

• The primary keeps its identity and link.
• Relationships and linked activity from the duplicate (notes, tasks, meetings, emails, files and list memberships) move to the record you keep. Each field keeps the value shown in Merge details; conflicting values are not both preserved.
• Opportunities on a merged account move to the surviving account.
• Contact email addresses and other unique values move to the surviving record, so you don’t need to clear them first.
• The duplicate is removed, and the activity log records the merge, for example “merged Globex Inc into this account”.

Merges through the API apply straight away, with no card to review.

Prevent duplicates

When records come in from email and calendar sync, Lightfield checks for an existing match and doesn’t create an obvious duplicate. To keep the rest down:

• Include a website when you create an account by hand. The domain is how Lightfield matches accounts.
• When you import, include a domain or website column for accounts and an email column for contacts.
• Wait for your first mail sync to finish before importing, so the same company isn’t created once from your inbox and again from the import.

Troubleshooting

The agent won’t merge two opportunities

Both opportunities must belong to the same account. Check that they describe the same deal at the same company. If one is linked to the wrong account, ask the agent to correct that link before merging. Keep separate deals as separate opportunities.

I can’t move a task or opportunity to another account

Ask the agent in chat. It can reassign the record for you; reply to its prompts and it completes the change.

Common questions

Will I lose anything when I merge? Conflicting field values are not both preserved. Open Merge details to check which value wins, and ask the agent to keep a different value where needed. Relationships and linked activity move to the surviving record. A merge cannot be undone.

Does the agent merge everything at once without asking? No. It proposes merges and waits for your approval on each one.

Can I merge several duplicates into one record? Yes. The agent merges them one pair at a time, so each merge builds on the result of the last.

Can I undo a merge? No. Check Merge details before you accept.