Deduplication rules

Deduplication rules are rules that let you check data entities (contacts and/or accounts) to ensure that there are not duplicate records in the database. You can create a deduplication rule that uses multiple fields, partial matches, and phonetic matches to identify contacts or accounts that are duplicated.

Note: You can use a single-table deduplication rule to deduplicate the same entity types (contacts against contacts or companies against accounts). Multi-table deduplication rules are used to deduplicate one entity type against another (for example, contacts against accounts).

Learn more about deduplication precisions.

Creating a Single Table Deduplication Rule

When entering the name, it is best to identify it as clearly as possible and set the following options:

  • Exclude exact matches
  • Include only unique results
  • Select Accounts or Contacts as the Rule Table

Best Practice: When entering the name, it is best to identify it as clearly as possible.
Examples:

  • C: Email Domain and Last Name.
  • M: Account Name (Fuzzy, Unique only).
  • C/M: Match Name.
  • C/M: Match SFDC Account ID (requires case sensitive match)

Creating a Multi-Table Deduplication Rule

  • Need to define source and destination data.

Creating Deduplication Handler Set

  • Handlers vary depending on whether it's a contact or an account.

Deduplication Handlers

The deduplication handlers are the processing steps if a duplicate (match) or non-match is found. There are options to update, delete, merge or purge. Handlers also provide conditional and intelligent updating. The deduplication handlers are available for contacts and companies.

A deduplication handler set is a group of deduplication handlers associated with the deduplication rule.
You access the handlers through the handler set (with the deduplication rule open for editing,
click Deduplication Rule options then click Deduplication Handler Sets or New Deduplication Handler Set).

Contacts

Handler Details
Add to a contact group Adds the contact to a specific contact list.
Add to Step in Program Builder Adds the contact to a specified Step in an automated marketing program in Program Builder. Some restrictions apply.*
Backup field data to another field Specify data from one contact field to be copied and backed up into another contact field.
Create Companies Create and link a company to that contact. You need to specify a company group for the newly-created Company. If the handler runs on non-matches, the company will not be linked.
Delete Permanently The contact is permanently deleted from the marketing database.
Remove from the current Group or Program Step When run manually, this contact will be removed from the current group with which it is associated, or in Program Builder, from the program step with which it is affiliated.
Remove From The Specific Group This contact will be removed from the specified group.
Update a field with a constant value Specify a contact field to be updated with a constant value and provide the value.
Update a field with field values from matched records Specify a contact field that will be updated with the field value from another matched Data Entity field. This option is not available for Non-Matches.

* For the Add to Step in Program Builder deduplication handler to work, the following conditions must be true:

  • The program step is set to support the selected data entity type (contact or company).
  • If the specific data entity is already in the program, it will not be added again.
  • If the program disallows multiple data entity entries, the entity will not be added if it was in the program before.

Company

Handler Details
Add to Company Group Adds the account to a specific company group.
Add to Step in Program Builder The account is added to the program step. Some restrictions apply.*
Backup field data to another field Specify data from one company field to be copied and backed up into another account field.
Delete Permanently The account is permanently deleted from the marketing database.
Remove from the current Group or Program When run manually, this account will be removed from the specified group. In Program Builder, removes the account from the program step.
Remove From The Specific Group This account will be removed from the specified group.
Update a field with a constant value Specify an account field to be updated with a constant value.
Update a field with field values from matched records Specify an account field that will be updated with the field value from another matched data entity field. This option is not available for Non-Matches.

* For the Add to Step in Program Builder deduplication handler to work, the following conditions must be true:

  • The program step is set to support the selected data entity type (contact or account).
  • If the specific data entity is already in the program, it will not be added again.
  • If the program disallows multiple data entity entries, the entity will not be added if it was in the program before.

Next steps

Creating deduplication rules

Applying a filter before deduplication

Creating deduplication handler sets

Learn more

Data tools