Merging Duplicate Contacts
Note: This feature is only available to users with the Admin role.
If you receive a portal message indicating a non-unique email, it is often caused by duplicate contact records in the system.
To check for duplicate contacts:
Navigate to the Contacts tab in the left navigation ribbon.
Use the search function to locate the contact by name or email address.
Review the results to determine if multiple entries exist for the same contact.
If duplicate contacts are found, they must be merged into a single record. Merging ensures the contact can properly access the client portal for all associated clients.
Multiple entries for the same contact can be combined using the Merge Contacts feature.
Please refer to the instructions below for step-by-step guidance on merging duplicate contacts.
Please ensure that the contacts are the same, as once they are merged, they can not be unmerged.
1. To merge duplicate contacts, first select the contacts to be merged: To do this, check the box on the left to select or deselect a contact.
2. After the contacts to merge have been selected, click the gear symbol then choose "Merge Selected Contacts". This will bring up the "Merge Contacts" window.
3. Identify the contact whose data will take precedence over other contacts by clicking on that contact's card. The contact that will take precedence will be identified with the note "This contact is selected to keep". Click "Merge Contacts".
4. Contacts have been merged.
Note: Contacts can be merged, but clients cannot be merged.
Delete Duplicate Contacts
Yes, duplicate contacts can be removed from Firm360. There are two ways to locate and delete duplicate contacts within the system.
Identify Duplicate Contacts
To find contacts that may be duplicated:
Navigate to the Contacts section from the left-hand navigation menu.
Use the Search bar to enter the name of the contact you believe may be duplicated.
Review the search results to locate the duplicate entries.
When duplicates exist, it is typically recommended to keep the contact record that contains the most complete information and delete the one with fewer details.
Delete a Duplicate Contact
There are two ways to delete a duplicate contact.
Method 1: Delete from the Contact Record
Open the contact you want to delete.
In the contact window, locate the Associated Clients section.
Click the client name (displayed in blue).
If multiple clients are listed, select the client associated with both duplicate contacts.
From the client record, navigate to the Contacts tab.
Locate the duplicate contact and delete it from the contact editing screen.
Method 2: Delete from the Client Record
Navigate to the Clients section.
Select the client associated with the duplicate contact.
Open the Contacts tab.
Locate the duplicate contact.
Click the Action dropdown on the right side.
Select Edit.
In the Edit Contact window, click Delete (shown in red) in the lower-left corner.
Confirm the deletion.
Once confirmed, the contact will be permanently removed from the system.
Best Practices to Prevent Duplicate Contacts
To reduce the chances of creating duplicate contacts, follow these recommendations:
Search before creating a new contact.
Before adding a contact, use the Contacts search bar to check whether the contact already exists in the system.Use existing contacts when adding clients.
When adding a contact to a client, select Existing Contact if the person already exists in your contact database instead of creating a new one.Maintain a single contact record per person.
A contact can be associated with multiple clients, so the same person should not be created multiple times.Review contact information before saving.
Confirm that the email address, phone number, and name match an existing contact before creating a new record.
Following these practices helps keep your contact list organized and prevents duplicate records from being created.