Troubleshooting · Article 8 of 8
Duplicate contact or customer records
A duplicate record is when the same person appears more than once in Navigator. Duplicates can cause real problems — the wrong record gets used for statements, approvals, or portal access. Navigator flags them automatically but resolving them is a manual process.
How duplicates are detected
Navigator identifies potential duplicates by comparing records within your account. When two or more records appear to represent the same person, a warning is shown on each.
You'll see a red or amber Errors alert with a message like "This contact has duplicate records" or "This customer has duplicate records."
The alert includes a View duplicates link that filters the list to show only matching records side by side.
Why duplicates are a problem
- Statements and approvals go to the wrong record — if the active record lacks a valid email or funding access, the duplicate might be used, or neither works correctly
- Funding access is split — permissions may be inconsistent across the two records
- Portal login on the wrong record — updates to one record don't affect what they see
- Confusion for your team — tasks, notes, and history scattered across both
How to resolve duplicate records
No automatic merge function. Manual process — work through carefully.
Step 1 — View all duplicates
Click View duplicates on the alert. Open each record and compare:
- Which has the correct email?
- Which is linked to the right customers (for contacts)?
- Which has recent activity — tasks, notes, invoices?
- Which was created first?
- Does either have an active portal login?
Step 2 — Identify the correct record
Determine which should be kept. Usually the one with most complete info, correct links, most recent activity.
Step 3 — Move important data to the correct record
Check whether the duplicate has anything you need to preserve:
- Details on the duplicate that aren't on the correct record
- Customer links the correct record is missing
Copy or re-enter missing details onto the correct record first.
Step 4 — Check with your team lead before archiving
Some records have linked data — invoices, tasks, portal logins — that can't simply be deleted. Your team lead can advise on the safest way to remove the duplicate.
Step 5 — Archive or remove the duplicate
Once confirmed, archive or soft-delete the duplicate. Don't permanently delete — archived records are preserved for history and compliance.