Merging Contacts

Merging contacts combines duplicate records of the same person into one profile. The same customer often reaches you on several channels, for example on WhatsApp and by email, and each channel can create its own contact. Resool finds contacts that share an email address or phone number and lets you merge them, so one profile holds all of that person's channels, conversations, tags and details. If you merge by mistake, you can unmerge a channel back into its own contact.

#Before you begin

• You need Create and edit contacts to merge or unmerge.
• Resool suggests duplicates when contacts share the same email or the same phone number (phone numbers are compared by digits only). In the Inbox it can also suggest contacts with the same name.

#What happens when you merge

You choose one record to keep. Every other record in the group merges into it:

• Their channels, conversations, satisfaction ratings, tags and segment memberships move to the kept contact.
• Empty fields on the kept contact are filled in from the others. Values the kept contact already has are not overwritten.
• The merged records are removed from the contact list.
• The kept contact's History shows "merged a duplicate into it", and the merge is recorded in the audit log.

Open conversations stay separate after the merge; you see all of them on the kept contact. To combine two conversations with the same contact, use Merge into… on a conversation in the Inbox.

#How to merge duplicates from the Contacts page

1. Go to Contacts. When duplicates exist, the toolbar shows a button such as 3 duplicates.
2. Click it to open Possible duplicates. Each group shows why the contacts match (Same email or Same phone) and how many contacts it has.
3. In each group, choose the Record to keep. The oldest record is selected by default and marked Keep.
4. Click Merge on the group.

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Contacts › "3 duplicates" button

The Possible duplicates dialog with two groups: one "Same phone" group with two contacts (one marked Keep) and one "Same email" group with three contacts, each row showing name, email or phone and date added, and a Merge button per group.

File: screenshots/merging-contacts-dialog.png

The button is shown only when there are duplicates and you can edit contacts.

#How to merge from the Dashboard

The Merge Suggestions card on the Dashboard lists contacts that look like duplicates.

• Click Merge to merge a suggestion.
• Click Hide suggestion if the contacts are different people.
• Click View all contacts to go to Contacts.

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Dashboard › Merge Suggestions card

The Merge Suggestions card with two suggestions, each with both contacts' names and channel icons, and the Merge and Hide suggestion buttons.

File: screenshots/merging-contacts-dashboard.png

#How to merge from a conversation

1. Open a conversation in the Inbox.
2. If the contact has possible duplicates, the contact panel shows a banner such as 1 merge suggestion. Click View.
3. In Possible duplicates, click Merge here next to the contact to merge into the one you're talking to.

Their conversations, channels and tags move to the current contact. See Contact details panel.

#How to unmerge a channel

If a merge combined two different people, split the channel that belongs to the other person:

1. Open the contact's page.
2. In the Channels card, click Unmerge next to the channel.

Resool creates a new contact for that channel with the name and language of the merged contact, plus the phone number (for WhatsApp) or email (for email). That channel's conversations move to the new contact. You'll see "Channel moved to its own contact".

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Contacts › open a contact with two channels › Channels card

The Channels card listing a WhatsApp number and an email address, each with an Unmerge link.

File: screenshots/merging-contacts-unmerge.png

#Notes and limitations

• Unmerge appears only when a contact has more than one channel.
• Merging can't be undone as a whole; use Unmerge to separate channels again.
• If a teammate tries to give a contact an email or phone that already belongs to someone else, Resool asks to merge them first.

#FAQ and troubleshooting

#Why don't I see the duplicates button?

Either there are no contacts sharing an email or phone, or your role can't edit contacts.

#Which name and details does the merged contact keep?

The kept record's values. Fields that are empty on the kept record are filled from the merged ones.

#Will merging send anything to the customer?

No. Merging only changes your records in Resool.

#I see "This address already belongs to another contact. Merge them first."

What you can do:

• Search Contacts for the email or phone you were adding.
• Merge the two contacts using Possible duplicates or Merge here.
• Then add the details to the kept contact.

#Why do duplicates appear after an import?

Imports update contacts with the same email or phone, but a row with a new email and a different phone creates a new contact. Use Possible duplicates to clean up afterwards.

#What's next?

• Contact profile
• Importing contacts
• Contact details panel
• Dashboard