Allow Duplicate Contacts (Contact Deduplication Preferences)

The Allow Duplicate Contact setting in Stack helps you manage how duplicate contacts are handled, especially when they are submitted through Zapier or Forms. This setting does not apply to CSV contact uploads, where duplicates are automatically managed based on phone numbers or email addresses. This guide will walk you through understanding and configuring this setting.

Key Details Before Allowing Duplicates

Applicable to Zapier and Forms

The Allow Duplicate Contact setting applies to contacts submitted via Zapier or Forms.
Enabled: Allows the creation of duplicate records with the same phone number or email.
Disabled: Updates existing contacts instead of creating new ones when duplicate information is submitted.

Not Applicable to CSV Imports

For CSV imports, Stack automatically merges contacts based on phone numbers or email addresses.
Duplicate contacts cannot be created through CSV uploads.

Default Behavior for Imports

When importing contacts via CSV, Stack checks for existing records using the primary field (email or phone).
Contacts with matching information are merged automatically, maintaining a clean database.

Configuring the Allow Duplicate Contact Setting

To configure this setting:

Navigate to Settings from the left-hand menu.
Click on Business Profile and locate the Contact Deduplication Preferences panel.

The “Find Existing Contacts based on” Filter

This filter allows you to specify how Stack identifies and matches existing contacts:

Primary Field: Choose the main field for duplicate checking.
- Email (default): Matches contacts by email addresses.
- Phone: Matches contacts by phone numbers.
Second Preference for Search (Optional): Use this as a secondary criterion.
- Example: If “Email” is the primary field and “Phone” is secondary, the system first matches by email, then by phone number if no match is found.

Behavior Across Contact Sources

Forms and Zapier

Enabled: Allows duplicates, creating separate records for contacts with the same email or phone.
Disabled: Updates the existing contact with new information instead of creating a duplicate.

CSV Imports

Duplicate records are merged automatically based on phone number or email.
Duplicate contacts cannot be created during CSV imports.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can duplicates be created during CSV imports?
No, duplicate contacts cannot be created during CSV imports. The system merges contacts based on email or phone.

Q: What happens if I enable “Allow Duplicate Contact”?
Contacts with the same phone number or email can be created via Forms or Zapier. CSV uploads will not create duplicates.

Q: Can I merge duplicate contacts after enabling this setting?
Yes, duplicate contacts can be manually merged using the Merge Contacts feature.

Q: How can I prevent duplicates from integrations?
Disable the Allow Duplicate Contact setting in your account settings to ensure integrations update existing records instead of creating new ones.

Merging Multiple Contacts
Bulk Importing Contacts via CSV Walkthrough