Merge Duplicate Customer Records
Duplicate customer records happen — a customer books through your website with a different email, or gets added manually while already in the system. Trade2Base's merge tool lets you combine two records into one, preserving all jobs, quotes, invoices, and messages on the master record.
Finding duplicate customers
You can search for potential duplicates by name, email address, or phone number. The quickest way is to use the customer search in Trade2Base's Customers module.
Go to Customers and type the customer's surname in the search bar. If two or more records appear with the same or similar name, they may be duplicates. Check the address or phone number to confirm.
Type an email address into the search bar. If two records share the same email or very similar addresses (e.g. gmail vs googlemail), they are almost certainly the same person.
Phone numbers are a reliable identifier. Search for a mobile number and check whether it appears on more than one record. Bear in mind that numbers may be stored with or without the leading zero or country code.
Trade2Base automatically flags likely duplicates in Customers → Duplicates. This list is generated weekly based on matching names, emails, and phone numbers. Review it regularly to keep your database clean.
How to merge two customer records
Go to the customer record you want to merge into another (the one you want to remove). This is typically the newer or less complete record.
Click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner of the customer profile and select Merge with another customer.
A search dialog appears. Type the name or email of the customer you want to keep (the master record). Select them from the results.
Trade2Base shows you a side-by-side comparison of both records — name, email, phone, address, and the count of jobs, quotes, invoices, and messages on each. You can choose which contact details to keep from each record.
Click Merge. The duplicate record is removed and all its data transfers to the master record. The master record now shows the combined history.
What data is preserved after a merge?
All data from both records transfers to the master record. Nothing is lost.
Every job from both records appears in the master customer's job history, sorted by date.
All quotes, regardless of status (draft, sent, accepted, declined), are moved to the master record.
Invoices and payment records transfer fully. Outstanding balances are combined and visible on the master record.
The full message history from both records is merged into a single conversation thread on the master record.
Customer tags from both records are combined. Internal notes are appended together with a timestamp indicating which record each note came from.
Undoing a merge
Merges can be undone within 30 days of the merge date. To undo:
Go to Settings → Activity Log and filter by action type Merge. Locate the merge you want to undo.
Click the Undo button next to the merge record. Trade2Base splits the records back into their original state, returning all data to the correct record.
After 30 days the undo option is no longer available. If you need to undo an older merge, contact Trade2Base support who can restore from a backup.
Bulk deduplication tips
If you have recently imported a large customer list via CSV and suspect many duplicates, here are the most efficient ways to clean up.
Go to Customers → Duplicates. Trade2Base presents likely duplicate pairs sorted by confidence score. Work through the list from the top, merging or dismissing each pair. Dismissed pairs won't be flagged again.
Before importing a large list, use a spreadsheet to sort by email or phone and remove obvious duplicates. This prevents them from entering Trade2Base in the first place and is far faster than merging after the fact.
Trade2Base matches phone numbers regardless of format (07xxx, +447xxx, 447xxx), but storing them consistently in your import file improves duplicate detection accuracy. Use the 07xxx format for UK mobile numbers.
Still need help? Contact support
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