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Automation Action: Merge Records

Learn how to configure an automation that will identify and merge duplicate records in SmartSuite.

Brian Dollen avatar
Written by Brian Dollen
Updated over a week ago

Plan Availability

All plan types

Permissions

Solution Managers or Administrators: Required for configuration

Related Reading

What is an Action?

An automation action in SmartSuite is a task that performs an event or change based on specific conditions.

When Something happens (Trigger) + These Conditions are true → Then This Event (Action) occurs.

The Merge Records action identifies and merges duplicate records in a table based on criteria you define.

Prerequisites

Before setting up this action:

  1. Ensure you have Solution Manager permissions or an Administrator role.

  2. Open the Solution Automations modal in the Solution dropdown to access the configuration interface.

Setting Up the Merge Records Automation

1. Create a New Automation

  • Navigate to the Solution Automations dialog.

  • Click Add Automation to start creating a new workflow.

2. Choose a Trigger

A trigger defines when the automation runs and which records it processes.

Important: This action requires a SmartSuite record with data. Triggers like "At a scheduled time" or "Gmail: When an email is received" are incompatible with this action.

3. Select the Merge Records Action

  1. In the Add Actions section, choose SmartSuite from the actions list.

  2. Select Merge Records to proceed with configuring your automation.

How to Configure the Merge Records Action

Step 1: Verify the Table

The table used for de-duplication is inherited from the trigger.

  • The selected table will be displayed as read-only for verification.

Step 2: Define Field Matching Criteria

Field matching criteria specify how records are compared to find duplicates.

  • Case Insensitive: Matches ignore capitalization.

  • Exact Match: Only identical values are considered duplicates.

Examples:

Field

Record 1

Record 2

Match?

Email

❌ No Match

Email

✅ Match

Step 3: Choose Matching Operator

When matching multiple fields, decide how criteria are combined:

  • AND: All selected fields must match.

  • OR: Any one of the selected fields must match.

Examples:

Fields

Record 1

Record 2

Operator

Match?

Email + Name

brian@smartsuite.com + Brian Dollen

brian@gmail.com + Brian Dollen

OR

✅ Match

Email + Name

brian@smartsuite.com + Brian Dollen

brian@gmail.com + Brian D

AND

❌ No Match

Step 4: Configure Field Merge Actions

Specify how values from duplicate records are combined:

  1. Replace: Overwrites the original record’s value with the duplicate’s value.

  2. Append: Combines values from both records (e.g., text or multiple select fields).

  3. Ignore: Keeps the original record’s value and disregards the duplicate’s value.

Important: Merge Action Behavior

  • Merged records consolidate into the oldest record (based on creation date).

  • The activity history of the original record is preserved.

  • Duplicates are automatically deleted and moved to the recycle bin.

  • Old values are not replaced with empty values

  • This action requires a SmartSuite record with data. Triggers like "At a scheduled time" or "Gmail: When an email is received" are incompatible with this action.


Smart Tips for Success

  • Test Your Criteria: Run a test to ensure the correct records are merged.

  • Keep Data Clean: Use this action regularly to maintain database accuracy.

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