Intercom Merge Duplicates Overview

Insycle supports Merging Duplicates for the following Intercom record types:

• Users
• Leads
• Companies

You can select the record type at the top of the module screen.

When merging Lead<>User, Insycle uses the underlying Intercom merge API.

When merging Lead<>Lead or User<>User, Insycle performs a synthetic merge:

• Open conversations: Duplicate contacts will be detached from open conversations, and the master contact will be attached to those conversations.
• Closed conversations: Closed conversations cannot be transferred directly in Intercom— doing so would cause them to reopen. Instead, they are preserved as notes in the master contact record, with one note created per closed conversation. This matches the way Intercom's native merge handles closed conversations when merging Lead
• <>User records. (Notes are searchable in Intercom.)
• Tickets: Collected from the duplicate records and converted into notes in the master.
• Tags: Assigned from duplicates to master.
• Companies: Assigned from duplicates to master.
• Notes: Copied from the duplicates and created in the master.
• Events: Copied from the duplicates and created in the master.
• Fields: Use the Field Data Retention Rules to control what data is retained in the master record on a field-by-field basis. By default, data is retained from the master. When a value is empty in the master, it picks a non-empty value from the most recently updated duplicate.

When merging Companies, Insycle performs a synthetic merge:

• Leads: Assigned from duplicates to master.
• Users: Assigned from duplicates to master.
• Tags: Assigned from duplicates to master.
• Fields: Use the Field Data Retention Rules to control what data is retained in the master record on a field-by-field basis. By default, data is retained from the master. When a value is empty in the master, it picks a non-empty value from the most recently updated duplicate. 

Merge Process Summary

When merging duplicates, Insycle goes through the following steps for all Intercom record types:

1. Select the master record according to the rules set in Step 3 on the Master tab.
2. Determine field values to retain in the master record based on rules configured in Step 3 on the Fields tab.
3. For fields without specific rules, identify non-empty values using a "fill in the blanks" method:
   • Check whether the master record has any empty fields.
   • If empty, copy values from the most recently updated record in the duplicate group.
4. Update the master record by:
   • Applying the field values chosen in step 2 (from Field rules).
   • Adding the non-empty values identified in step 3 (using "fill in the blanks").
   • Preserving all other existing values in the master record.
5. Merge the duplicate records and reassign all related objects to the master record.
6. Store an audit trail report accessible from the Activity Tracker and send an email notification to the designated recipients.

Step 1 is where you define which fields Insycle should examine to find duplicate records, and set the rules for how those fields are compared. Each field you add is cumulative — records must match all of the criteria you specify to be flagged as potential duplicates. For example, matching on Email Domain AND Name returns only results where both values are the same.

Step 1 operates through three tabs:

• The Simple tab is where you add matching fields and configure comparison rules, ignored elements, match parts, and conditions.
• The Advanced tab is where you configure Related Fields for any field already added on the Simple tab.
• The Conditions tab is where you set conditions for any field already added on the Simple tab.

A field must be added on the Simple tab before it can be configured on the Advanced or Conditions tabs.

See the Duplicate Identification Rules Reference for a complete breakdown of every option.

Additionally, Step 1 includes a CSV tab that lets you upload a file of known duplicate record ID pairs directly — bypassing field-based matching entirely. See the CSV Tab Reference for details.

Step 2 displays all duplicate groups identified in Step 1, allowing you to review and verify the matches before proceeding. Records that match your Step 1 criteria are automatically clustered into duplicate groups — each group represents a single entity and shows how many duplicate records it contains. For example, three records for the same person would appear as a single duplicate group containing three records.

Click the chevron  at the right end of a duplicate group row to expand it and examine the individual records within that group. You can also add fields as columns to provide more context when evaluating the matches by clicking the gear icon.

To exclude a duplicate group from all future deduplication analysis, click the X on the group row. Excluded groups will not appear as duplicates or be included in merges, even when using different duplicate detection templates. To review and manage excluded groups, click the Exclusions button in the Step 2 header.

Step 3 is where you configure how duplicate groups are consolidated—from choosing your operation mode to defining master selection rules and field retention logic. This step combines operation selection with the merge logic configuration through multiple tabs.

Bulk or Manual Mode

At the top of Step 3, choose between Bulk and Manual modes in the header:

• Bulk mode (recommended) automatically merges all duplicate groups according to the master record selection rules you define in the Master tab. This is the right choice for most deduplication processes, and the only mode that supports templates, Recipes, and automation.
• Manual mode lets you review and select specific records to merge individually from the Record Viewer. Reserve this for high-value records or complex scenarios where you want hands-on control over each merge. Learn more about merging using Manual mode.

Most users should select Bulk mode and proceed.

Step 3 operates through two tabs that work together:

1) Master tab

The Master tab of Step 3 lets you set the rules that determine which record in each duplicate group becomes the master. Insycle evaluates your rules in order from top to bottom, and the first record that uniquely matches a rule becomes the master. If no record matches any rule, master selection fails for that group. See the Master Record Selection reference for a full breakdown of all rules and options.

At the bottom of the Master tab, you'll also configure:

• Processing method — Choose between By Priority (evaluates rules in sequence, stops at first unique match) or Absolute (master must match all rules). Most operations should use By Priority.
• Exclusions — By default, Insycle skips any duplicate group containing more than 5 records—this prevents overly broad matching criteria from accidentally merging unrelated records. You can adjust this threshold up to 100 records per group.

2) Fields tab

The Fields tab in Step 3 controls which field values are copied to the master record after the merge. By default, Insycle keeps the master record's values and fills any empty fields with values from the most recently updated duplicate. You can override this on a field-by-field basis for any fields that need special handling. See the Field Data Retention Reference for all available criteria and conditions.

Step 4 is where you preview and apply your merge changes. It operates in two modes:

• Preview Mode generates a CSV report that shows exactly how your records would be merged based on your current configuration — which records become masters, which field values end up where, and whether any errors occur. No changes are made to your CRM. Always run Preview Mode before Update Mode to verify everything is working as expected.
• Update Mode applies the merge to your live CRM. Once you've confirmed your Preview results look correct, Update Mode executes the actual merge operations.

Preview Merged Changes in Emailed CSV Report

Under Step 4, click the Review button and select Preview mode.

Click the Next button to go to the Notify screen, where you can select recipients for the email report and add additional context.

On the When tab, click the Run Now tab, select which records to apply the change to (if you have a lot of records, you might want to do a small batch to test), then click the Run Now button.

Insycle will generate a preview CSV and send it to your email. Open the CSV file from your email in a spreadsheet application and review the data.

There's a row for each record, which includes:

• The Result of the action
• A Message with details
• The Duplicate Group ID indicates which records will be merged together
• A record Status that identifies which were picked as master and which were identified as duplicates and merged into the master. See below for more details
• All fields used to identify the duplicates in Step 1
• The record ID, record name, or email, and Deeplink to the CRM record
• All fields selected for the Record and Fields rules in Step 3. Note that if a field is used on both tabs, it will only appear once in the CSV. 
• Any additional fields added to the Layout tab in Step 2.

 The Status column indicates:

• Duplicate – The record is part of a duplicate group.
• Master – The master record chosen for the duplicate group based on default behavior and your Master rules. Review the selections in this row to determine whether the appropriate records are being chosen.
• Master (After) – For each duplicate group, a special row –Master (After)– will appear in the CSV report. The Master (After) row shows the values the final record will contain based on your Field rules and the default behavior.
• Error – If Insycle cannot determine which record the master is, an error message will appear here. See the Troubleshooting section below for more details.

If everything looks good, return to Insycle and move forward with applying the changes to Intercom.

Apply Changes to Your CRM Records

When you're satisfied with the results in your preview, you can apply the merge changes to your CRM.

Under Step 4, click the Review button again, and this time select Update mode.

On the When tab, you should use Run Now the first time you apply these changes to the CRM. If you have a large number of records, you may want to do a smaller batch to review the results in your CRM.

After you've reviewed the results in the CRM and are satisfied with how the operation runs, you can save your configuration as a template and set up automation so the merge operation runs on a set schedule. If you have several templates you'd like to run together automatically, you can create a Recipe. 

By automating with a template, you'll save time and ensure your duplicates merge consistently on an ongoing basis.

Save Your Configuration as a Template

Return to the Template menu at the top of the page and click Copy to save your configurations as a new version of whatever template you started with. Then click the pencil to edit your new template name.

Set Up Automation

Under Step 4, click the Review button, and select Update mode.

On the Notify tab, select the send option appropriate for your automation: Always send, Send when errors, or Do not email.

Add any additional recipients who should receive the CSV (and make sure to hit Enter after each address). You can also provide additional context in the message subject or body.

On the When tab, select Automate, and configure the frequency you'd like the template to run. When finished, click Schedule.

You can view all your scheduled automations at any time on the Operations > Automations page.

Bundle into a Recipe

When you have multiple templates that work reliably together — for example, separate templates for contacts, companies, and deals — you can combine them into a Recipe. A Recipe runs your templates in sequence, in the order you define, on a consistent schedule.

If you're experiencing issues because the same person appears in Intercom as both a lead and a user, you can use the Merge Duplicates module to deduplicate leads and contacts together.

In the Merge Duplicates module, select the Users record type from the top menu.

Then, under Step 1, check the Include Leads checkbox.

To learn more, see Deduplicate Across Intercom Users and Leads.

Once installed, the Insycle Inbox app adds a widget to your Intercom inbox that lets you quickly check for duplicates in an open conversation.

To access the "Insycle Data Management" widget, open the conversation and click the Check for Duplicates button on the right-hand side of the screen.

Then, Insycle will compare the contact in your currently opened conversation against other contacts in your database, and give you the option to merge.

To learn more, see Deduplicate in Intercom Inbox with the Insycle App.

For situations where there are no common rules you can apply for identifying duplicates for all or some of the records, you may need more granular control for picking records to include or exclude from the process.

To do this in bulk, you can create a CSV and use the Magical Import module.

In these cases, you can use CSV files to customize your bulk merging, designate master records, and exclude records from deduplication. Then you can import the CSV from the Magical Import and use the Merge Duplicates module for complete control over the final merge operation. Learn how to customize merging Duplicates in bulk using a CSV.

To do this one record at a time, you can use Manual mode of the Merge Duplicates module.

In Manual mode, you have complete control over which records are merged together by selecting them from the Record Viewer. Manual mode should be reserved only for cases needing a careful, controlled process. Learn more about merging duplicates in Manual mode.

If you have set up the Insycle Run ID attribute in Intercom, every Insycle operation that updates a record will update the Run ID in the record. This can be used to look up process reports in the Activity Tracker or to get help from support.

When using an Insycle Recipe that includes templates for more than one object type, such as companies and leads, the same Run ID will appear in both records.

If the Insycle Run ID doesn't already exist in your Intercom database, add it as a custom attribute with the label "Insycle Run ID" to each object type as needed. 

This object label is the only requirement for the integration to work properly. It's not dependent on the internal name or underlying API field name.

Most of the time, when Insycle can't find duplicates, it is due to your matching rules in Step 1. It is important to analyze the underlying data to better understand how to set up your rules. A helpful exercise for contacts is to set up your matching filters to find exact matches on only First Name and Last Name. For companies, you can use Company Name.

When you click Find, these rules can show you a broad overview of what duplicates are potentially in your database and what fields might be useful to include in your matching fields. These settings are just for discovery and should not be used for a final merge operation; many people can have the same first and last names and are not duplicates. 

To get further context, on Step 2, click the layout gear button on the right side of the title bar. Here, you can add any field from your database as a column in the duplicate group review to better understand the data in these records. These will also appear in your CSV report. 

If the Result is "Failed" and the Message column of the CSV report displays this text:

Change rules in Step 3 'Master Selection'. Failed to pick master record because multiple records (X) meet the selection criteria. In 'Master Selection', change, add, or reorder the rules such that only one record matches (if cannot determine master based on field values, use 'Record ID is lowest' as the last rule).

This means Insycle could not determine which record in the duplicate group should become the master — none of the records meet more of the rules than the others.

There are a few things you can try to resolve this:

1. Under Step 3, on the Master tab, experiment with reordering or adding rules based on fields that are likely to have unique values across your records. Think about what matters most to your business — the fields that would make one record clearly more valuable or authoritative than another. For example:

   • A field that stores an ID linked to an external system, such as an ERP, data warehouse, or proprietary internal tool — the record with that ID populated is likely the one your other systems depend on
   • The record with the highest number of associated records (contacts, deals, activities) — indicating it has accumulated more history and relationships
   • A field indicating CRM ownership or account status — for example, a record marked as "Customer" vs. "Lead," or one with an active owner assigned
   • A field that tracks revenue, subscription tier, or engagement level — the record with higher values may represent the more complete or current entry
   • A custom field your team uses to flag record quality or data source reliability

   The goal is to surface the fields that reflect record importance for your specific operations, not just default system fields.

2. Also on the Step 3 Master tab, confirm that By Priority is selected rather than Absolute.

   With By Priority, a record only needs to match one rule to be selected as master. With Absolute, a record must meet all rule criteria, which makes it much harder for any single record to qualify.

   In most cases, By Priority is the right choice. If By Priority is already selected and the error persists, none of the records in the group meet any of the criteria more than the others. Return to the Master tab and continue adding or reordering rules, focusing on the business-critical fields described in #1 above.

   

3. As a last resort, add a rule on the Master tab that uses Record ID is lowest, or Create Date is earliest. These rules will always produce a unique winner, ensuring master selection can complete even when other field-based rules cannot differentiate the records.

There are a couple of things to look at that may be causing records to be misidentified as duplicates.

First, you may need a better unique identifier. Under Step 1, if you use only fields that can correctly contain the same values across multiple records, they aren't unique identifiers. In this case, you are likely to identify unrelated records as duplicates and may accidentally merge them.

Unique identifiers are data unlikely to be shared by any other record unless they represent the same underlying entity. Common fields used for deduplication include phone numbers, email addresses, mailing addresses, and ID numbers.

Second, this may indicate the Comparison Rule under Step 1 is too broad. Try using the Exact Match comparison rule instead of the Similar Match rule. Similar Match looks for values that may be close, even with a one-character difference (e.g., a typo), broadening the search. 

Remember to always run your deduplication in Preview Mode to confirm it's working as expected before running it in Update Mode and applying the changes to your CRM records.

You have duplicate records that have been identified by Insycle but not all of them are merging into the master. 

Look at the Exclusions at the bottom of Step 3 to see how many duplicates are in the affected duplicate groups. If you have duplicate groups with more than 5 records, you may want to change the Skip duplicate groups with more than [5] records per group setting to ensure you get all of them.

This 5-record default is intended to prevent accidental merging of non-duplicate records when the filter in Step 1 is too broad.