2011 User's Guide Copyright

Enable and Disable Duplicate Detection

This task requires the System Administrator or System Customizer security role or equivalent permissions. More information about specific permissions and performing this task while offline: Configuration Permissions

Duplicate detection can take place only if duplicate detection is enabled in Duplicate Detection Settings and if at least one duplicate-detection rule exists for the record type.

1. 
   In the Navigation Pane, click Settings, click Data Management, and then click Duplicate Detection Settings.
   
2. 
   Select whether duplicate detection should be enabled.
   

3. 
   Review the parts of Microsoft Dynamics CRM where duplicate detection can occur, and modify the settings as needed:
   

• 
  When a record is created or updated
  

Duplicates cannot be detected when a user merges two records, converts a lead, or saves an activity as completed.

• 
  When Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook goes from offline to online
  

• 
  During data import
  

4. 
   Click OK.
   

To remove duplicate-detection for one record type:

1. 
   In the Navigation Pane, click Settings, click Customizations, and then click Customize the System.
   
2. 
   Double-click the record type.
   
3. 
   In the Duplicate Detection section, clear the Enable Duplicate Detection check box.
   
4. 
   Click Save and Close.
   
5. 
   When your customizations are complete, publish your customizations:
   

• 
  To publish customizations for the entity you are currently editing, on the Actions menu, click Publish.
  
• 
  To publish customizations for all entities at once, open the Customize the System list. On the Actions menu, click Publish All Customizations.
  
• 
  To publish customizations for specific entities, open the Customize the System list and select the entities you want to publish. On the Actions toolbar, click Publish.
  

Related Topics Check for duplicates 45 Avoiding Duplicate Records 66

Create or edit a duplicate-detection rule

This task requires a manager, vice president, CEO-Business Manager, System Administrator, or System Customizer security role or equivalent permissions. More information about specific permissions and performing this task while offline: Configuration Permissions

Microsoft Dynamics CRM includes default duplicate-detection rules for accounts, contacts, and leads. No default rules are provided for other record types.

1. 
   In the Navigation Pane, click Settings, click Data Management, and then click Duplicate Detection Rules.
   
2. 
   To create a new duplicate-detection rule, click New. Type a name and description.
   

To edit an unpublished existing duplicate-detection rule, double-click the duplicate-detection rule.

- OR -

To edit a published duplicate-detection rule, select the duplicate-detection rule, on the Actions menu, click Unpublish, and then double-click the duplicate-detection rule.

3. 
   Select the criteria to be used to identify a record as a duplicate.
   

1. 
   If you are creating a new rule:
   

• 
  In the Duplicate Detection Rule Criteria section, in the Base Record Type list, click the type of record that this rule applies to.
  
• 
  In the Matching Record Type box, click the type of record that this rule applies to.
  

2. 
   If you want the rule to be case-sensitive, select the Case-sensitive check box.
   
3. 
   If you selected different record types for the base and matching record types, for each new criteria:
   

1. 
   In the Base Record Field column, click Select, and then click an attribute.
   
2. 
   In the same row, in the Matching Record Field column, click Select, and then click an attribute.
   
3. 
   In the same row, in the Criteria column, click Select, and then click an operator.
   
4. 
   If you specified Same First Characters or Same Last Characters, in the No. of Characters column, click Enter Value, and then enter the number of characters to compare.
   

If you are unable to see the No. of Characters column, scroll the to the right of the dialog box.

4. 
   If you selected the same record types for the base and matching record types, for each new criteria:
   

1. 
   In the Attribute column, click Select, and then click a field.
   
2. 
   In the same row, in the Criteria column, click Select, and then click an operator.
   
3. 
   If you specified Same First Characters or Same Last Characters, in the No. of Characters column, click Enter Value, and then enter the number of characters to compare.
   

4. 
   Click Save and Close.
   
5. 
   To make the new or changed duplicate-detection rule usable, publish it.
   

• 
  If there is no Publish button on the Actions toolbar, ask someone with the System Customizer or System Administrator security role to publish the rule.
  
• 
  If there is a Publish button, select the new or changed rule, and then click Publish.
  

Microsoft Dynamics CRM sets the value for any empty fields in a record to "NULL." When you create a duplicate-detection rule with multiple criteria, Microsoft Dynamics CRM sets the value for any criteria that does not have a specified value to "NULL." During the duplicate-detection job, Microsoft Dynamics CRM shows all records with the value set to "NULL" as potential duplicates. To avoid the false potential duplicates, if you are creating a duplicate detection rule with multiple criteria, make sure that you specify a value for all the criteria.

• 
  We recommend that you set the duplicate-detection criteria on a field that has unique values. For example, E-mail.
  
• 
  You can have more than one duplicate-detection rule for each record type.
  

Related Topics Check for duplicates 45 Avoiding Duplicate Records 66