> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.daylite.app/help/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.daylite.app/help/mac-fundamentals/tools-and-utilities/duplicate-checker.md).
# Duplicate Checker
Find and merge duplicate People or Companies in Daylite on Mac: scan for shared emails, phones, or names with the duplicate checker, or combine two records by hand, keeping the values you choose.
Daylite's duplicate checker scans your database for records that share an email address, a phone number, or a name, then lets you combine them into a single record. You choose which record's values to keep by starring it, and any conflicting values are saved to a Note on the combined record rather than being discarded. The duplicate checker is available in Daylite on Mac only.
**Key facts:**
* The duplicate checker is available on Mac only — not on iPhone or iPad
* Find Duplicate Contacts **Edit > Find Duplicate Contacts** scans for People or Companies that share an Email, Phone, or Name
* You can also combine any two People or two Companies directly via **Edit > Combine Contacts**
* The record you mark with a **star** is the one whose values are kept when two values conflict
* Conflicting values are not deleted — they are recorded in a Note on the combined record
* Combining is permanent and cannot be undone
### Before You Start
{% hint style="danger" %}
**Combining cannot be undone.** Daylite merges the records into one and the second record no longer exists. If you are working through a large clean-up, combine a few records first and check the result before continuing.
{% endhint %}
Duplicates usually arrive in bulk — after a contact import, after connecting contact sync, or when several people on the team create records for the same client independently. If you have just imported a list, work through the duplicate checker before you start linking Tasks, Opportunities, or Projects to those Contacts, so all history lands on one record instead of being split across two.
## Using the Duplicate Checker
1. Go to **Edit > Find Duplicate Contacts**.
2. Choose **People** or **Companies** to select which record type to scan.
3. Review the list of potential duplicates in the left column. Matches are organized under three headings: **Email**, **Phone**, and **Name**. The number beside each heading shows how many matching values Daylite found.
4. Click a value — an email address, a phone number, or a name — to load the records that share it in the right column.
5. Review each match to confirm it is a duplicate
6. Click the **star** icon next to the record you want to keep.
7. Click **Combine** to merge the records.
8. Click **Done** when finished.
Daylite merges all checked values into the starred Contact. If conflicting data exists, it is recorded in a Note on the combined record.
### Confirming a Real Match
Daylite groups records by matching value, not by judgement. Two different people who share a phone number at the same office, or a couple who share one email address, appear as a match group even though they are not duplicates.
Click each record under **Items to Combine** to see its full detail in the right-hand pane — Category, email addresses, owner, and when it was created and last modified. If the records belong to two different people, leave them alone and move to the next value in the list.
### Choosing Which Record to Keep
The star determines the outcome wherever two records hold different values for the same field. If one record has the Category "**Lead**" and the other has "**Personal**," the starred record's Category is what the combined record carries.
You can switch the star between records to compare outcomes before clicking **Combine**.
## Combining Two Records Manually
If you notice duplicate records while working in Daylite, you can combine them directly without opening the Find Duplicate Contacts tool.
1. Select two People or two Company records in any list.
2. Go to **Edit > Combine Contacts**.
3. Review both records in the merge window.
4. Click the **star** icon next to the record you want to keep.
5. Click **Combine** to merge the records.
This method supports combining two records at a time.
{% hint style="info" icon="lightbulb" %}
**Tip:** You can add Combine to the contextual menu so you can quickly merge two People or two Companies by right-clicking.
{% endhint %}
## Frequently Asked Questions
**Can I combine duplicates on my iPhone or iPad?**
No. The duplicate checker is available in Daylite on Mac only. Records combined on a Mac sync to iPhone and iPad through Daylite Cloud like any other change.
**How Do You Check What Was Recorded After Combining in Daylite?**
Open the combined record and look at its Activity View. If any values conflicted, Daylite adds a Note listing what it set aside titled "**Conflicts from Combine People**".
Nothing is lost. If you starred the wrong record, the value you wanted is in that Note and you can update the record manually.
**What happens to the Emails, Tasks, and Appointments linked to the duplicate record?**
Llinked items stay with the combined record so the client's history ends up in one place rather than split across multiple records.
**Can I undo a combine?**
No. Combining is permanent. The conflicting values Daylite set aside are kept in a Note on the combined record, but the second record itself is gone.
**Why are two different people showing up as duplicates?**
Daylite matches on the value, not the person. A shared office phone number or a shared household email address groups two genuinely different Contacts. Check each record in the right-hand pane before combining.
**How do I prevent duplicates from coming back?**
Most duplicates arrive through imports and contact sync. Clean your data before importing, see [Importing Data into Daylite](/help/mac-fundamentals/tools-and-utilities/csv-tsv-data-importer.md), and run the duplicate checker after any large import.
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