A master record is the record kept after duplicate records are merged.
When several rows represent the same contact, company, product, or account, the merge process keeps one row as the master and deletes or archives the others.
Why the master record matters
The master record becomes the final version of the data.
If the wrong record is selected, you can keep outdated values and lose better data from another duplicate. This is why master record selection should follow a rule.
Common master record rules include:
- Keep the most complete record
- Keep the last updated record
- Keep the first created record
- Keep the record with the highest value in a field
- Keep the record with a specific value in a field
📌 Short version
The master record is the row that survives the merge. The merge rules decide which values are added to it.
Master record vs merged values
The master record is not always kept unchanged.
During a merge, empty fields in the master record can be filled with values from duplicate records. Some fields can also be combined, such as tags, notes, categories, or source URLs.
If two non-empty fields conflict, use data merge conflict resolution before merging.
Datablist workflow
Datablist selects the most complete record by default when auto-merging duplicates.
You can also configure master item rules such as last updated, first created, highest value, lowest value, or matching value on a property.
Use this with the Duplicates Remover and read the merge duplicate leads guide for practical examples.