Duplicate users

Learn how to find and merge duplicate users, so you can maximize the effectiveness of your campaigns and Canvases.

Individual merging

If a user search returns duplicate profiles, you can merge each profile individually from the user’s profile in the Braze dashboard.

Step 1: Search for a duplicate profile

In Braze, select Audience > User Search.

Enter a unique identifier, such as an email address or phone number, for the duplicate profile, then select Search.

Step 2: Merge duplicates

To begin the merge process, select Merge duplicates.

Choose which user profile to keep and which to merge, then select Merge profiles. Repeat this process until you’ve merged all duplicate profiles.

Bulk merging

When you bulk merge duplicate users, Braze finds profiles with matching identifiers (such as an email address) and merges all their data into the most recently updated profile with an external_id. If there are no profiles with an external_id, the most recently updated profile without an external_id will be used instead.

Step 1: Go to Manage Audience

In the Braze dashboard, select Audience > Manage Audience.

Step 2: Preview the results (optional)

To preview your results before merging your duplicates, select Generate list of duplicates.

Braze will generate your preview and send it to your email address as a CSV file.

In the following example, Braze uses the user’s external ID to flag duplicate profiles and identify which one to keep. If these profiles are bulk merged, Braze will use the profile with an external ID as the user’s new primary profile.

• example csv file

Merge behavior

Braze will fill empty fields on the kept profile with values from the merged profile. For a list of the fields that will be filled, refer to Merge behavior.

Step 3: Merge your duplicates

If you’re satisfied with the results of your preview, select Merge all duplicates.

Rules-based merging

You can use rules to control how duplicate profiles are resolved when running a merge so the most relevant user profile is kept. When rules are set, Braze will keep profiles that match your criteria.

Step 1: Define your rules

1. Go to Audience > Manage Audience > Edit rules.
2. In the Profile to keep section of the Edit rules panel, select the Identifier for the profiles that will be kept when merging duplicates. This can be the email address or phone number.
3. In the Resolving ties section, select the criteria to determine how to solve ties between profiles with matching criteria from Profile to keep. You can select the following:
   
   • Resolve ties using: Created date, Updated date, Last session
   • Prioritization: Newest, Oldest

For example, you could keep the profile that has a phone number. If multiple users have the same phone number, you could resolve ties using the Updated date field and prioritize the most recently updated user.

Step 2: Preview the results (optional)

After saving your rules, you can preview how they’ll work by selecting Generate a list of duplicates. Braze will generate your preview and send it to your email address as a CSV file that shows which users would be kept and merged if your rules were applied.

Step 3: Merge duplicates

If you’re satisfied with the results of your preview, return to the Manage Audience page and select Merge all duplicates.