Created on 26 Mar 2026

Managing duplicate volunteers

When volunteers register multiple times or are imported from different sources, you may end up with duplicate entries. The merge feature allows you to combine these duplicates while preserving all important data and maintaining data integrity.

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Understanding duplicate volunteers

How duplicates are created

Volunteers can be marked as duplicates when:

• Multiple registrations – The same person registers more than once through various forms
• Data imports – Importing volunteer data from different sources
• Manual creation – Creating volunteer entries manually that match existing ones
• Email/name matches – The system detects matching email addresses or names

Duplicate status

When a volunteer is identified as a duplicate:

• Their status is set to Duplicate (red badge)
• They appear in the volunteer list but won't be assigned to shifts
• Admin notes explain why they were flagged as duplicate

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Finding duplicate volunteers

Using the duplicates filter

1. Navigate to Volunteers within your event
2. Click the Show duplicates checkbox in the filters or status "Duplicates"
3. The table will display only volunteers with duplicate status

Identifying duplicates in the list

Duplicate volunteers show:

• Red "Duplicate" badge in the Status column
• "Merge duplicate" option in their Actions menu
• Admin notes explaining the duplicate detection

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Merging duplicate volunteers

Starting the merge process

1. Find a volunteer with Duplicate status
2. Click the Actions dropdown / or button for that volunteer
3. Select Merge duplicate

This opens the merge modal showing:

• The current volunteer details
• All potential duplicate candidates
• Comparison information to help you decide

Understanding the merge options

Current volunteer section

Shows the volunteer you selected:

• Name and contact information
• Status badge (Duplicate)
• Ticket indicator – Shows if they have an associated ticket
• Shift and preference counts

Candidate selection

Lists all matching volunteers:

• Radio buttons to select which volunteer to merge with
• Comparison data for each candidate:
  • Name and email
  • Status and ticket information
  • Number of shifts and preferences
  • Source (how they were created)
• "Keep" badge – Indicates which entry the system recommends keeping

Merge options

Choose what to merge:

• Merge team preferences – Copy missing team preferences
• Merge notes – Append the duplicate's notes to the primary volunteer

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How merging works

Primary selection logic

The system automatically determines which volunteer to keep:

1. Ticket reference wins – The volunteer with an associated ticket is kept
2. Earliest creation – If neither or both have tickets, the older record is kept

You can override this selection by choosing a different volunteer in the modal.

What gets merged

When you merge two volunteers:

Data preservation

• Team preferences – Missing preferences are copied from the duplicate
• Shift assignments – All assignments move to the primary volunteer
• Phase assignments – Phase participation is transferred
• Contact links – Missing contact/user connections are filled
• Optional fields – Phone, emergency contacts, etc., if missing on primary

Data updates

• Ticket reference – Primary adopts ticket if it doesn't have one
• Status – Primary becomes Active; duplicate becomes Inactive
• Notes – Duplicate's notes are appended with merge information

What happens to the duplicate

• Status changes to Inactive (grey badge)
• Notes updated with merge details and timestamp
• No longer appears in active volunteer lists
• Data preserved for audit trail

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After merging

Immediate effects

• Primary volunteer appears with Active status
• Duplicate volunteer is hidden from active views
• All assignments now belong to the primary volunteer
• Success message confirms the merge

Verification steps

1. Check the primary volunteer – View their profile to verify merged data
2. Review assignments – Ensure all shifts are correctly assigned
3. Check preferences – Verify team preferences are complete
4. Look for the duplicate – Should appear as Inactive if searched

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Best practices

Before merging

• Verify it's actually the same person – Check email, name, and other details
• Review assignments – Note which volunteer has more shifts/preferences
• Check ticket associations – See which entry is linked to a ticket
• Read admin notes – Understand why it was flagged as duplicate

During merging

• Choose the right primary – Usually the one with the ticket or more complete data
• Enable merge options – Keep both preferences and notes checked unless you have a reason not to
• Review the summary – The modal explains exactly what will happen

After merging

• Communicate with the volunteer – If needed, explain the merge to avoid confusion
• Update any external references – If you referenced the duplicate ID elsewhere
• Monitor for issues – Check that the volunteer can still access their portal

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Troubleshooting

"No duplicate candidates found"

This means:

• No other volunteers match by email or name
• The volunteer might be incorrectly marked as duplicate
• Consider changing their status to Active instead of merging

Merge fails with error

Common issues:

• Permission denied – Ensure you have volunteer edit permissions
• Database error – Try again; if it persists, contact support
• Invalid selection – Make sure you selected a valid merge candidate

Volunteer disappears after merge

This is expected behavior:

• Primary volunteer should still be visible with Active status
• Duplicate volunteer is now Inactive and hidden from default views
• Search by name to find the inactive duplicate if needed

Assignments lost after merge

This shouldn't happen, but if it does:

• Check both volunteers – Assignments might be on the inactive duplicate
• Manual reassignment – Move assignments to the primary volunteer
• Contact support – Report the issue for investigation

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Advanced scenarios

Multiple duplicates

If you have more than two duplicates:

1. Merge two at a time – Start with the most complete records
2. Choose the best primary – Pick the one with the ticket or most data
3. Repeat until done – Continue merging until only one active record remains

Merging across events

The merge feature works within a single event scope. For cross-event duplicates:

• Merge within each event first
• Consider global merge if the system supports it
• Contact support for assistance with complex scenarios

Bulk duplicate management

For many duplicates:

• Export the data to review all duplicates at once
• Use the duplicates filter to work through them systematically
• Document your process for future reference

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Related features

• Volunteer status management – Change volunteer statuses manually
• Bulk actions – Update multiple volunteers at once
• Import/export – Handle volunteer data in bulk
• Activity logs – Track all merge actions for audit purposes

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Need help?

If you encounter issues with duplicate volunteers:

• Check this guide for common scenarios
• Review the volunteer profile for detailed information
• Contact your system administrator for permission issues
• Reach out to support for technical problems