Duplicates are literally ruining your time and efforts. Studies by Plauti show that nearly 80% (yes, you heard that right) of new Salesforce integration records are duplicates.
To address this, Salesforce offers Matching Rules and Duplicate Rules. These powerful tools work together to cleanse duplicate data from your system.
This guide will show you the best practices for setting up duplicate rule and matching rule in Salesforce.
But first, let us understand precisely what the matching rule and duplicate rule are.
Matching Rules and Duplicate Rules in Salesforce help businesses detect and manage duplicate records efficiently.
These set the standards by which Salesforce compares records and identifies potential duplicates. For example, a Matching Rule can check if two contacts share the same email address or phone number.
Duplicate rules play their part after duplicates are detected in your system. They control what happens when Salesforce finds duplicates. But how? You can choose to block a double entry or allow users to bypass restrictions based on permissions.
In simple words, matching Rules find similar records. But duplicate rules manage what happens next.
An important thing to note is that Salesforce implementation offers a set of standard matching rules that are ready to use. However, every business is different, and their way of handling data will be different. You can always build custom rules that are more flexible and useful for unique data types.
Follow these steps if you want to create custom matching rules in Salesforce:
1. Go to Setup : In your Salesforce software, click on “Setup”.
2. Search for Matching Rules : Look for the Quick Find box on the left side and type “Matching Rules.”
3. Create New Matching Rule :
4. Activate the Rule : Once configured, click Activate to enable the rule.
After matching rules are set, it is time to create your custom duplicate rules. To implement Duplicate Rules, follow these steps:
1. Navigate to Setup : Access the Setup menu in the Salesforce.
2. Search for Duplicate Rules : Type “Duplicate Rules.” in the quick find box.
3. Create a New Rule :
4. Define Rule Behavior :
5. Activate the Rule : Once complete, activate the Duplicate Rule.
For advanced duplicate management, here are some effective strategies to consider:
These tools can help you clean up your data and prevent more duplicate records while importing new data.
You can opt for manual or automated merging.
For manual merging, use Salesforce’s Merge Function to combine duplicate records. If you don't have time, you can automate merging with tools like Duplicate Check or Cloudingo.
Always use sandbox environments to test integrations before applying them to your live Salesforce system. This way, your actual data remains unaffected.
The next step is to test sample data before activating the rules. It is important to confirm that your rules work as intended. Here’s how to validate your rules:
Make a new account with the same name and address as an existing one in your Salesforce system.
If your custom duplicate rule is working, you will see an error message. The pop-up menu will also show a "View Duplicate" option.
Here, all the duplicate records will be shown.
While testing, there can be instances of false positives and false negatives. But what exactly are these?
False positives happen when the system marks a record as a duplicate, but it isn’t. On the contrary, a false negative occurs when the system fails to catch double entries. To resolve such situations:
Keeping your duplicate and matching rules up to date is essential for effective data management in Salesforce. Here are some key steps to ensure they continue to work well:
Duplicate data is a serious issue, but managing it doesn’t have to be complicated.
It all starts with setting up Matching Rules and Duplicate Rules in Salesforce. Up next is combining duplicate entries. Third-party tools can make the process more efficient. Testing and monitoring help ensure data remains neat and organized.
By setting up matching rules, you will only end up:
Meanwhile, our certified team at Minuscules Technologies specializes in Salesforce services that improve data quality and streamline duplicate management.
Contact us today and let our best salesforce consulting experts analyze your problem and help you build a duplicate-free database.
Are you looking to harness the complete potential of Salesforce Solution? Have a free consulting session with our expert team. We are ready to lend our hand to examine your CRM, Consolidate the Current Data Management, and figure out the inefficiencies that lay as a hindrance in harnessing the Salesforce power.
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