# Dedupe

> Part of the NocoDB documentation (Product docs > Extensions). Index of all pages: https://nocodb.com/llms.txt. Any docs page is available as Markdown by adding `.md` to its URL.

URL: https://nocodb.com/docs/product/extensions/dedupe
Last updated: 2026-09-25

Identify and merge duplicate records in a table

## Overview

<img alt="Dedupe" src={__img0} placeholder="blur" />

The Dedupe extension helps you identify and merge duplicate records in a table using one or more fields for grouping. Instead of manually scanning and comparing records, Dedupe detects groups of records with matching values across the selected fields and provides a guided interface to review, select, and merge them into a single primary record.

This extension is especially useful for maintaining clean datasets such as contacts, leads, or inventories where duplicate entries are common.

<Callout type="warning">
  Merging duplicate records is irreversible. Once records are merged, deleted records cannot be restored.
</Callout>

## Finding Duplicate Records

Follow these steps to detect duplicate records:

1. Select the **Table** you want to scan for duplicates. Optionally, you can also select a specific **View** within that table to limit the scope of the records being analyzed.
2. Select one or more **Field(s)** to group records by. You can choose multiple fields from the dropdown to define more granular deduplication criteria.
3. Dedupe identifies groups where **two or more records** share the same values across all the selected fields.
4. Each group is presented for review one at a time.

<img alt="Dedupe Find Duplicates" src={__img1} placeholder="blur" />

## Resolving Duplicate Records

For each duplicate group, review and merge records as follows:

1. Select **one primary record** to keep.
2. If a record shown in the group is not actually a duplicate, **exclude** it. Excluded records are not merged and not deleted.
3. Optionally, for each field - click a value from any record to copy it into the primary record.
4. Once satisfied, proceed to merge the group.

When the merge is completed:

* The primary record is retained with its original primary key.
* Selected field values are copied into the primary record.
* All non-excluded duplicate records in the group are permanently deleted.

<img alt="Dedupe Review" src={__img2} placeholder="blur" />
<img alt="Dedupe Review - Field Selection" src={__img3} placeholder="blur" />
<img alt="Dedupe Merge" src={__img4} placeholder="blur" />

## Field Behavior During Merge

All editable fields are displayed except the grouping field(s) & system fields (e.g. `id`, `created_at`, `updated_at`). Virtual fields (Formula, Lookup, Rollup) are shown for reference as these cannot be edited directly. Record ID of the primary record is always retained. Modified timestamps are updated automatically.

When merging, field values are handled as follows:

* If you select a value from any record for a field, that value is copied into the primary record.
* If no value is selected for a field, the primary record's existing value remains unchanged.

## Group Review Actions

While reviewing duplicate groups, you can:

* **Skip group**
  Move to the next duplicate group without making any changes.

* **Reset**
  Clear all selections for the current group (primary record, field selections, exclusions) and start over.

<img alt="Dedupe Actions" src={__img5} placeholder="blur" />

You can skip a group before selecting a primary record, or reset even after making selections.

## Supported Field Types

**Supported for duplicate detection**

* Text, LongText, SingleLineText
* Number, Decimal, Currency, Percent, Duration, Rating
* Date, DateTime, Time, Year
* Phone, Email, URL
* SingleSelect, MultiSelect
* Checkbox
* Attachment
* JSON, Geometry
* User
* Links & LinkToAnotherRecord (LTAR): many-to-many, belongs-to-one

**Not supported**

* Links & LinkToAnotherRecord (LTAR): has-many, one-to-one

## Key Notes

* Duplicate detection supports **single-field or multi-field grouping**
* When multiple fields are selected, records must match on **all** selected fields to be grouped as duplicates
* At least **two matching records** are required per group
* Undo / Redo is not supported
* Deleted records cannot be restored

The Dedupe extension provides a controlled and efficient way to clean up duplicate data while giving you full visibility and control over what gets merged and removed.

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## Related pages

- [Data Exporter](https://nocodb.com/docs/product/extensions/data-exporter.md): Export data from NocoDB in various formats
- [Upload Data from CSV](https://nocodb.com/docs/product/extensions/upload-data-from-csv.md): Import data from CSV files into NocoDB
- [URL Preview](https://nocodb.com/docs/product/extensions/url-preview.md): Preview URLs in NocoDB
- [World Clock](https://nocodb.com/docs/product/extensions/world-clock.md): Display multiple time zone clocks with in NocoDB
- [Bulk Update](https://nocodb.com/docs/product/extensions/bulk-update.md): Update multiple records in a table at once
- [Page Designer](https://nocodb.com/docs/product/extensions/page-designer.md): Create printable and shareable layouts from your database records