Duplicate accounts in Salesforce can be problematic, undermining the foundation of your operations. They make it difficult to keep things organized, leading to inaccurate reporting, confused sales teams, and many inefficiencies that will grow as your organization scales. These can cost your business time, money, and customer trust.
Merging accounts in Salesforce helps companies overcome these challenges, but some organizations fail to realize its importance. Even enterprises that understand the value struggle with execution because they lack the technical know-how to merge accounts in Salesforce without losing data. There is always the risk of making costly mistakes like overwriting vital information or losing critical details when project execution goes wrong.
Despite the challenges and risks, merging accounts in Salesforce is essential if your system contains duplicate accounts. We developed this detailed step-by-step guide to help you consolidate your accounts without affecting data integrity.
Account merging in Salesforce is consolidating duplicate customer records into a single, accurate account. It ensures customer data is clean and comprehensive, enabling businesses to improve decision-making and customer interactions.
The process combines names and all associated data, like contacts, opportunities, activities, cases, etc, under a unified account. The clean data from consolidation supports operational efficiency and strengthens customer relationships by providing a holistic view of every interaction and transaction.
It’s important to mention that while both Salesforce Classic and Lightning interfaces offer account merging capabilities, Salesforce Lightning is the preferred choice due to its streamlined and user-friendly approach.
The first step is to locate duplicate accounts. Salesforce provides built-in tools, such as the Duplicate Management Rules, which flag potential duplicates during data entry or imports. You can also run detailed reports to reveal existing duplicates that need attention.
Note that third-party tools like DemandTools and Cloudingo offer advanced options for detecting and managing duplicates. These tools can be highly beneficial if your business handles large datasets. However, you must carefully review flagged accounts to make sure they merged actual duplicates.
Preparation is essential to prevent data loss or overwriting, which can have significant consequences. Before initiating the merge, back up all data from the accounts you plan to consolidate and review related records. Reviewing related records like contacts and opportunities gives you a complete understanding of what will transfer.
Then, identify the account that will be the “master record.”
This is where you retain key information post-merge. When deciding which account to prioritize, you must consider certain criteria like data completeness, the importance of associated records, etc.
Once you’ve prepared your data and tools, log into Salesforce Lightning and follow these steps to merge accounts.
Throughout this process, Salesforce ensures that associated records, such as opportunities or contacts, are not lost, transferring them automatically to the master account.
The work doesn’t stop after merging. Verify that Salesforce consolidated all data accurately. Double-check associated records such as notes, cases, and activity histories to ensure nothing critical is missing. For assurance, you can also compare the merged account with your initial backup.
Despite Salesforce’s robust merging tools, challenges and complexities can arise before, during, and/or after merging, particularly if your data is complex.
A common issue organizations experience is the accidental overwriting of critical information. For example, conflicting data fields, like billing addresses, can result in losing key details if not reviewed carefully. This is not something you want if you’re serving thousands of customers. To avoid this, always verify the data field selections during the merging process.
Another common challenge is the risk of merging unrelated accounts due to incorrect duplicate detection. Always take the time to confirm duplicates before merging, so you maintain data integrity.
Workflow disruptions can also occur if team members aren’t informed about the changes. Communicating your plans and scheduling merges during low-activity periods can minimize the impact on day-to-day operations.
From our experience working with clients on Salesforce projects, we know they have many questions. Clients often want to know if merging is possible and understand what the project will be like before starting, and they’re right to do so.
Here are some of the top questions we get regarding Salesforce accounts merging.
Yes. Salesforce’s interface allows you to merge up to three accounts simultaneously. This feature is available in both Classic and Lightning editions, though the Lightning experience is more streamlined.
All related records—contacts, opportunities, cases—are automatically transferred to the master account. Note that conflicting fields require manual selection of which data to retain.
Salesforce does not natively support mass merging. However, third-party apps can handle bulk merges, making them valuable if you have a massive list of duplicate accounts and want to skip hours or days of merging time.
Duplicate accounts in Salesforce aren’t just an operational nuisance but also a barrier to growth. Clean, consolidated data provides accurate reporting, efficient workflows, and seamless customer experiences. Don’t be limited by these duplicate accounts; merge them to unlock the full potential of your Salesforce CRM. Follow our guide on how to merge accounts in Salesforce without losing data to execute merging projects confidently.
If you have more questions about Salesforce account merging or need assistance, check our custom Salesforce solutions and see how we can help you maximize your CRM’s potential.
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