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Spott catches most duplicates automatically: when you add or import a person that matches an existing record, it offers to update that record instead of creating a copy. When the same person still ends up in Spott twice, because the two records shared nothing to match on, you can merge them manually so all their history stays in a single place.

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How Spott detects duplicates

When you add or import a person, Spott checks for an existing record with a matching email address, phone number, or LinkedIn URL. It does not match on name alone, so two different people with the same name are not treated as duplicates. If it finds a match, Spott shows a Duplicate candidate prompt with the matching identifiers highlighted, and offers to update the existing record (for example, Update candidate from CV) instead of creating a second one.
The Duplicate candidate prompt with matching email and phone highlighted

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Merge two people

When two records share no matching identifier, for example one was imported from a CV and the other added from LinkedIn with different contact details, automatic detection cannot link them. Merge them manually:
  1. Open either person’s profile.
  2. Click Actions in the top right and choose Merge 2 people (shortcut ⇧M). You can also select both people with the checkboxes in the main Candidates or Contacts view, then click Candidate Actions (or Contact Actions) in the bar at the bottom of the screen and choose Merge 2 people.
    Two candidates selected, with Merge 2 people in the Candidate Actions menu
  3. In the Merge People dialog, the two records are shown side by side. Spott combines their data, such as emails, phone numbers, LinkedIn, and attachments, into one record.
  4. Review the combined result on the right, then click Merge People.
The Merge People dialog with two records combining into one
The record on the right takes priority. When the same field has different values on each side, the right-hand value is kept. Put the record you consider most correct on the right.

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Good to know

  • You merge two people at a time. There is no bulk merge, so selecting more than two records in a list view does not offer the merge action.
  • Fields that can hold several values, such as emails, phone numbers, and attachments, are combined, so nothing is lost there. Fields that hold a single value, such as the job title, keep the right-hand record’s value and the other is overwritten. This is why the side you put on the right matters.
  • Merging cannot be undone. Review the side-by-side comparison before you confirm.
  • Merging a Candidate with a Contact keeps the result as a Candidate.