Why Duplicates Occur
Duplicate stakeholder records are one of the most common data quality issues in Simply Stakeholders. They typically occur when:
A stakeholder is added manually without checking whether they already exist
A spreadsheet import contains records already in the system
A stakeholder changes their name, organisation, or email address
Different team members add the same person independently
Slight spelling variations or formatting differences bypass the system's matching rules
Simply Stakeholders has built-in duplicate prevention, but it relies on matching rules that may not catch every variation. The best protection is a consistent team habit: always search before you add
How to Search Before Adding a Stakeholder
Before creating any new stakeholder record, run a search to confirm they do not already exist.
Use the Search bar at the top of the page to do a global search of details, e.g. name, email, organisation etc.
Click the Stakeholder icon in the left-hand navigation bar to open the Stakeholder Register.
Type the stakeholder's first name, last name, or organisation name into the search bar. Try partial names (e.g. "Smith" rather than "John Smith") to catch variations.
Search by email address; this is the most reliable unique identifier and will surface any exact match.
Try alternative spellings or shortened versions of the name to account for how the record may have been entered previously.
Use the Filter panel to narrow results by organisation if you know the company but are unsure of the individual's name.
Sort the list alphabetically (A–Z) to visually scan for near-identical names side by side.
If no match is found, proceed to add the new stakeholder. If a match is found, open and update that record instead of creating a new one.
How to Add a New Stakeholder (Correctly)
Once you have confirmed the stakeholder does not already exist:
Click the + Add button in the top right of the Stakeholder Register.
Select the correct Stakeholder Type: Individual or Organisation.
Enter the full name using consistent capitalisation and avoid abbreviations.
Always add an email address; this is the primary field used for duplicate detection.
For individuals, link them to their Organisation by searching for it first before creating a new one.
Complete any required categorisation fields (tags, groups, custom fields) per your project's data standards.
Click Save.
How to Identify Existing Duplicates
Sort and Scan Alphabetically
In the Stakeholder Register, sort by Name (A–Z) and scroll through the list. Duplicate or near-duplicate names will appear side by side.
Search by Email Address
Search for a stakeholder's email address. If two records appear with the same email, one is a duplicate.
Use the Data Cleanse Tool
Go to Admin Settings → Tracking & Data Organisation → Merge Stakeholders to run an automated duplicate detection scan. Review each flagged pair carefully before taking action.
How to Merge Duplicate Stakeholders
Administrator or Project Admin access is required to merge stakeholders. Merging is permanent and cannot be undone.
Go to Admin Settings → Tracking & Data Organisation → Merge Stakeholders.
Select Manually merge stakeholders.
Choose the stakeholder type (Individual or Organisation).
Enter search criteria and click Filter to find the duplicate records.
Select the two records to merge. Use the eye icon to review each record's full details.
Click Merge and choose which record to keep as the primary.
Confirm by clicking Merge.
What Happens When You Merge
All contact details, interactions, and tasks are combined into the primary record.
Only the custom field data from the chosen primary record is retained.
Both records must be the same stakeholder type and in the same project.
First and last names (or organisation name) must match between the two records.
For more detail, see the Merge and Unmerge Stakeholders article.
Best Practices to Prevent Duplicates
Search first, always — before every new record, run a search by name and email.
Use email as your primary identifier — ensure every record has at least one email address.
Standardise organisation names — agree on a naming convention and stick to it across your team.
Clean spreadsheets before importing — sort by email and name to remove duplicates from your file before upload. See Data Cleanse for guidance.
Run regular audits — use the Data Cleanse tool quarterly to catch duplicates early.
Use Inactive instead of Delete — if unsure whether a record is a duplicate, make it Inactive rather than deleting it. Deletion is permanent.
Need Help?
Contact our Customer Success team at [email protected]