This is the first database that I have used that will create a new record instead of searching for potential duplicates and asking if I would like to update the record or create new. This is exceedingly frustrating...I am spending a lot of time merging duplicates each time someone donates, and going in and editing records when people make typos. Is there a way that Nation Builder could make all new records (from people signing up on the site and from online contributions) check for duplicates before creating a new record?
NationBuilder automatically de-duplicates records — no matter where they are entered into the database (i.e., imported, user submitted, etc.) — based upon a number of unique identifiers.
As to the question of why you're seeing duplicate people in your database, there are a variety of possibilities. The most likely of which is that when your existing supporters are entering their data on your website (either as signups or donors) they're doing so (a) while logged-out of your nation and (b) using slightly different information — including a different unique identifier (ex: using a different email address).
The best way to prevent this issue in the future is for your existing supporters to log into your nation prior to taking any actions. Once logged in, NationBuilder will automatically populate the forms on your site with the information those supporters have already shared with you and log the actions they take on their existing profile (rather than creating a new one).
That said, when dealing with user-submitted data some duplicates are to be expected (ex: the same person signing up twice with different emails), which is why NationBuilder automatically attempts to look for duplicates within your database on a daily basis.
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Every person in your database has a unique NationBuilder Signup ID (the numeric ID that displays on their profile). You can map to those IDs on your import and NationBuilder will automatically match each record from your import to their existing NationBuilder record.
It is essential to rely on unique identifiers, as running an import that automatically updated records based on, say, a name would become problematic in the event that more than one person in your nation has that name (ex: John Smith).
If you’d like to discuss some options for streamlining your import / de-duping process, I’d recommend getting in touch with your organizer. They’d be able to help you walk through your existing workflow and recommend alternative approaches.