Dynamics Community Forum Thread Details

Hello ArchitectMadhan,

Yes, there are several ways to automate the removal of duplicate Accounts and Contacts in Dynamics 365 Sales. The best approach depends on your specific needs and technical resources. Here's a breakdown of the most common methods:

1. Duplicate Detection Rules and Jobs (Built-in Functionality):

How it Works:
- Dynamics 365 has built-in duplicate detection rules that you can configure to identify potential duplicates.
- You can then run a duplicate detection job to find existing duplicates in your data.
Steps:
1. Create Duplicate Detection Rules:
  - Go to Settings > Data Management > Duplicate Detection Rules.
  - Create rules for Accounts and Contacts, specifying the criteria for identifying duplicates (e.g., matching names, email addresses, phone numbers).
  - Publish the rules.
2. Run Duplicate Detection Jobs:
  - Go to Settings > Data Management > Duplicate Detection Jobs.
  - Create a new job for Accounts and Contacts.
  - Select the duplicate detection rules you created.
  - Schedule the job to run periodically or run it manually.
3. Merge Duplicates:
  - Once the job completes, you can review the detected duplicates and merge them.
  - Dynamics 365 provides a merge interface that allows you to choose which fields to keep from each duplicate record.
Automation:
- You can schedule duplicate detection jobs to run automatically at regular intervals.
Limitations:
- The merge process is primarily manual, requiring you to review and merge duplicates one by one (or in batches).
- It is not very good at automatically deleting records.
- It requires good rule creation.

2. Power Automate (Microsoft Flow):

How it Works:
- You can create Power Automate flows to automate the duplicate detection and removal process.
- Flows can be triggered on a schedule or when new records are created or updated.
Steps:
1. Trigger:
  - Use a "Recurrence" trigger to run the flow on a schedule.
  - Or, use a "When a record is created or modified" trigger.
2. List Records:
  - Use the "List records" action to retrieve Accounts or Contacts.
3. Duplicate Detection Logic:
  - Implement logic to identify duplicates based on your criteria. This might involve:
    - Comparing field values.
    - Using the "Detect duplicates" action.
  - Power Automate has actions to detect duplicates.
4. Merge or Delete Duplicates:
  - Use the "Update a record" action to merge duplicate records.
  - Or, use the "Delete a record" action to delete duplicate records.
5. Error Handling:
  - Implement error handling to manage potential issues during the process.
Advantages:
- Provides more flexibility than built-in duplicate detection.
- Allows for automated merging or deletion of duplicates.
Considerations:
- Requires some Power Automate skills.
- Carefully test the flow to avoid unintended data loss.

3. Custom Plugins or Workflows (Advanced):

How it Works:
- You can develop custom plugins or workflows to implement more complex duplicate detection and removal logic.
- Plugins are server-side code that can be triggered by various events.
- Workflows are a no code server side process.
Advantages:
- Provides the most flexibility and control.
- Allows for complex logic and integrations.
Considerations:
- Requires development expertise.
- Can be more complex to maintain.

4. Third-Party Data Quality Tools:

How it Works:
- Several third-party data quality tools integrate with Dynamics 365 and provide advanced duplicate detection and data cleansing capabilities.
- These tools often offer more features and automation than the built-in functionality.
Advantages:
- Provides advanced features and automation.
- Can improve data quality significantly.
Considerations:
- Requires purchasing and configuring a third-party tool.

Recommendations:

Start with Duplicate Detection Rules and Jobs: This is the easiest and most straightforward approach for basic duplicate detection.
Use Power Automate for More Automation: If you need to automate the merging or deletion of duplicates, Power Automate is a good option.
Consider Third-Party Tools for Advanced Needs: If you have complex data quality requirements, consider using a third-party tool.
Test Thoroughly: Always test your duplicate detection and removal processes thoroughly in a non-production environment before implementing them in production.
Backup Your Data: Before making any changes to your data, ensure you have a recent backup.

If my answer was helpful, please click Like, and if it solved your problem, please mark it as verified to help other community members find more.
If you have further questions, please feel free to contact me.

My response was crafted with AI assistance and tailored to provide detailed and actionable guidance for your Microsoft Dynamics 365 query.

Best Regards,
Daivat Vartak

Community site session details

How to automate the removal of duplicate Accounts and Contacts in Dynamics 365 Sales?

Helpful resources

News and Announcements

Quick Links

Responsible AI policies

Andrés Arias – Community Spotlight

Congratulations to the August Top 10 Community Leaders!

Leaderboard > Customer experience | Sales, Customer Insights, CRM

Featured topics

Product updates