Duplicate Client Detection
Plannr helps you spot potential duplicate client records before — and after — they're created. This guide walks through how it works, where you'll see it, and how to resolve duplicates when they appear.
What it does
Duplicate Client Detection automatically identifies clients that may already exist in your firm by matching on three fields:
First Name
Last Name
Date of Birth
When all three match an existing client, Plannr flags the record as a Potential Duplicate so you can review and decide what to do. The check runs in four places: client creation, client editing, bulk import and retrospectively across your existing records.
Matching is case-insensitive — "Jane Smith" and "JANE SMITH" are treated the same.
Where you'll see it
1. When creating a new client
As soon as you've entered First Name, Last Name, and Date of Birth on the new client form, Plannr checks for a match - before you save. If a potential duplicate is found, a pop-up appears:
You'll see the matching record's details and a link to view it. You then choose:
Yes, create anyway - the new client is created and automatically tagged with the Potential Duplicate flag.
No, go back - you're returned to the form with all your entered data preserved, plus a direct link to the matching record(s).
Tick any that aren’t duplicates then proceed
If multiple potential duplicates exist, all of them are listed in the pop-up, for example:
2. When editing a client
If you edit an existing client's First Name, Last Name, or Date of Birth (via Actions → Update Basic Details) and the new values match another client, the same duplicate warning appears. This prevents accidentally creating a hidden duplicate via an edit.
3. On existing records (retrospective flagging)
When the feature is switched on, Plannr will run a one-time scan across all your existing clients. Any records that already matched on First Name + Last Name + DOB will be flagged automatically. You don't need to do anything to trigger this.
4. On the client tile
In Client Search results, any client carrying a Potential Duplicate flag will show that flag on their tile, so you can spot duplicates without opening each record.
5. On the client record
Open a flagged client and you'll see the Potential Duplicate flag near the top of the record. Click it to see the linked duplicate(s) with a link to each one and access to the Resolve page.
6. In Client Search filters
The Client Search now has a Potential Duplicate filter with three options:
Yes — show only clients currently flagged as Potential Duplicate
No — show only clients with no flag
This filter works alongside any other filters and is preserved across pagination. It respects your existing permissions - you won't see clients you don't have access to.
7. On Client Import
See the Imports section below for details.
8. On Client Export
See the Exports section below for details.
Resolving a potential duplicate
When you click the Potential Duplicate flag on a client record, you'll see the linked duplicate(s). From there, click Resolve → to open the Resolve Duplicates page.
The Resolve page shows a side-by-side comparison of the current client and each matched record, with matching fields highlighted. From here you can:
Tick "Not a duplicate" on one or more matches and confirm. The flag is removed from both sides of each confirmed match.
Cancel to return to the client record without changes.
Once all matches on a record have been resolved, the Potential Duplicate flag is removed from that client automatically.
The flag also clears automatically if you correct the underlying data - for example, fixing a typo in a Date of Birth so the records no longer match.
Permissions and privacy
The duplicate check runs across all clients in your firm, even those you don't personally have access to. This is intentional - it means duplicates can still be caught when two advisers are unknowingly working with the same person.
However, you'll never see details of a client you don't have permission to view.
Instead, you'll see a privacy-safe warning:
"You may not have permission to view the existing record. Ask your Site Owner to review this potential duplicate and mark as not duplicate (if applicable)."
If this happens, contact your Site Owner - they'll be able to see both records and confirm whether it's a true duplicate.
Imports
The Client Import process now checks each row against your existing clients before importing.
What happens when a duplicate is detected on import
The row produces a "Potential Duplicate Client" error rather than being silently imported.
The error includes the matched existing client's First Name, Last Name, Date of Birth, and Client UUID, so you can identify the existing record.
The row is not imported.
The "Ignore Duplicate" column
The import template now includes a new column: Ignore Duplicate. This gives you control over what happens when a duplicate is detected:
Value | Result |
Blank or No | Duplicate error is raised, row not imported. |
Yes | Row is imported, and the Potential Duplicate flag is applied automatically to the new record. |
Re-importing after reviewing errors
A typical workflow is:
Run your import as normal.
Download the error file for any rows that failed.
Review the matched existing records - are they genuine duplicates or not?
For rows you've confirmed are not duplicates, set Ignore Duplicate = Yes in the file and re-import.
Make sure you download the latest import template before each import - the "Ignore Duplicate" column is part of the updated template.
Make sure you download the latest import template before each import - the "Ignore Duplicate" column is part of the updated template.
Exports
The Client Export now includes a new column: Potential Duplicate, appended to the right of the existing columns.
Yes — the client currently has a Potential Duplicate flag.
No — no flag.
This reflects the state of duplicate flags at the time of export. The column is appended to the right of existing columns so it won't disrupt any integrations or workflows you've set up against the existing export format.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
What if a client's name is misspelt or their DOB was entered wrong?
The current version uses an exact match on all three fields. "Jon Smith" and "John Smith" will not be flagged as duplicates, and neither will records with different DOBs even if everything else is identical. Fuzzy matching (to handle typos or near-matches) is a possible future enhancement but is not part of this release.
Can I merge two duplicate records?
Not yet - a merge function is planned as a follow-up feature. For now, the system flags duplicates and lets you mark them as "not a duplicate" if they're false positives. For genuine duplicates, you'll need to manually decide which record to keep and update or archive the other.
Does this work for employees, introducers, or other account types?
No - duplicate detection only applies to records where Account Type = Client. An employee or introducer who happens to share a name and DOB with a client will not trigger a flag.
What about clients created via API or automation?
Clients created via API or automation are not blocked at the point of creation, but they will be flagged retrospectively if they match an existing client. The Potential Duplicate flag will appear on the record after it's been created.
Does the duplicate check look across firms?
No - duplicate detection is scoped strictly to your own firm. Two records in different firms that share a name and DOB are never flagged against each other.
Why am I being told there's a duplicate but I can't see the other record?
You're seeing the privacy-safe warning because the matching record exists in your firm but you don't have permission to view it (typically due to group permissions). Ask your Site Owner to review - they'll have visibility across the firm and can confirm whether it's a genuine duplicate.
Will the flag ever go away on its own?
Yes. The flag is removed automatically if the matching condition is resolved - for example, if a Date of Birth is corrected so the records no longer match, or if either record is marked as "not a duplicate" via the Resolve page.
Does the Potential Duplicate filter affect what I can see?
No - the filter only narrows down what's shown in your existing search results. It respects your normal permissions, so you'll never see clients you don't already have access to.