GoHighLevel Contact Deduplication How-To
In this step-by-step guide, you will learn how to configure contact deduplication and allow duplicate contacts in GoHighLevel. If you are coming from tools like ClickUp or other CRMs, understanding how GoHighLevel identifies and merges contacts is essential for clean data and reliable automations.
This article walks you through each deduplication preference, explains when to enable or disable them, and shows how these settings affect workflows, forms, imports, and integrations.
Understanding GoHighLevel Contact Deduplication
GoHighLevel uses a set of rules to decide whether an incoming record should create a new contact or update an existing one. These rules are called contact deduplication preferences.
When a new contact is created by any source, GoHighLevel will check your deduplication settings and try to match it using:
- Email address
- Phone number
- Full name and phone
- Company name and email/phone
Configured correctly, these rules help you:
- Prevent accidental duplicate contacts
- Maintain accurate pipelines and reporting
- Avoid automation triggers firing multiple times
- Control when duplicates are allowed for specific use cases
Where GoHighLevel Deduplication Settings Live
All contact deduplication options are managed at the sub-account level inside GoHighLevel. Changes apply to all data sources tied to that sub-account, including forms, calendars, imports, and integrations.
How to Open the GoHighLevel Deduplication Settings
- Log in to your GoHighLevel account.
- Open the specific sub-account where you want to configure contacts.
- Click on Settings in the left sidebar.
- Go to Business Profile or the dedicated Contact Settings area (depending on your interface version).
- Locate the section labeled Contact Deduplication Preferences.
Once opened, you will see several toggles and options that control how GoHighLevel treats incoming contacts.
GoHighLevel Contact Deduplication Options Explained
Each setting controls a specific way GoHighLevel checks for existing contacts. Use the descriptions below to choose the best configuration for your workflows.
1. Email-Based Deduplication in GoHighLevel
With email deduplication enabled, GoHighLevel will treat two records with the same email address as the same contact.
Effects:
- New submissions with a matching email will update the existing contact rather than create a new one.
- This helps keep one profile per inbox, which is ideal for most B2B and B2C businesses.
Disable or loosen this only if you have scenarios where multiple contacts can share one email address and must remain separate.
2. Phone-Based Deduplication in GoHighLevel
With phone number deduplication enabled, GoHighLevel compares incoming phone numbers to existing contacts.
Effects:
- If the phone number already exists, the contact is updated instead of duplicated.
- Critical for teams who rely heavily on SMS and outbound calling.
Be aware that shared phone numbers (for example, a main office line) can cause multiple records to merge if this option is too strict.
3. Name and Phone Matching in GoHighLevel
Some versions of the settings include a rule that matches on a combination of first name, last name, and phone number. This helps GoHighLevel avoid merging people who share a phone format or partial number, depending on your region and data quality.
Use this to tighten accuracy when you have very large contact lists with similar names and frequently reused phone lines.
4. Company-Based Deduplication in GoHighLevel
For B2B pipelines, GoHighLevel may allow a rule that checks for:
- Company name
- Company phone or email domain
This helps avoid creating multiple company-level contacts when importing or integrating with external tools. Always verify your company naming convention is consistent before relying on this rule.
How to Allow Duplicate Contacts in GoHighLevel
In some cases, your workflow requires multiple records with the same phone or email. For example:
- Families sharing one email address
- Leads re-registering for separate events
- Partner organizations submitting via the same shared inbox
To allow duplicates safely, adjust your GoHighLevel settings as shown below.
Step-by-Step: Enable Duplicate Contacts in GoHighLevel
- Open the relevant sub-account in GoHighLevel.
- Navigate to Settings > Contact Deduplication Preferences.
- Review the available deduplication toggles (Email, Phone, Name + Phone, etc.).
- Turn off or relax the rules that you do not want to enforce. For example:
- Disable email deduplication if multiple contacts can share an email.
- Disable phone deduplication if more than one contact can use the same number.
- Save your changes.
From this point forward, when new records come in that share the same email or phone (according to the rules you disabled), GoHighLevel will create a new contact instead of merging into an existing one.
How GoHighLevel Deduplication Affects Data Sources
Deduplication settings affect every entry point that creates or updates contacts in GoHighLevel.
Forms and Surveys in GoHighLevel
- If a visitor submits a form with an email that already exists and email deduplication is enabled, GoHighLevel will update the existing contact.
- If email deduplication is disabled, a new contact will be created, even if the email matches another record.
Calendars and Appointment Booking in GoHighLevel
- Calendar bookings create or update contacts.
- Deduplication rules determine whether a repeat booker is treated as the same contact or a new one.
Imports and Integrations in GoHighLevel
- CSV imports follow the same deduplication preferences.
- API integrations and third-party tools connected to GoHighLevel also respect these rules when pushing contacts.
Best Practices for GoHighLevel Deduplication
Use the following recommendations to keep your database organized and automations running reliably.
- Keep at least one unique identifier. In most cases, keep email or phone deduplication turned on to prevent excessive duplicates.
- Test with sample records. Before large imports, test how GoHighLevel handles duplicates using a few sample contacts.
- Align rules with your funnel. Event registration, recurring programs, and family accounts may justify selectively allowing duplicates.
- Review regularly. As your business model evolves, revisit your deduplication rules to ensure they still match your workflow.
Additional GoHighLevel Resources
For the most accurate and current explanation of contact deduplication behavior, always refer to the official documentation:
If you need expert implementation support, CRM strategy, or advanced automation design around your GoHighLevel setup, visit Consultevo for specialized consulting services.
By carefully configuring your contact deduplication preferences, you can ensure GoHighLevel maintains a clean, accurate database while still allowing duplicates where your business actually needs them.
Need Help With ClickUp?
If you want expert help building, automating, or scaling your GHL , work with ConsultEvo — trusted GoHighLevel Partners.
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