Duplicate Detection & Merging

# Duplicate Detection & Merging ## How Duplicate Detection Works HireBee automatically checks for duplicate candidates based on **email address** — the primary unique identifier. ### When Detection Happens - When a new candidate applies to a job. - When you manually add a candidate. - When importing candidates in bulk. - You can also trigger a manual scan from **Candidates → Detect Duplicates**. ### What Happens When Duplicates Are Found 1. You receive a notification about potential duplicates. 2. A duplicate review panel shows the matching candidates side by side. 3. You can choose to **merge**, **ignore**, or **mark as not duplicate**. ## Merging Candidates ### The Merge Process 1. Select the **primary record** — this is the profile that will be kept. 2. Review data from both records. 3. Click **Merge** — data from the secondary record is combined into the primary. 4. The secondary record is soft-deleted (marked as merged). ### What Gets Merged - **Applications** — all applications from both records are preserved. - **Notes** — all notes are kept with original authors and dates. - **Communications** — email history from both records. - **Scorecards** — interview evaluations from both records. - **Files** — resumes and documents from both records. - **Tags** — combined from both records (deduplicated). - **Talent Pools** — memberships from both records. ### What Happens to the Duplicate - The merged (secondary) candidate is marked with `merged_into_id`. - They're removed from active candidate lists. - Their data is preserved for audit purposes. - Any future applications from the same email are linked to the primary record. ## Preventing Duplicates - Ensure candidates use consistent email addresses. - When adding candidates manually, HireBee warns you if the email already exists. - The bulk import tool flags duplicates before processing.