Best Practices
The Logic of Filters and Rules
You can have multiple filters and multiple rules within individual filters running at the same time.
- Filters operate on an OR logic — only one Filter in the list of multiple Filters needs to register positive to block a duplicate.
- Rules operate on an AND logic — all rules within an individual filter must match for that filter to trigger an alert, or for the record entry to be blocked.
Most users want a single Rule within a single Filter. For example, they want lead records blocked on email address OR phone number, in which case they need to set up two separate lead Filters, each with a single Rule (one for email address, one for phone number).
Blocking Dupes Verse Managing From an Alert
When DupeCatcher identifies a duplicate you have two options:
- Block the duplicate outright
- Allow the dupe into the org and manage the duplicate from an alert.
Most companies choose the first option and simply block duplicates. Those that use alerts typically do so from an admin standpoint—that is the admin is responsible for data quality. With alerts, nothing changes in terms of user experience and the admin can manage data quality in the background. Also, the insert with alert method is how web-to-lead records are handled as most companies don’t want web-to-lead records blocked because they often come in with new data or new opportunities.
On your Rules: Email address is the best option for Contact and/or Lead filters, with phone number being second. The Account object is the most difficult record to manage because account names are often entered in a variety of ways, and accounts also often have multiple locations and multiple phone numbers. For accounts, using the Account Name field and selecting First N Letters as the match type (where N is a numeral that you input) seems to work best. You can combine Rules in a single Filter for more granularity.
How to Handle Web Leads
DupeCatcher is designed with flexibility to enable you to manage leads in the way that best suits your organization, while still maintaining a high level of data quality.
Merely blocking duplicate records from entering a database is not the only solution to data management and data quality. Sometimes there are reasons for allowing duplicates to be created at the point of entry and managed later.
One example is leads that get automatically entered into Salesforce from a web site registration form. Because there is no human sitting between the web form and the Salesforce database, there is no way to check if new data is being entered beyond the matching fields set in DupeCatcher.
To accommodate this need, DupeCatcher provides an Application Settings tab where users can enter web lead sources (standard or custom).
By default, DupeCatcher has the following lead sources set on the Application Settings tab: Web, Web Lead, Web to Lead (these lead sources can be removed).
Leads that come into Salesforce with any of the lead sources set in the Application Settings tab will never be blocked and will be entered into the database. However, an alert will be set for the Salesforce/DupeCatcher admin to review the duplicate entries and take appropriate action.
When a web lead source is NOT listed on the Application Settings Tab, DupeCatcher may block the lead based on the Filters and Rules you have set. But, as a user, you are not alerted that the lead has been blocked.
Disabling DupeCatcher for Certain Users
In certain cases, some organizations have a need to periodically bypass DupeCatcher Filters— in other words, create new records or update records in the database that are not subject to DupeCatcher filtering.
To accommodate this need, DupeCatcher’s Application Settings tab has an area where a Salesforce login ID can be entered. Any access to the Salesforce org using a login ID that is listed here will NOT be subject to DupeCatcher filtering.
Overriding DupeCatcher
Certain individual business processes and policies may require that duplicate records be entered into Salesforce. Because of this requirement, DupeCatcher has an Override function.
The Override function must be enabled by the Salesforce or DupeCatcher admin via a checkbox on the DupeCatcher Application Settings tab.
Note: Certain permissions may need to be set for Override to be enabled for all users.
Override only functions when the Filter Matching Action is set to Do Not Insert/Update. Further, the Override button will not appear on a DupeCatcher warning triggered by an update if the user updated a record using inline editing. The Override button will only appear when users use the edit button and edit page to update records.
Ignoring Certain Email Domains
For DupeCatcher Filter Rules that match on email domain, you can limit results by entering domains of common, web-based email systems in the “Email Domains to Ignore” area. DupeCatcher will then ignore these domains when performing its scan.
For example, enter “gmail.com” to prevent returning all records with email addresses with the gmail.com domain as duplicates.
You can also enter other/private domains for DupeCatcher to ignore as duplicates. To do this, enter the domains in the “Additional email domains to ignore on domain based matches.
Performing a Complete Data Cleanse
Preventing duplicates from entering your database is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to good data quality.
There are some simple but critical techniques to employ in order to achieve maximum data quality, such as eliminating existing dupes, enhancing and augmenting records, and filling in missing pieces.
The perfect companion to DupeCatcher, Cloudingo, solves data quality problems. Compare the two tools here.