Catch duplicates the moment they matter most—when users are actively viewing a record. The Data Doctor Potential Duplicates component integrates directly into your Salesforce record pages, alerting users to possible duplicates in real time and enabling immediate merges without leaving the page.
Scheduled duplicate rules are great for systematic cleanup, but they run on a schedule—which means duplicates can exist for hours or days before being flagged. The Potential Duplicates component solves this by checking for duplicates every time a record is viewed.
When a user opens a record, the component instantly evaluates it against your duplicate rules and displays any matches. Users can review the potential duplicates and merge them directly from the record page, keeping data clean in real time as part of their normal workflow.
Requirement: The component uses your existing duplicate rules to identify matches. You'll need at least one duplicate rule configured for the object before the component can detect duplicates.
Navigate to any record page for the object you want to enable (e.g., an Account record). Click the gear icon in the upper right and select Edit Page to open the Lightning App Builder.
In the component panel on the left, search for Data Doctor: Potential Duplicates. Drag the component onto your page layout and position it where you'd like the duplicate alerts to appear—typically near the top of the page or in a sidebar for visibility.
With the component selected, configure its behavior using the options in the right-hand properties panel. See the Configuration Options section below for details on each setting.
Click Save, then Activate to make the page live. Choose the appropriate activation scope—org default, app default, or app/record type/profile specific—based on your rollout plan.
Customize how the component behaves and appears to users with these settings:
Choose how duplicate alerts are presented to users:
When enabled, the component is completely hidden if no duplicates are found. This keeps the page clean and uncluttered for records without issues. When disabled, the component always displays—showing either the duplicate list or a "No duplicates found" message.
When enabled, if no duplicate rule exists for the current object, the component displays helpful guidance prompting admins to create a rule. This is useful during initial rollout to identify objects that need rule configuration. Disable this option once your rules are fully set up to avoid showing unnecessary messages to end users.
If the current record has potential duplicates, the component displays them in a list with key identifying information. Each potential duplicate shows relevant field values so users can quickly assess whether it's a true match.
Users can click on any duplicate to open it in a new tab for closer inspection, or select records to merge directly from the component.
When you initiate a merge from the Potential Duplicates component, the current record becomes the master by default. This makes sense for the typical workflow: you're viewing a record, discover it has duplicates, and want to consolidate other records into this one.
The merge interface lets you review field values from all records and choose which values to keep. After confirming, the merge executes immediately, and the page refreshes to reflect the consolidated data.
Tip: If you'd prefer a different record to be the master, you can change the selection in the merge interface before confirming—or navigate to that record and initiate the merge from there.
Place the component where it will be visible without scrolling, such as in the highlights panel or a top sidebar region. If duplicates are found but users don't see the alert, the feature loses its value. Using the "Card and Toast" display option helps ensure visibility regardless of placement.
The component uses your default duplicate rule for the object. Make sure your default rule reflects your primary definition of a duplicate—the one you want users to act on when viewing records. Overly aggressive rules may cause alert fatigue, while overly conservative rules may miss important duplicates.
Educate users on what the duplicate alerts mean and how to respond. Not every flagged duplicate requires action—teach users to evaluate matches before merging, and remind them that merges can be undone if mistakes happen.
The duplicate check runs asynchronously after the page loads, so it doesn't block the user from viewing or working with the record. On objects with many records, the check typically completes within 1-2 seconds.
The component uses the default duplicate rule for the object. If multiple rules exist, only the one marked as default is evaluated for real-time detection.
Yes. The Potential Duplicates component works with any standard or custom object that has a duplicate rule configured.
Users need the Data Doctor permission set to view duplicate alerts. To merge records, they also need edit access to the object and delete access for the records being merged into the master.
Need Help? If you have questions about configuring the component or want guidance on optimal placement for your page layouts, contact our support team.
