Duplicate records can clutter your CRM, confuse sales reps, and lead to redundant outreach. Kylas CRM helps reduce this by detecting duplicate leads or contacts in real-time when you're adding new entries—whether manually or through integrations.

This article walks you through the process of detecting duplicates, along with prerequisites, step-by-step instructions, and practical use cases.

Prerequisites

• You have access to Leads or Contacts module with permission to Create and View records

• You are using manual entry, import, or form integrations to add records

• Duplicate detection is based on Email ID and Phone Number, so ensure those fields are present during entry

Table of Contents

1. What Is Duplicate Detection in Kylas?

2. Where Duplicate Detection Works

3. How to Detect Duplicates While Adding New Records

4. How to disable Field Uniqueness 
   

5. Use Cases

1. What Is Duplicate Detection in Kylas?

Kylas CRM automatically checks for duplicate records while creating new Leads or Contacts. It looks for existing entries using the following logic:

• Leads → Matched by Phone Number and/or Email

• Contacts → Matched by Phone Number and/or Email

If a match is found, Kylas shows a real-time alert that a similar record already exists—allowing you to avoid duplication or review the existing entry.

2. Where Duplicate Detection Works

Source Type	Duplicate Check Visible?
Manual Entry	✅ Yes (inline warning)
Import via CSV	⚠️ Yes (post-import report)
Webform Integration	✅ Yes (on matching fields)
WhatsApp/Email Logs	✅ Yes (auto-linked to contact)
API / Automation	⚠️ Depends on logic / settings

3. How to Detect Duplicates While Adding New Records

Step-by-Step: Manual Entry

1. Go to Leads or Contacts module

2. Click on + Add Lead or + Add Contact

3. Start filling in the record—especially Phone Number and/or Email Address

4. If an existing record with the same data is found:

   • Kylas will show a popup or inline warning

   • The alert includes a link to view the matched record

   • You can choose to open the existing record or continue anyway (if allowed by role)

Step-by-Step: Import Check

1. Navigate to Data Management → Import

2. Upload a CSV with leads or contacts

3. After import:

   • You’ll receive a report highlighting duplicates

   • You can view which rows were skipped or overwritten

5. Use Cases

Use Case Scenario	Why Use Duplicate?	How to Handle It
Repeat Enquiries from Same Person (Different Times)	Treat as a new sales cycle with updated interest or timing	Create a new lead, tag with new campaign or date, and link to same contact if needed
Different Teams Selling Different Products/Services	Allows team-specific follow-ups without interference	Assign duplicates to different pipelines or sales reps
Same Contact Interested via Different Channels	Tracks performance of different lead sources (e.g. Webform + WhatsApp)	Use source field or tags to differentiate origin of each lead
Lead Reopened After Being Marked Lost	Old lead marked lost, but customer re-engages after months	Create a new lead with fresh status while keeping historical data intact
Franchise/Branch Model with Shared Customer Base	Same customer dealt with by different store locations or agents	Allow duplicate with different ownership or location fields
Training/Demo for Internal Teams	Users create test leads with same contact info for demo or learning	Allow duplicates in a test pipeline, later delete or mark as training data
Import from Multiple Sources (Lead Aggregators)	Same lead may come from multiple vendors simultaneously	Keep duplicates with source tags to evaluate vendor quality

Conclusion

Kylas CRM’s real-time duplicate detection helps you maintain a clean, reliable database. Whether you're adding leads manually or importing them in bulk, this feature ensures sales reps don’t waste time chasing the same person twice—while keeping your CRM data organized and accurate.