Outcome. Contacts that look like duplicates of an existing record are flagged into a review queue within minutes of creation, instead of being discovered weeks later during reporting.
Workflow mapEnrollment, branches and actions at a glance
flowchart TD
A[Contact created] --> B[Custom code: search for near-match by domain+lastname or phone]
B --> C{Match found?}
C -->|yes| D[Flag Possible duplicate, store match ID]
D --> E[Add to review list + create review task]
C -->|no| F[Leave as Not checked]
When to use it / when not to
- Use it when import sources or web forms create contacts that are near-matches of existing records (same person, different email, such as a work address versus a personal one).
- Use it as a fast net for new inbound contacts, alongside HubSpot's native duplicate management tool (Contacts > Actions > Manage duplicates) for bulk cleanup of records that already exist. This workflow does not replace that tool.
- Do not use it expecting an automatic merge. HubSpot workflows have no native "merge records" action. Merging happens in the native duplicate management UI or through the CRM API, outside the workflow. This workflow only flags and queues candidates for a human.
- Do not use it to catch exact duplicates on the same primary email. HubSpot already prevents two contacts from sharing the same primary email address; this workflow targets near-duplicates that the native match does not catch.
