Merge duplicate people
Fold a duplicate person record into the one that should remain, moving all its appointments, holdings and documents across.
Screenshots are retaken from IQ Entities on every release. Updated 14 October 2026.
Duplicates appear when the same director is added twice: once by hand, once from a document, or by two colleagues. Two records for one individual split their appointments and holdings, so neither tells the whole story. Merging moves everything from the duplicate onto the record you keep, then retires the duplicate.
Before you start, decide which record survives. Keep the one with the fuller history, usually the one holding their appointments.
Merge the records
Open People and search for the name. Find the record you want to retire and click the ⋯ at the end of its row.
Choose Merge into….
Under Record to keep, choose the record that survives. The list offers the other records that share this name.
Read the dialog's title: it names the record being retired. Click Retire … to merge.
Everything on the retired record (appointments, holdings, documents, committee seats and identities) moves to the record you kept.
Tips from practice
- A merge cannot be undone. Open both records first and check they are the same individual, using their date of birth and appointments.
- Start from the record you want to retire. The dialog merges the row you clicked into the one you choose, never the other way round.
- Merge into… needs the same permission as deleting a person.