Merging Records

Merging is a powerful tool in HERITRACE for cleaning up your data by consolidating duplicate records. This guide explains the entire process.

Step 1: Identify and Initiate the Merge

To begin a merge, you first need to navigate to the page of the entity you want to keep.

1. From that entity’s page, scroll down to the “Similar Resources” section at the bottom. This area lists other records that HERITRACE has identified as potential duplicates.
2. Review the list and find the record you want to merge into the current one.
3. Click the “Merge” button next to that record.

Step 2: Confirm the Merge

After initiating the merge, you will be taken to a confirmation screen that summarizes the action.

This screen clearly shows:

• Entity 2 (Merge & Delete): The record that will be deleted. This is the entity you selected from the “Similar Resources” list.
• Entity 1 (Keep): The primary record that will be kept and updated. This is the entity whose page you started on.

Below the two boxes, the system explains the rules that will be applied automatically:

• Properties: All properties from Entity 2 will be added to Entity 1.
• References: Any links from other records that point to Entity 2 will be updated to point to Entity 1.
• Deletion: Entity 2 will be deleted after the merge is complete.

Step 3: Complete the Merge

Click the “Confirm Merge” button to finalize the process. HERITRACE will then perform the actions as described.

Is it reversible?

Merging is a significant action, but it is fully reversible. If you make a mistake, you can easily undo the merge by using the Time Machine.

Simply restore the entity you kept to the version before the merge, and HERITRACE will automatically restore the deleted entity and all its previous connections.

This feature is essential for maintaining a high-quality, accurate, and non-redundant collection.