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WhatsApp

How to stop WhatsApp messages from creating duplicate contacts

If every WhatsApp message creates a new contact even though "Allow Duplicate Contact" is off, go to Settings › Business Profile › Contact Duplicate Preference and pick Phone as the second search preference. The system then recognizes the number and attaches the message to the right contact.

Updated on

Before you start

  • You need admin access to Settings › Business Profile.
  • Confirm the symptom: Allow Duplicate Contact is already off, but when a customer writes on WhatsApp a second contact with the same number shows up.
  • The usual cause: duplicate matching only looks at email. WhatsApp messages arrive with just a phone number, so the system doesn't find the existing contact and creates another one.
Where to find it

Settings › Business Profile › Contact Duplicate Preference › Second Preference for Search

Step by step

Fix the search preference

  1. In the left menu, open Settings and click Business Profile.
  2. Scroll down to the Contact Duplicate Preference section.
  3. Make sure Allow Duplicate Contact is turned off.
  4. Under Second Preference for Search (Optional), pick Phone.
  5. Save your changes.
  6. From now on, when a WhatsApp message arrives, the system searches by email first and then by phone; if it finds the number, it attaches the conversation to the contact that already exists.

Clean up the duplicates already created

  1. Open Contacts and search for the customer's phone number.
  2. Select the duplicate contacts (2 to 10), click More, and then Merge.
  3. Pick the primary contact, review the fields, and confirm. The WhatsApp conversation stays on the contact you chose.

Tips

  • If most of your customers come in through WhatsApp or phone, consider making Phone the first preference and Email the second.
  • Always store numbers with the country code (for example, +1 or +44): the same number written in different formats may not be recognized as a match.
  • After importing lists or connecting new forms, run a duplicate check in Contacts.

Common problems

  • Duplicates keep appearing after the change → The change only applies to new messages. Merge the old duplicates by hand and make sure numbers are stored in the same format, with the country code.
  • I can't find the duplicate preference section → Only admins can see it. Ask an account admin to make the change.
  • The message went to the wrong contact → Two contacts share the same number. Fix the phone on the contact that doesn't own the number, or merge the two.
  • I actually need to allow some duplicates → With Allow Duplicate Contact on, the search preferences aren't applied. In that case, merge duplicates from time to time with the duplicate tool.

Frequently asked questions

Does this setting affect other channels?

Yes. The search preference applies to every contact created automatically (SMS, forms, chat), not just WhatsApp.

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