Duplicate client records can happen; for example, if a client books a session using a different email address than the one already in your account. Practice Better's merge feature lets you combine two records into one, keeping all the important history in a single, clean profile.
In this article:
- Before you merge: restrictions to know
- How to merge two client records
- What gets merged
- What cannot be unmerged
- How to unmerge clients
Before you merge: restrictions to know
Review the following before starting a merge. If either condition applies, you'll need to resolve it first.
- Both clients must not be prospective. At least one client must be active (not deactivated).
- Neither client can be part of a family record. If a client is linked as a child or sub-record under a parent, you'll need to unlink them from the family record before merging.
📍 Note: Each client profile in Practice Better requires a unique email address. Duplicate clients typically occur when the same person books using two different email addresses.
How to merge two client records
You can start a merge from either client's record, as long as neither is a sub-record in a family record.
- Go to My Clients.
- Click the More Options menu (3 dots) next to a client and select Merge with…
- A pop-up will open, allowing you to select the second client to merge.
- Select which record should be the primary client — this is the record that will remain after the merge. Resources from the secondary record will be transferred into this one.
- Review the list of resources that will be transferred to the primary record.
- Click the checkbox to confirm the merge, then click Merge in the bottom-right corner.
⚠️ Important: The secondary record's original chats cannot be restored under their client record if you unmerge later.
What gets merged
Most resources in a client's file transfer to the primary record. The following resource types are included:
- Claims
- Forms
- Invoices
- Journal Entries
- Journal Targets
- Measurements & Vitals
- Notes
- Packages
- Sent Faxes
- Session Requests
- Sessions
- Superbills
- Tags
- Tasks
💡 We recommend exporting the secondary client's file before completing the merge, especially if that record contains journal data, chats, or measurements you may want to reference.
What cannot be unmerged
If you unmerge two clients in the future, the following resources from the secondary (pre-merge) record cannot be restored:
- Chat messages
- Uploaded documents
- Billing information
⚠️ Important: If the secondary client was part of any group chats before the merge, they will be removed from those group chats. The merged client will not be added in their place.
The resources that are restored after an unmerge include: client portal access (if applicable), protocols, session history, notes, labs, and forms.
How to unmerge clients
If you need to separate two previously merged records, you can do so from your account settings. If you've merged multiple records into one client, you must unmerge the most recent merge first before undoing earlier ones.
- Go to Settings > All Settings & Preferences.
- Select Client Merge History.
- Review the list of previous merges in your account.
- Click Unmerge beside the record you need to separate.
- Click the Unmerge button on the pop-up to confirm your choice.
✅ Once unmerged, two separate client records will be restored.