Matching Methods

Last published at: August 22nd, 2024

In your scenarios‍, choose a matching method that best suits the fields you are comparing.

Fields can contain different types of value (e.g. numeric or text, email addresses or phone numbers, etc.). For determining whether two field values indicate a duplicate record, apply a matching method that was made for analyzing that specific value type.

In future versions of Duplicate Check for Dynamics 365 more matching methods will be made available.

Delete

Lookup fields can only have method "Exact"

Lookup fields, such as the "Company Name" field on the Contact entity, can only use matching method "Exact".

Matching Method Specifics
Company Name At the moment, the Company Name matching method is still in development, and works differently for duplicate searches in single records (e.g. creating or opening a record) and in DC Job.

When opening, editing or creating a record:
  • Disregards frequently used company abbreviations. See Matching Method: Company Name‍ for the list of company abbreviations that are ignored.
  • Is case-insensitive.
  • Scores 100% for two equal values.
  • Scores 0% for two values that are not equal.

Examples

  • "Plauti" scores 100% with "Plauti Inc."
  • "Plauti Inc." scores 100% with "plauti Inc."
  • "Plauti" scores 0% with "Plauti Data Management"

When running a DC Job:

  • Is case-insensitive.
  • Scores 100% for two equal values.
  • Accounts for spelling and typing errors.
    The matching percentage is the number of matching characters divided by the number of total characters.

Examples

  • "Plauti" scores 100% with "plauti"
  • "Plauti" scores 30% with "Plauti Data Management"
Domain
  • Checks if URLs or email addresses contain the same domain name.
  • Scores 100% for two equal domain names.
  • Scores 0% for two domain names that are not equal.
  • Is case-insensitive.

Example 1

http://duplicatecheck.com
https://duplicatecheck.com
http://www.duplicatecheck.com
duplicatecheck.com
www.duplicatecheck.com
https://www.duplicatecheck.com/tour
https://support.duplicatecheck.com/how-tos/how-to-grant-login-access-to-duplicate-check-support

all score 100% when comparing these values with each other. 

Example 2

jane.fielding@plauti.com
jane@plauti.com
john.barnes@plauti.com
support@plauti.com

all score 100% when comparing these values with each other. 
Exact
  • Scores 100% for two equal values
  • Scores 0% for two values that are not equal
  • Is case-insensitive

Example 1

"Sten" scores 100% with "sten"
"Sten" scores 0% with "Stan"

Example 2

"jane.fielding@plauti.com" scores 100% with "Jane.Fielding@plauti.com"
"jane.fielding@plauti.com" scores 0% with "janefielding@plauti.com"
Fuzzy
  • Accounts for spelling and typing errors.
    The matching percentage is the number of matching characters divided by the number of total characters.

Example 1

"Sten Ebenau" scores 91% with "Sten Ebennau"

Delete

DC Job only

The Fuzzy matching method only works this way when searching with a DC Job.
In other duplicate searches, e.g. when creating or opening a record, it behaves the same as the Exact matching method:

  • Scores 0% for two values that are not equal.
 Phone Number
  • Finds duplicate phone numbers in different formats (E.164, International, National, RFC 3966)
  • Disregards country codes
  • Disregards extensions
  • Disregards special characters
  • Scores 100% for two equal values
  • Scores 0% for two values that are not equal
  • Is case-insensitive

Example 1

(415) 555-2761
+14155552761
001 415-555-2761
(415) 555 - 2761 ext. 5
+1 415 555 2761, extension 8
+1 415 555 2761 #4
tel:+1-415-555-2761

all score 100% when comparing these values with each other. 

Example 2

(415) 555-2761 scores 0% with (415) 555-2762

For some fields, such as 'Company Name' in a scenario for Contacts, you can only choose the Exact matching method. 

These fields are "lookup fields" that do not contain a value themselves, but refer to a field on another entity. Therefore they can only be compared with the Exact matching method.