How do I decide if two records in Family Tree are about the same person?

Learn how to decide whether two Family Tree profiles are about the same person: 

1. Carefully review the following information on both records. The more information that the records have in common, the more likely they are to be duplicates. 
   
   • Names, dates, and places of the person and family members. 
   • Reason statements 
   • Sources 
   • Discussions 
   • Notes 
   • Brief Life History
2. Review the family relationships. After the merge is complete, any family relationships on the deleted record are also deleted unless you move them to the surviving record.
   
   • Left side is the possible duplicate. A merge deletes the record. 
   • Right side is the record that you started from. A merge saves the record. 
3. Keep the record that is most complete or correct. If necessary, switch the position of the articles that you see on screen so that you keep the one that is most accurate and complete. Switch records from right to left if necessary.  
4. Decide whether to move any information from the possible duplicate to the record being kept. 
   
   • If the name, birth, or other information is the same on both records, click the information to display more details. Keep the version with the best reason statement. 
   • If the record on the left contains duplicate parents, spouses, or children, add them to the surviving record. You can merge these duplicates later. 
5. Before you finalize the merge, review your work. 
6. When prompted, enter a reason statement that explains how you concluded that the records are duplicates. 

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