You’ve opened the merge screen, picked two constituent records, and only then realized you have them backwards: the record you meant to keep is sitting in the source slot, the one that disappears. Getting the direction right matters more than anything else in a merge, so here’s how direction works in Altru, what to do when you’ve set it up the wrong way round, and how to decide which record should survive in the first place.
How merge direction works
An Altru merge has two roles:
- Target: the record that survives. It keeps its lookup ID and ends up holding the combined information.
- Source: the record whose information is moved onto the target. Once the merge finishes, the source is generally gone as a standalone constituent.
Revenue, memberships, interactions, and other history attached to the source are brought over to the target. For fields that can hold only one value, like a primary name or primary address, the target’s value usually wins unless you choose otherwise in the merge options. So the direction decides which ID stays live and which “primary” details you start from.
Switching source and target
The safest approach is the simplest: if the roles are backwards, cancel and start the merge again with the records selected in the opposite order. Nothing changes until you confirm, so backing out costs you a minute.
Whether your version of Altru offers a one-click way to swap the two records inside the merge screen isn’t something we’d promise. Screens and options have changed over time, and configurations differ. If you don’t see an obvious swap option, don’t hunt for a workaround mid-merge. Close it, reopen the record you want to keep, and start the merge from there so it lands in the target role. If you merge often, ask Blackbaud support whether a swap option exists in your current release, or check in a sandbox.
If the merge has already gone through
Treat merges as permanent. Altru doesn’t give you a simple undo, and splitting a combined record back apart by hand is slow and rarely perfect. If you merged in the wrong direction, the history is usually all there; it’s just sitting under the “wrong” lookup ID. Often the practical fix is to update the surviving record’s name, address, and contact details to the correct ones and add a note explaining what happened. If the lost lookup ID is referenced in another system, such as an email platform or a door-scanning list, update it there too.
Choosing which record should be the target
Before you open the merge screen, decide which record you’re keeping. A few rules that hold up well:
- Keep the record other systems point to. If one lookup ID is printed on membership cards, synced to your email tool, or used in exports and reports, make that record the target.
- Keep the record with the active membership. History moves over either way, but keeping the record that holds the current membership means fewer surprises at the front desk and in renewal mailings.
- Keep the more complete, more accurate record. Better name formatting, a verified address, correct salutations, and solicit codes are easier to keep than to retype.
- When it’s a tie, keep the older record. It usually carries the longer giving and visit history, and staff are more likely to know it.
Before confirming, open both records and write down anything you’d hate to lose: a secondary email, a phone number, notes, attributes, solicit codes. Then check the target afterward to make sure each one came over.
When a merge isn’t the answer: households
Some “duplicates” aren’t duplicates at all. Two records at the same address with the same last name are often spouses, partners, or a parent and adult child. Merging them would wipe out a real person.
For those cases, link the two records in a household instead of merging. Each person keeps their own record, constituent history stays accurate, and the household can share a membership and receive one mailing. A good habit is to ask one question before every merge: is this the same human being? If the answer is “no, but they live together,” build or update a household instead.
If you find a true duplicate where one copy already belongs to a household, check the household after merging. Make sure the surviving record is still a member and that the household’s primary contact is still correct.
A short pre-merge checklist
- Confirm both records are the same person, not household members.
- Decide the target using the rules above.
- Note any details on the source that need to carry over.
- Start the merge from the record you’re keeping, and read both slots before confirming.
- Review the surviving record afterward: memberships, revenue, contact info, household.
Finding duplicates before they pile up
Merge direction mistakes tend to happen during big cleanup sessions, when you’re working through a long list fast. Our Deduper finds duplicate constituent and email records in Altru and helps you fix them, so the cleanup is a steady routine rather than a once-a-year scramble where it’s easy to pick the wrong record to keep.
Quick answers
Which record keeps its lookup ID?
The target. The source’s ID doesn’t survive as a separate constituent.
Does the source’s revenue and membership history carry over?
It’s generally moved to the target. Still, open the surviving record afterward and confirm, especially for memberships and recent transactions.
Can I undo a merge?
Plan as if you can’t. Test unfamiliar merge options in a sandbox first, and slow down on records with active memberships or large giving histories.
