How to Add, Duplicate, and Delete Leads

Overview

This article provides instructions for managing leads in Merchant Central. It explains the different methods for adding new leads, how to use duplicate checking tools to identify redundant records, and the steps for deleting or copying existing leads.

Different Ways To Add Leads

You can create new Leads in Merchant Central using any of the following methods:

1. Create Button - Click the Create button in the main menu and select Lead.
   
2. Merchant Central Web Form - Submit leads via the web form. Learn more: Web Forms
3. POST Token - Submit leads using a POST token. Learn more: POST Token URLs
4. Lead Importer - Import multiple leads in bulk using the Lead Importer tool. Learn more: Lead Importer
5. Open API - Create leads programmatically using our API. Learn More: Open API

Automated Duplicate Detection for New Leads

When a new lead is created, the system automatically checks for duplicates by comparing the lead fields that have been enabled for duplicate checks. 

For example, if a new lead is created with the same DBA name as an existing lead, a warning will appear on the right side of the screen indicating that duplicate leads exist. You can click the View link to see the list of potential duplicate leads and take appropriate action.

Enabling Duplicate Checks for Lead Fields

To enable a lead field for duplicate checks:

1. Navigate to Manage → Leads → Manage Lead Fields.
2. Click the Add/Remove Fields button on the appropriate lead tab.
3. Select the field you want, click Edit Field, then go to Options.
4. Check the Enable Dupecheck box.
5. Click Save on all popups to confirm your changes.
   

The selected field will now be used for duplicate checks on all new leads. You can enable duplicate checks for one or more lead fields as needed.

Using the Dupe Checker Tool

The Dupe Checker tool helps you to easily find and delete duplicate leads or duplicate merchants from your site. 

Finding Duplicate Leads

1. Expand the My Leads menu in the navigation bar and select Dupe Checker.
2. Select the "Leads" option in the Find Dupes For drop-down, if needed select additional search criteria, and click Search.
3. The duplicate records will now be shown on the left side of the page where you can delete leads individually by clicking the Delete button. Alternatively, you may also select multiple leads and delete them (or change their status) all in one go, using the options which will appear just below the lead filters.
   

Finding Duplicate Merchants

To find duplicate merchants, follow the same steps as when looking for duplicate leads, except you'll need to select the "Merchants" option in the Find Dupes For drop-down.

How to Delete Leads

Your CRM provides Advanced users and Administrator users with two ways of deleting lead records: one by one, or in a batch action.

How do I delete a single lead?

You may delete a single lead record from an action available after you have opened the lead record you wish to delete. To delete, just click the Delete button in the Actions pane, visible when you have the record open.

How do I delete multiple lead records in batch?

1. Navigate to the My Leads page using the navigation bar.
2. Switch to Table view using the toggle button in the top-right corner of the page.
3. Click Filter and use the available filters to find the leads you want to delete.
4. Once the filters are applied, the table will display the matching leads. Use the checkboxes to select the leads you want to delete.
5. Click Actions → Manage Leads.
6. In the pop-up window, click Delete, then confirm your selection to complete the deletion process.
   

How to Duplicate a Lead

To duplicate a lead click on the Duplicate button in the Actions widget on your lead. A popup window appears. Enter the name of the new lead, select the new lead's status and the items that will be copied to the lead, and click Duplicate.

If you choose to copy the lead's custom properties, you can either select specific properties to transfer to the new lead or copy all of them.

If you choose to link the duplicated lead to the original lead, a link will appear next to the duplicated lead’s name. Clicking this link opens a pop-up window displaying the linked lead(s).