Overview
The Contacts page is where you add, edit, archive, and merge the people in your Broki organization, and Broki checks every new contact against your existing ones so you don't end up with two records for the same borrower. When you add a contact, Broki either matches it to an existing record and updates that record, creates a new contact, or creates a new contact and flags it as a possible duplicate for you to check.
Also called: duplicate contacts.
Use this article when you add borrowers by hand, when a contact looks duplicated, or when you need to merge (or undo a merge of) two records. Matching also runs when a client submits a Broki application and when you add a borrower to a mortgage file.
At a glance
Adding a contact on the Contacts page either updates someone you already have or creates a new record.
Broki updates an existing record only when the first and last names match exactly and the date of birth, email, or phone confirms it.
A weaker match creates a new contact, sometimes with a Likely duplicate banner or a review-queue message.
Scan for duplicates uses looser matching and runs only when you select Rescan.
A single merge can be undone with Un-merge. Bulk merges from the scan cannot.
Before you begin
Before you add, edit, or merge contacts, check these requirements.
To add contacts, your role needs permission to edit contact information. If the + button is missing on the Contacts page, ask an admin to check Settings > Team & Access > Roles & Permissions.
To see archived contacts, your role needs permission to view archived records. Without it, the Archived filter is disabled and shows "You do not have permission to view archived contacts".
Each new contact needs a full name and at least one way to reach them: an email, a phone number, or a social media handle.
Partner, realtor, lawyer, and lender contacts are managed on the Partners page and can't be merged from Contacts.
Step-by-step instructions
These tasks cover adding, editing, merging, and archiving contacts.
Add a contact
Add a contact from the Contacts page. Broki checks for a match before it saves.
In the left sidebar, select Contacts.
Select the + button in the toolbar (its tooltip reads Add lead). The Add contact window opens.
Enter the Full name.
Enter an Email, a Phone, or a handle under Social leads (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter / X, or WhatsApp). At least one is required.
Choose a Contact type: Primary borrower, Co-borrower, Guarantor, or Other.
Optionally fill in Lead source and Note.
Select Add contact. The button shows Adding… while Broki checks for matches.
Read the message that appears. It tells you what Broki did.
The message after Add contact is one of these:
"Contact created successfully" — no match was found, so a new contact was created.
"Matched existing contact and updated records" — the person already exists. No new contact was created; the details you entered were added to the existing record.
"Created contact — possible duplicate flagged for review" — a new contact was created, and a Likely duplicate banner is shown on it so you can confirm or dismiss the match.
"Created contact — added to review queue" — a new contact was created because the match was uncertain. See Contact review queue for how to resolve these.
New contacts are added to your lead pipeline with no stage (they appear in the All Contacts column on the Leads page), and you are set as the owner.
Add a borrower to a mortgage file
Add a borrower on a mortgage file to link an existing contact or create one.
Open the mortgage file and add a contact from the file.
Choose Add existing contact to link someone already in Contacts, or Create new contact to enter a new person. On a file, the contact type is fixed to Co-borrower.
Confirm the message. "Linked existing contact to file (no duplicate created)" means Broki linked the existing record. "Created new contact and linked to file" means Broki created and linked a new record.
Adding a borrower to a file also adds a "Government ID" document request that the borrower sees in the client portal.
Check how Broki decides whether a contact is a duplicate
Broki decides a duplicate by comparing the new contact's name, date of birth, email, and phone with your existing contacts. A contact is treated as the same person (and merged automatically into the existing record) only when the first and last names match exactly and a strong detail also matches.
This table shows each combination of name, date of birth, email, and phone, and what Broki does.
Name | What else matches | Result |
Exact first and last name | Same date of birth | Same person — existing record updated |
Exact first and last name | Same email, and the phone matches or one side has no phone | Same person — existing record updated |
Exact first and last name | Same phone, and the email matches | Same person — existing record updated |
Exact first and last name | Same phone, but one side has no email | New contact, flagged as Likely duplicate |
Similar name (nickname, typo, or sound-alike) | Same date of birth, email, or phone | New contact, sent for review |
Different name | Same date of birth and email (for example after a name change) | New contact, sent for review |
Exact name | Date of birth swapped (day and month reversed) or off by a little | New contact, sent for review |
Exact name | Different date of birth, or a different email or phone | New contact |
Name only, or a shared email or phone with a different name | — | New contact |
This means family members who share an email or phone (for example Alex Sample and Jordan Sample at the same household email) stay as separate contacts. A nickname match such as "Alex" and "Alexander" never merges automatically.
Edit a contact
Edit a contact from its Info tab.
In the left sidebar, select Contacts, then open the contact.
On the Info tab, select the pencil icon (tooltip Edit).
Change the details, then select Save. The message "Contact details updated successfully" confirms the change.
In the Status & source card you can set Contact status (Lead or Client), Lead source, and Temperature (Cold, Warm, or Hot). View in Pipeline opens the contact on the Leads page.
Find and merge duplicates with Scan for duplicates
Scan for duplicates lists possible duplicate groups so you can merge or dismiss them.
In the left sidebar, select Contacts.
Select Scan for duplicates. The window opens empty with "Click Rescan to find potential duplicates".
Select Rescan. Broki lists possible duplicate groups with a confidence level (high, medium, or low), the number of contacts, and the reason.
Use the filters or the search box ("Search duplicates by name or email…") to narrow the list.
For each group, select Review merge to open the merge window, or Dismiss if the contacts are different people. Dismissing shows "Marked as not a duplicate"; dismissed pairs are listed under Dismissed, where Undo restores them.
Before you continue: Merge selected and Deduplicate all merge several groups at once. Broki picks the most complete record as the one to keep, and bulk merges can't be undone. Review each group first.
To merge in bulk, select groups (or Select all), then Merge selected (N) or Deduplicate all, and select Confirm merge. Broki shows "Merging x/y — please wait" and then "Merged N groups · M skipped".
Merge two contacts manually
Merge two contacts when you already know which records are the same person.
On the Contacts page, select exactly two contacts.
Select the merge icon (tooltip Merge duplicates). The Merge contacts window opens.
Check the two cards. Keeping is the record that stays; Merging in is the record that is folded into it. Broki suggests the more complete record as the one to keep. To swap, select the right-hand card ("Click to make primary →").
Under Resolve conflicts, review Email, Phone, DOB, and Type. Blue values are kept.
Read any warnings, for example shared mortgage files, different contact types, or a large communication history that will move.
Before you continue: Merging moves the other contact's records (files, notes, tasks, communications, and their place on the Leads board) to the kept contact.
Select Merge contacts. "Merged successfully. N records updated." confirms the merge.
Undo a merge
Undo a merge from the kept contact's Merge history card.
Open the contact that was kept.
On the Info tab, find the Merge history card ("Past merges involving this contact").
Next to the merge, select Un-merge.
Broki shows "Contact restored. Records moved by the merge stay with the kept contact." The merged contact is restored and the kept contact's own details go back to what they were before the merge.
Archive, recover, or delete a contact
Archive a contact to hide it, recover it later, or delete it from Archived.
On the Contacts page, use the Archive action on the contact's row. "{name} moved to archived" confirms it.
To bring it back, switch to Archived and select Recover.
Before you continue: Delete Permanently (only available from Archived) can't be undone and removes the contact from linked mortgage files.
To delete, switch to Archived and select Delete Permanently. If the contact is still linked to files or documents, Broki blocks the delete.
Practical examples and other ways to use it
These examples show what Broki does with a returning client, a shared email, a nickname, and an import.
Returning client. You add "Alex Sample" with [email protected], and Alex already exists with the same email. Broki shows "Matched existing contact and updated records" and updates Alex's record instead of creating a second one.
Spouses sharing an email. You add Jordan Sample using the household email that Alex Sample already uses. The names differ, so Broki creates a new contact for Jordan.
Nickname. You add "Alex Sample" when "Alexander Sample" exists with the same phone. Broki creates a new contact and sends the pair for review. Run Scan for duplicates and merge them if they are the same person.
Clean-up after an import. One way to use the scan is to run Scan for duplicates after importing a spreadsheet, because imports are not checked one contact at a time.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
These mistakes come up when you add a contact or merge duplicates.
Using Deduplicate all without reviewing. The scan uses looser matching than the automatic check (a similar name plus a shared email, phone, or date of birth), so family members can be grouped together. Bulk merges can't be undone. Review groups with Review merge first, and Dismiss groups that are different people.
Merging in the wrong direction. The contact under Merging in is the one that stops existing as a separate record. Before you select Merge contacts, check that the better record is under Keeping. If you merged the wrong way, use Un-merge on the kept contact.
Expecting Un-merge to move everything back. After an un-merge, files, notes, and other records stay with the kept contact. Move them manually if needed. To avoid this, review shared files in the merge warnings before merging.
Adding a contact without any contact method. Broki shows "Please provide at least one contact method: email, phone, or social media handle". Add an email, phone, or social handle.
Troubleshooting
Use this section when adding, merging, or deleting a contact is blocked.
"Please provide at least one contact method: email, phone, or social media handle"
You see "Please provide at least one contact method: email, phone, or social media handle" when Add contact has nowhere to reach the person.
Possible causes
Email, Phone, and all Social leads fields are empty.
To fix
Enter at least one email, phone number, or social handle.
Select Add contact again.
Confirm it worked
A success message appears and the contact is listed on the Contacts page.
"Unable to determine your team member ID. Please contact support."
You see "Unable to determine your team member ID. Please contact support." when Broki can't tie your login to a team member.
Possible causes
Your user account isn't linked to a team member in this organization.
Contact support if
The message keeps appearing. Include your organization name, the page you were on, and the time it happened.
"Select exactly two contacts, then click Merge duplicates."
You see "Select exactly two contacts, then click Merge duplicates." when the selection isn't two contacts.
Possible causes
You selected one contact, or more than two.
To fix
Clear the selection.
Select exactly two contacts and select Merge duplicates again.
"Partner, realtor, and lawyer contacts cannot be merged."
You see "Partner, realtor, and lawyer contacts cannot be merged." when one selected record is a partner.
Possible causes
One of the selected contacts is a partner, realtor, lawyer, or lender.
To fix
Merge only borrower contacts from the Contacts page.
Manage partner records on the Partners page.
A merge is blocked with "Primary contact has already been merged" or "Secondary contact has already been merged"
You see "Primary contact has already been merged" or "Secondary contact has already been merged" when one record was already merged.
Possible causes
One of the contacts was already merged into another record, or two people merged at the same time.
To fix
Refresh the page.
Open the remaining contact and check its Merge history card.
"Cannot delete {name} - they are linked to mortgage files or documents. Please remove them from files first."
You see "Cannot delete {name} - they are linked to mortgage files or documents. Please remove them from files first." when Delete Permanently is blocked.
Possible causes
The contact is still a borrower on a mortgage file or has documents.
To fix
Remove the contact from each linked mortgage file.
Try Delete Permanently again, or keep the contact archived instead.
A contact I expected to merge was created as a new contact
A contact you expected Broki to match was created as a new contact instead.
Possible causes
The names don't match exactly (nickname, typo, middle name in the first-name field).
The email or phone on the new entry differs from the existing record.
Check first
Compare the two names and the email and phone on both records.
To fix
Run Scan for duplicates and select Rescan.
Open the group with Review merge and merge if they are the same person.
Confirm it worked
Only one record remains, and its Merge history card lists the merge.
Tips and best practices
These tips help Broki recognise a returning client and keep merges predictable.
Enter first and last names consistently (for example the legal name), because automatic matching needs an exact name match.
Add an email or date of birth when you have it. Those are the details that let Broki recognise a returning client.
Run Scan for duplicates after an import or a busy intake period, because imports skip the one-by-one check.
Review the merge warnings before merging; they tell you which files and how many records will move.
Limitations and important behavior
These limits apply when Broki matches, scans, or merges contacts.
Automatic matching never merges on a similar name. Nicknames, typos, and sound-alike names always create a new contact that you resolve yourself.
Scan for duplicates doesn't run automatically. It runs only when you select Rescan, and it uses looser rules than automatic matching.
The scan skips partner, lawyer, realtor, and lender contacts.
Bulk merges can't be undone. A single merge can be un-merged once, but moved records stay with the kept contact.
Contacts imported from a spreadsheet aren't checked one by one.
If a client's Broki application has no email, Broki creates the contact with a placeholder email. Update it when you have the real address.
Frequently asked questions
These questions cover automatic merges and what a merge changes.
Does Broki merge contacts on its own? Only when the first and last names match exactly and the date of birth, email, or phone confirms it. Everything else creates a new contact, sometimes with a flag for you to check.
What happens to a merged contact's files and notes? They move to the kept contact, along with communications and the contact's place on the Leads board.
Can I undo a bulk merge from Scan for duplicates? No. Only single merges show Un-merge in the Merge history card.
Related articles
These articles cover the review queue, leads, new files, partners, and roles.