--- title: How Does Golden Avoid Creating Duplicate Records in Blackbaud CRM? description: Avoiding duplicates in Blackbaud --- [Skip to content](https://support.goldenvolunteer.com/knowledge_base/how-does-golden-avoid-creating-duplicate-records-in-blackbaud-crm#main-content) English Show submenu for translations [Support Request](https://support.goldenvolunteer.com/knowledge_base/kb-tickets/new?hsLang=en) [Customer Portal](https://support.goldenvolunteer.com/customer?hsLang=en) [![Golden Volunteer](https://support.goldenvolunteer.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Logo-Goldfish-RGB-1.png?width=171&height=50&name=Logo-Goldfish-RGB-1.png)](https://Goldenvolunteer.com) - [Blog](https://goldenvolunteer.com/blog/) - [Ebooks](https://goldenvolunteer.com/ebooks/) - [Webinars](https://goldenvolunteer.com/webinars/) - [Partner Directory](https://goldenvolunteer.com/partners/) - [Success Stories](https://goldenvolunteer.com/success-stories/) - [App for Volunteers](https://goldenvolunteer.com/volunteers-app/) - [Contact Golden](mailto:support@goldenvolunteer.com) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [Blog](https://goldenvolunteer.com/blog/) - [Ebooks](https://goldenvolunteer.com/ebooks/) - [Webinars](https://goldenvolunteer.com/webinars/) - [Partner Directory](https://goldenvolunteer.com/partners/) - [Success Stories](https://goldenvolunteer.com/success-stories/) - [App for Volunteers](https://goldenvolunteer.com/volunteers-app/) - [Contact Golden](mailto:support@goldenvolunteer.com) - English Show submenu for translations - [Support Request](https://support.goldenvolunteer.com/knowledge_base/kb-tickets/new) - [Customer Portal](https://support.goldenvolunteer.com/customer) - [Create a Support Request](https://support.goldenvolunteer.com/knowledge_base/kb-tickets/new) [Create a Support Request](https://support.goldenvolunteer.com/knowledge_base/kb-tickets/new?hsLang=en) How can we help you? - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [Golden Help Center](https://support.goldenvolunteer.com/knowledge_base?hsLang=en) 2. [Integrations](https://support.goldenvolunteer.com/knowledge_base/integrations?hsLang=en) 3. [Blackbaud CRM](https://support.goldenvolunteer.com/knowledge_base/integrations?hsLang=en#blackbaud-crm) October 15, 2026 # How Does Golden Avoid Creating Duplicate Records in Blackbaud CRM? Golden uses a multi-step deduplication process to ensure we don't create duplicate constituent records in your Blackbaud CRM system. Here's how it works: **Step 1: Golden Volunteer ID Lookup** First, Golden searches for a constituent using the participant's Golden ID as an alternate lookup ID in CRM. If a match is found, Golden updates that existing constituent record instead of creating a new one. **Step 2: Email-Based Matching (Default)** If no match is found by Golden ID, Golden searches for constituents using the participant's email address. If exactly one constituent is found with that email, Golden will update that record instead of creating a new one. **Step 3: Email and Name Matching (Optional)** You can enable an additional layer of matching by checking the "Deduplicate using name and email" setting in your Blackbaud CRM integration settings. When enabled, Golden will search for constituents using both the email address and full name (with fuzzy matching on the name). This helps prevent duplicates when multiple people share an email address or when name variations exist. **Important Notes:** Golden will only match and update a constituent if exactly one match is found. If multiple potential matches are returned, Golden will create a new constituent record to avoid updating the wrong person's information. 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