Why duplicates happen
Common causes include moves, rebrands, a second vendor creating a new profile, separate tracking numbers, franchise data imports, practitioner/location confusion, and duplicate account creation during verification problems.
Automated data feeds can also surface legacy records that were never properly closed or merged.
Confirm it is really a duplicate
A separate department, practitioner, branch, or service area may legitimately have its own profile under a platform's rules. Compare the entity, address, phone, category, and real-world business structure before requesting a merge or removal.
Do not remove a legitimate location merely because the names are similar.
Resolution options
Depending on the platform, you may be able to merge, suppress, close, or delete a duplicate. Some cases require support rather than a self-service edit.
Keep screenshots and case IDs for important changes, particularly if the profile has reviews or other business value.
Prevent new duplicates
Centralize location data, track which vendor owns which workflow, and require an audit before any new citation-building campaign. That single rule prevents a large share of avoidable duplicates.