Merging Duplicate Accounts
- Tyler Bach
- Dane Christenson
- Jeremy Unger
Overview
This guide details the process for consolidating duplicate accounts through the merge tool available in SchoolEngage.
Important: Changes made by this tool cannot be undone. Careful examination of the students you plan to merge is crucial before moving forward.
Table of Contents
Tool Limitations
The merge tool identifies duplicates based on the following criteria:
Staff
Staff who have matching emails.
Staff who have matching first and last names.
Guardians
Guardians who have matching emails.
Guardians who matching first and last names.
Students
Students who share the same first name, last name, and date of birth.
Students with matching PowerSchool IDs.
Students with identical ASNs.
Note: A common issue arises when parents add a middle name to the student’s first or last name field, potentially hindering the tool’s ability to detect duplicates. To ensure accuracy, please adjust the names on the accounts accordingly.
How to Use this Feature
Preliminary Steps:
Permissions: Ensure you have one of the following permissions under the “User Access” section before proceeding:
Permission | Access |
|---|---|
Merge Duplicate Staff | Grants the ability to merge duplicate staff accounts. |
Merge Duplicate Guardians | Grants the ability to merge duplicate guardian accounts. |
Merge Duplicate Students | Grants the ability to merge duplicate student accounts. |
Operation Guide:
Open the user’s profile.
Click the “Actions” dropdown at the top left corner of the user's profile.
Choose Merge Duplicate Accounts.
If the tool finds any duplicates, they will be listed in the window.
Select the account you wish to merge by clicking on their corresponding row.
Acknowledge the irreversible nature of this action by clicking the checkbox.
Click Merge to complete the process.
Actions
Next to each user, there is an “Actions” dropdown menu. Clicking this menu provides the following options:
Option | Description | Limitations |
|---|---|---|
SchoolEngage Profile | Opens the user’s SchoolEngage profile in a new tab. | N/A |
PowerSchool Profile | Opens the user’s PowerSchool profile in a new tab. | Only appears for students who are connected to PowerSchool. |
Unlink User | Removes the PowerSchool connection for the user. | Only appears if the user is connected to PowerSchool and is at least 5 days out of sync with the current user. This feature is not available for staff accounts. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why doesn’t the duplicate appear as a option when merging?
A: This is often due to a discrepancy in the data between two users. If both users are linked to PowerSchool, here’s what to do:
Unlink the user: First, disconnect the user from PowerSchool.
Match the Data: Before removing a user, edit their information to ensure it aligns with the other user’s data.
For specific details on what data needs to match, please check the 'Tool Limitations' section of our guide."
Troubleshooting Merge Errors
Error Message | Meaning |
|---|---|
Cannot merge this account because it is a duplicate in PowerSchool. | The system is preventing you from merging with this account. The issue needs to be resolved in PowerSchool and synced to SchoolEngage. If there is no duplicate in PowerSchool, simply unlink the user under the “Actions” dropdown to proceed with the merge. |
Failed to merge accounts: Duplicate accounts in PowerSchool found. | The merge process was halted because both accounts are active and do not represent the same individual in PowerSchool. To move forward, the duplicate account needs to be removed in PowerSchool, and the changes should be synchronized during SchoolEngage’s nightly sync, or the parent can be manually unlinked. |
Failed to remove duplicate account: Not all data was transferred. | This indicates a partial data transfer. Check the duplicate account for any remaining data, such as applications and parent information, and reach out for support by submitting a support ticket. |
Failed to merge user: Failed to save changes to database. | There was a problem saving the updated information in the database. For assistance, please submit a support ticket. |
Partial merge has occurred: Unable to remove empty user from database. | The system encountered an issue removing the duplicate user from the database. For help, submit a support ticket. |