Answers.Body: <p>you can either set a check_duplicate=>true extra param... but to be honest, I always done the duplicate checking on the code side before calling the contact create api, because it's way more versatile and it's easier to match your exact need</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-04-07T18:05:34.600Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2016-04-07T18:05:34.600Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Xavier
Body: <p>If you add a contact via the API is it passed through any of the de-duplication rules? I.e. if I add a contact that matches an existing record will it create a new record or merge with the existing record?  </p>
  
  <p>If the contact is passed through the de-duplication rules how can you control which rule applies?</p>
  
  <p>I am wondering if I need to create the necessary logic in my code to test if a new contact is a duplicate or if I can rely on the de-duplication process to take care of this.</p>
  
Tags: <contacts><api><duplicate-contacts>
Title: How does the API deal with the addition of an existing contact?
ThreadText: # How does the API deal with the addition of an existing contact?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2016-04-07)
  
  If you add a contact via the API is it passed through any of the de-duplication rules? I.e. if I add a contact that matches an existing record will it create a new record or merge with the existing record?
  
  If the contact is passed through the de-duplication rules how can you control which rule applies?
  
  I am wondering if I need to create the necessary logic in my code to test if a new contact is a duplicate or if I can rely on the de-duplication process to take care of this.
  
  **Tags:** contacts, api, duplicate-contacts
  
  
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  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2016-04-07. Score: 2 | Accepted answer
  
  you can either set a check\_duplicate=>true extra param... but to be honest, I always done the duplicate checking on the code side before calling the contact create api, because it's way more versatile and it's easier to match your exact need
  
  
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