# Merge update makes zero sense **URL:** \ **Category:** CRM\ **Tags:** companies\ **Created:** [May 5, 2025, 6:15pm UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/merge-update-makes-zero-sense/131077 "2025-05-05T18:15:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PedalingPics](https://d10pqhm3lwygmk.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/community.hubspot.com/pedalingpics/32/27089_2.png) [@PedalingPics](https://community.hubspot.com/u/PedalingPics)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2025, 6:15pm UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/merge-update-makes-zero-sense/131077/1 "2025-05-05T18:15:07Z")
The latest merge update (took effect for me April 2025) makes zero sense. Merged records now take on the properties from the new record, which would make sense if all the properties were always specified. But if they’re not specified in the newer record, they still take precedence over existing info. For example, if I have an older record with a company name, a URL, a company owner, a LinkedIn account and a logo, and a new record with just a company name, all that other info disappears. I’ve brought this to the attention of customer service, and they tell me “no problem, you can manually choose to keep certain properties from the old record.” True, but that’s tedious and time-consuming and still incomplete--some properties cannot be kept after a merge. Can someone please explain why it makes sense to overwrite record properties with blanks? ---
**Author:** ![RubenBurdin](https://d10pqhm3lwygmk.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/community.hubspot.com/rubenburdin/32/75212_2.png) [@RubenBurdin](https://community.hubspot.com/u/RubenBurdin)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2025, 6:35pm UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/merge-update-makes-zero-sense/131077/2 "2025-05-05T18:35:51Z")
Hi @PedalingPics 1. HubSpot now lets you pick property‑by‑property during a merge (rolled out 18 Apr 2025 docs [Merge records](https://knowledge.hubspot.com/records/merge-records)) but the record you start from is automatically set as **primary** ; if that newer duplicate has blanks, those blanks override because the merge rule is “keep the primary’s value unless you manually switch it.” 2. To avoid wiping data, always launch the merge from the _richer_ record or flip the **Primary** radio button before clicking Merge; then click **Set properties to review** , add critical fields (URL, Owner, Logo, LinkedIn, etc.), and tick the values you want kept—anything not surfaced in that grid will still default to the primary’s (blank) value. 3. Why blanks win: HubSpot treats the creation of the duplicate as the “latest modification” for each empty field, so it assumes the primary’s data is most trustworthy; this prevents stale info from an older record overwriting fresh edits, but it also means empties can trump real values. 4. If you regularly need “non‑empty wins” logic, use Ops Hub’s Data Quality tool or a dedup app like Insycle; they let you bulk‑merge with rules like “prefer record with non‑blank Company domain” so no key fields disappear (Insycle overview [HubSpot Merge Duplicates Module Overview – Insycle](https://support.insycle.com/hc/en-us/articles/6585453128599-HubSpot-Merge-Duplicates-Module-Overview)). 5. Until HubSpot adds that rule natively, the safest workflow is: a) enrich the duplicate via workflow/API before merging, or b) export both records, pick the keeper in Excel, and re‑import with the primary’s Record ID—then merge. This keeps your data intact without the manual click‑through every time. Hope this helps. If it does, remember to mark as solution ![RubenB_0-1744951380316.png](https://d2qpr2jzcazej7.cloudfront.net/original/2X/a/a3b971f388794f90704ee697c25d92cf1613f49a.png) **[Ruben Burdin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruben-burdin/)** **Real-Time Data Sync Between any CRM or Database | Founder @[Stacksync](https://l.stacksync.com/hubspot) (YC W24)** ---
**Author:** ![h-recker](https://d10pqhm3lwygmk.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/community.hubspot.com/h-recker/32/24717_2.png) [@h-recker](https://community.hubspot.com/u/h-recker)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2025, 11:30pm UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/merge-update-makes-zero-sense/131077/3 "2025-05-15T23:30:52Z")
Had to merge a record for the first time today since the rollout and MAN that was weird. And, wverwriting populated fields with blanks from a newer record definitely creates risk, especially for critical fields like company URL, owner, or LinkedIn profiles. We have a lot of teams handling this with [Coefficient’s HubSpot certified 2-way connector with Google Sheets](https://ecosystem.hubspot.com/marketplace/apps/coefficient). At a high level, you can pull data into your spreadsheet, keep it on a refresh schedule, use native spreadsheet share functionality to highlight duplicates, merge records, etc (we also have an AI sheets assistant to help), and then write back updated records and delete the once you no longer need. You’ll: **1. Pull company/contact data into you spreadsheet using Coefficient** Before you merge, use Coefficient’s HubSpot connector to bring in both records (or a batch of potentially duplicated records) into Google Sheets or Excel. **2. Clean and reconcile data with spreadsheet logic** - Use formulas like IF, ISBLANK, or TEXTJOIN to create rules like: “If the new record field is blank, keep the old value.” - You can also prioritize which record you trust more, or even create a “Merged Preview” version before writing anything back. **3. Push cleaned, merged records back into HubSpot** Once the logic is set, use **Coefficient’s 2-way sync** to update the correct properties in HubSpot, ensuring no blank overwrites and no manual clicks needed. This approach puts you in control of the merge process, scales across hundreds of records, and prevents valuable data loss. It’s not ideal that this needs a workaround at all, but if you’re working with high volumes or can’t risk missing fields, this setup saves time and headaches.