> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ycloud.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Contact Merge Rules > Configure how YCloud identifies and merges duplicate contacts. Contact merge rules determine how YCloud handles duplicate contact records. You can configure these rules based on how your business wants to preserve contact fields and ownership information. The rules are mandatory and are applied automatically whenever YCloud detects duplicate contacts. ## When does contact merging happen? YCloud automatically treats contacts as duplicates when either of the following conditions is met: * Two contacts have the same phone number. * Two contacts have the same username. When duplicates are detected, YCloud merges them according to the contact data and owner rules configured in your account. ## Open the merge rule settings Go to **Settings > Contact > Merge Rules**, or open [Contact Merge Rules](https://www.ycloud.com/console/#/app/globalSettings/contact/mergeRule) directly. ## Contact data merge method Choose how YCloud handles contact fields when duplicate records are merged. Contact data merge methods in YCloud Settings. ### Keep the last chatted contact, delete others YCloud keeps the contact associated with the most recent conversation and deletes the other duplicate contact records. With this option, data stored only in the deleted duplicate records is not merged into the retained contact. ### Merge fields, prioritize the latest contact This is the default method. YCloud combines duplicate contacts into a single record and uses the most recently updated contact as the primary source. The merge follows these rules: * Non-empty values from the latest contact overwrite existing values. * When a field is empty in the latest contact, YCloud fills it with an available value from an older duplicate. * The result is a single contact containing the combined information. ## Owner merge method The owner merge method determines what happens to the **Owner** field when duplicate contacts are merged. ### When there is no owner conflict YCloud handles the owner automatically: * If neither duplicate has an owner, the merged contact has no owner. * If only one duplicate has an owner, the merged contact keeps that owner. ### When there is an owner conflict An owner conflict occurs when duplicate contacts have different owners. Choose one of the following methods: | Method | Result | | - | - | | **Keep the owner of the last chatted contact** | Assigns the owner of the contact associated with the most recent conversation to the merged contact. This is the default option. | | **Set Owner to empty** | Removes the owner from the merged contact. You can assign a new owner manually afterward. | Owner merge options when duplicate contacts have different owners. ## Configure the rules 1. Open [Contact Merge Rules](https://www.ycloud.com/console/#/app/globalSettings/contact/mergeRule). 2. Under **Contact data merge method**, choose how duplicate contact fields should be handled. 3. Under **Owner merge method**, choose how YCloud should resolve conflicting owners. 4. Review the selected options. The rules apply automatically when YCloud detects duplicate contacts. To restore YCloud's default selections, click **Reset to default**. This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.