Every person should have one and only profile on WikiTree. Our entire community is working together on one, shared family tree.
If you find a duplicate click here to initiate a merge.
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A merge combines one profile with another. This should be done when two profiles represent the same person.
Click here to initiate a merge. If you are on the Trusted List of both profiles you will be presented with a confirmation page that enables you to choose which data to keep from which profile.
For a basic tutorial, see Paul Bech's merging video on YouTube.
If you aren't on the Trusted List for both profiles, you initiate a merge but you can't complete it.
You will be invited to create a Pending Merge. The appropriate Profile Manager(s) will be e-mailed so that they can approve and complete the merge.
When you propose a merge you are giving permission for the other Profile Manager(s) to complete the merge. You are also giving temporary permission for five generations of ancestors of the profile to be merged. See the section on merging parents below.
Sometimes profiles appear to be duplicates but you're not ready to merge them.
This could be because one of the profiles is private and you can't see the full information. Or it could be because there is so much conflicting information you're not sure whether the profiles represent the same person or not.
Setting the two profiles as Unmerged Matches will remind you and others that there is information to be worked out.
You'll want to use the text space and comment bulletin board on the profiles to describe any disputed information.
This is not a permanent state. An Unmerged Match should be merged or rejected as soon as possible.
If two profiles look similar but represent different people they should be set as Rejected Matches.
This will help prevent you and others from confusing them in the future.
FindMatches searches will skip Rejected Matches by default, but you can opt to have them included if you want to review them.
While confirming a merge you may be prompted to merge or match the fathers and mothers of the two profiles.
On WikiTree we don't merge whole family trees all at once. We merge individual profiles one at a time. This takes time but it gives you the maximum amount of control.
If you get tired of merging parents, simply stop at a pair and set them as Unmerged Matches. That way you or someone else can pick up where you left off.
Note that when you propose a merge or approve a proposed merge, your permission to complete that merge will be recorded. Temporary permission to merge five generations of parents is also recorded.
In a merge, the first profile is merged into the second profile. It's not that the two profiles are combined into a new, third profile.
If the two profiles have the same Last Name at Birth you'll be required to merge the newer profile into the older profile. (The higher-numbered WikiTree ID needs to be merged into the lower-numbered ID, e.g. Schmoe-2 into Schmoe-1. This helps us avoid the problems associated with multiple merges and redirects.)
If the two profiles have different Last Names at Birth it's important to merge into the profile with the proper LNAB.
When two profiles are merged, all the managers and Trusted List members from both profiles are combined. If you were a manager before, you'll still be a manager.
However, it becomes unwieldy if there are dozens of managers for the profile of an ancient ancestor, and it's unwieldy if you're the manager of thousands of profiles. It's recommended that WikiTreers share responsibility for older profiles. See the policies on historically-significant ancestors.
If two profiles have been accidentally merged you will need to edit one and recreate the other.
For example, let's say Joe Schmoe Senior was accidentally merged with his son Joe Schmoe Junior. There is now just one Joe Schmoe and he's listed as his own father.
Click the Edit tab on the profile and look in the right column where it lists Joe Schmoe as Joe Schmoe's father. Click the [edit] link to remove the father. Then click [add father] and create a new profile for Joe Schmoe Senior.
If one of the accounts is active, e.g. Joe Schmoe is a WikiTree member and accidentally merged his father's profile with his own account profile, it's important the account profile be the one that's kept. See Moving Accounts to New Names for more information.
If a manager refuses to merge a clear duplicate, politely point out the following pages to them:
If they still refuse to collaborate, forward your e-mails and other communications to info@wikitree.com.
If they just won't respond, see the policy on Unresponsive Profile Managers.
You don't need to start at the Matching and Merging form. There are direct links that auto-fill the WikiTree IDs:
For more information, see the Matching and Merging FAQ. If you don't see your answer there, ask in G2G.
See also: Find Ancestor Matches, Start a Merge, Merge Free-Space Profiles, YouTube Video: Introduction to WikiTree Merging.
This page was last modified 10:02, 28 March 2013. This page has been accessed 17,435 times.