Overwrite Conditions
Every Overwrite Rule has an optional condition that controls when the overwrite is applied. The condition is evaluated at runtime for each duplicate group. If the condition is not met, the overwrite is skipped for that group and the master record's existing value is preserved.
The Six Conditions
No Condition
The overwrite is always applied, regardless of existing values or record state. This is the default. Use it when you always want the operation result (Longest, From Master, etc.) to replace whatever the master currently holds for this field.
Field Is Empty
The overwrite is applied only if the master record's current value for this field is null or empty. If the master already has a value, it is left unchanged.
Use case: Fill in missing data. If your CRM master record is missing a phone number, pull the phone from another source — but don't overwrite it if the CRM already has one.
Overwrite By Empty
The opposite of Field Is Empty — this condition overwrites the master's current value even if the source value is null. In effect, it intentionally blanks out the field.
Use case: Compliance or data suppression scenarios where certain fields must be cleared when a record from a suppression list is present in the group. Use with caution — this removes data from the golden record.
Warning
Overwrite By Empty can silently erase field values. Double-check the condition logic and test with the preview before executing.
Record Is Selected
The overwrite only pulls a value from records that have been manually marked as Selected in the Match Results review screen. Records not marked as selected are excluded from the operation even if they have a value.
Use case: A data steward has reviewed match groups and tagged the most reliable records as "Selected." Use this condition to ensure field values always come from human-vetted records.
Record Is Not Duplicate
The overwrite only pulls a value from records marked as Not a Duplicate in the Match Results review. Records confirmed as duplicates are excluded.
Use case: When a group contains both real duplicates and records flagged as unique entities, use this condition to source field values only from the records your reviewers have confirmed as distinct.
Record Is Master
The overwrite only pulls a value from the record designated as the master. This behaves identically to the From Master operation when no other filtering is needed, but as a condition it can be combined with any operation. In practice, this combination is most useful when you want a specific operation (e.g., Longest) but only evaluated across master-designated records.
Record Is Master vs From Master Operation
Record Is Master as a condition restricts which records the chosen operation considers. The From Master operation directly copies the master's value without any further comparison. Use the operation when you want a direct copy; use the condition when you want an operation (like Longest) applied only to master records in the group.
Conditions and Null Results
If a condition filters out all candidate records (e.g., no records are marked as Selected, or no records are marked as Not Duplicate), the overwrite is skipped entirely — the master's current field value is preserved. The system does not fall through to the next rule for the same field automatically. See Rule Evaluation Order for details on how rules interact.