How do I find duplicate contracts?

The screenshots in this article show the German interface. The English label is given first, with the German label in square brackets.

Contracts that have been uploaded twice rarely stand out straight away — especially when the same file sits in the system under two different titles. Duplicate detection finds cases like these automatically: the Possible document duplicates [Mögliche Dokumentenduplikate] widget on your Overview [Übersicht] shows documents whose text content matches — no matter what the contracts are called.

Your benefits

• Duplicates find themselves. You don't have to compare anything manually — detection runs automatically across your contract portfolio.
• Titles are irrelevant. What gets compared is the text content of the documents, not the contract title or the file name. Even a duplicate that was uploaded under a completely different name is found.
• A clean portfolio, reliable analyses. Duplicate contracts distort counters, totals and reports — clearing them out early keeps your data reliable.

How it works

1. Show the widget

Open the Overview [Übersicht] and click Add report [Bericht hinzufügen] at the top.

Select Possible document duplicates [Mögliche Dokumentenduplikate] from the list. If the widget is already on your Overview [Übersicht], you can skip this step.

2. Review the duplicate groups

The widget shows possible duplicates as groups — for example Documents (2) [Dokumente (2)] — along with the file names concerned. Each group contains documents whose text content matches.

3. Open the document and compare

Clicking an entry opens the corresponding contract with the document in the preview. Check whether it really is a duplicate — and which of the contracts carries the maintained fields, tasks or comments.

4. Decide and tidy up

Duplicate detection only points things out — it does not delete or change anything automatically. If a contract really is a duplicate, delete the surplus version; it first goes to the recycle bin [Papierkorb] and so is not immediately lost for good.

Frequently asked questions

Why are two contracts with completely different titles shown as duplicates?
Because detection compares the text content of the documents, not the title. Two contracts with different names but the same content are duplicates as far as detection is concerned — and those are precisely the cases that are hardest to find manually.

Are duplicates deleted or merged automatically?
No. The widget only displays possible duplicates — the decision about whether and what to delete remains entirely yours. There is no merge function for contracts (unlike for contacts).

I can't see the widget — why is that?
Add it via Add report [Bericht hinzufügen] on the Overview [Übersicht]. Every user puts their own overview together individually.

What should I check before I delete a duplicate?
Whether the version you are about to delete has fields, tasks, comments or links attached to it that are missing from the version you are keeping. Transfer that information first — deleted contracts do go to the recycle bin [Papierkorb], but maintained field values are lost along with them once they are deleted permanently.

Good to know

• Renaming does not hide a duplicate. Because it is the text content that counts, a duplicate document remains visible under a new name as well — so don't rely on comparing titles when tidying up.
• The same template is not proof of a duplicate. Contracts created from the same template can look similar — before deleting, always check in the document itself whether it really is the same contract.
• Contact duplicates are handled separately: there is a dedicated function for duplicate contacts, including merging.

Related articles

• How do I merge duplicate contacts?
• Updating contracts with bulk editing
• How do I create my own view in the contract list?

Updated on: 08/26/2026