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# Merging duplicate animal profiles

If two profiles describe the same animal, merge them into one. Open the duplicate, choose **Merge with another profile** from its arrow menu, pick the profile to keep, and review the comparison before anything changes.

Merge is only for two profiles of the same animal. If the animal is going to a new owner, use **Sold, rehomed, or deceased** instead. See [Transferring an animal to its new owner](https://help.creatures.com/en/article/transferring-an-animal-to-its-new-owner-1txfz6z/).

Just added a duplicate by mistake, with nothing on it yet? You can delete it instead. See [Removing an animal from your account](https://help.creatures.com/en/article/removing-an-animal-from-your-account-18zcj36/).

## Merge two profiles

You can start a merge from an animal you own or co-own, or from a reference you added. A reference is a profile for an animal you do not own, kept for pedigrees.

1. Open the profile you want to fold in. This one goes away, so the other profile is the one you keep.
2. Select the arrow button under the animal's name (**More animal actions**), then **Merge with another profile**.
3. Under **Find the other profile**, search for the profile to keep and pick it.

![Choose the profile to keep with Rhona of Cedar Hollow picked](https://cdn-test.creatures.com/7d6/e6d/cb6/5600c.png?width=1160)

4. Select **Review direction**.

Creatures shows the profile being absorbed and the one being kept, side by side. Differences are in bold. Below the table, **After merge** lists what the kept profile will hold. Where both profiles have a value, the kept profile's value stays and the other one is dropped. Blanks on the kept profile are filled from the other profile.

![Comparison of Rhona and Rhona of Cedar Hollow, with Absorbed and Kept columns](https://cdn-test.creatures.com/0b1/c28/fe9/a8d5e.png?width=1072)

## What the button means

The button at the bottom tells you what happens next:

- **Merge now:** you control both profiles, because you own both or you added both as unclaimed references. You confirm before anything changes.
- **Send merge request:** another owner controls the profile you chose to keep, so they approve it first. Creatures shows "Merge request sent for approval".
- **Claim profile first:** the profile to keep is an unclaimed reference. [Claim it](https://help.creatures.com/en/article/claiming-a-reference-animal-someone-created-for-you-1rxu3o4/), then come back and merge.
- **Report for review:** our team needs to look first, for example when a profile has a pending claim or invitation. The reason shows above the button. Select it, then **Report for review** again on the short report that opens.

![Reason for review with the Report for review button](https://cdn-test.creatures.com/1ea/227/095/ddc90.png?width=1120)

Some things cannot move to another profile, such as an active listing, Finance entries, or care history. If the profile you are folding in has one, Creatures tells you what to do first. Often the answer is to merge the other way. A published stud offer on either profile also stops a merge. Pause it in the **Stud services** panel first.

## Confirm the merge

After **Merge now**, Creatures asks you to confirm. It names the kept profile and the absorbed profile, lists anything that will be dropped, and reminds you that **This cannot be undone.**

![Merge profiles and keep Rhona of Cedar Hollow? with Keep both profiles and Merge profiles](https://cdn-test.creatures.com/f37/c06/c50/efa7c.png?width=1080)

Select **Merge profiles** to finish, or **Keep both profiles** to stop. Records, identifiers, pedigree links, and photos move to the kept profile, and the old profile's link now opens it.

## If someone asks to merge into your animal

You get a notification that opens **Review this merge**. It shows the **Profile being merged**, the **Profile kept**, a **Respond by** date, and **Ownership after merge** (you keep ownership).

Select **Approve merge** only if both profiles describe the same animal. **Decline** keeps them apart, and the same request cannot be sent again without help from our team. If nobody answers by the **Respond by** date, 14 days after the request, it ends and nothing changes.

## Report a duplicate you do not manage

Signed in, open the arrow menu on the animal's profile and select **Report duplicate**. Pick the other profile under **This animal is a duplicate of:**, add a note if you like, and select **Report for review**. Our team reviews the report.

### Related information

- [Reference animals: documenting lineage and inviting the owner](https://help.creatures.com/en/article/reference-animals-documenting-lineage-and-inviting-the-owner-1xzu0nz/)
- [Claiming a reference animal someone created for you](https://help.creatures.com/en/article/claiming-a-reference-animal-someone-created-for-you-1rxu3o4/)
- [Transferring an animal to its new owner](https://help.creatures.com/en/article/transferring-an-animal-to-its-new-owner-1txfz6z/)