Title: Duplicate Record Last modified: February 27, 2025 --- # Duplicate Record * [neoktech](https://wordpress.org/support/users/neoktech/) * (@neoktech) * [1 year, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/duplicate-record/) * I have an issue with Duplicate Record. In my case if a phone number is attached to an account previously submitted, I don’t want another account to be registered with the same phnoe number. One record have one phone number. **_Duplicate Record Check Field  _**= Mobile Phone (mobile_phone)  _when a signup is submitted or CSV record is imported, this field is checked for a duplicate_Duplicate Record Preference Create a new record with the submission  = Show a validation error message  _when the submission matches the Duplicate Record Check Field of an existing record. This also applies to importing records from a CSV file._This is not working for me. Record are still being submited that match the phone numbers. SO check field is not checking. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Viewing 13 replies - 1 through 13 (of 13 total) * Plugin Author [rolandbarker](https://wordpress.org/support/users/rolandbarker/) * (@rolandbarker) * [1 year, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/duplicate-record/#post-18335641) * The check is looking for an exact match, so to do something like this with a phone number, you need to make sure the format of the input is exactly the same… there are lots of different ways to write a phone number. * Thread Starter [neoktech](https://wordpress.org/support/users/neoktech/) * (@neoktech) * [1 year, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/duplicate-record/#post-18335784) * sure I have Require attribute * pattern::[0-9]{3}[0-9]{3}[0-9]{4} * if you miss this format ypu can submit data. But two numbers the same exact will still get submitted. * I tried with email, still gets submitted, duplicated * Plugin Author [rolandbarker](https://wordpress.org/support/users/rolandbarker/) * (@rolandbarker) * [1 year, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/duplicate-record/#post-18335842) * This is working in my tests here, so I’m wondering what might be different in your case. Do you have any custom code or plugins that might be altering how the plugin matches records? * Try turning [plugin debugging](https://xnau.com/using-the-participants-database-debugging-log/?swcfpc=1) on and clear the debugging log. When you test a signup and check the debugging log, you can see the database query that is used to find the match, this may help show where it’s going wrong. Here is an example of such a query from my tests: * ```wp-block-code [02/28/25 12:41pm] PDb_submission\matching\record::field_value_exists query: SELECT EXISTS( SELECT 1 FROM wp_participants_database p WHERE p.email = 'test@testdomain.co' AND p.id <> '0' ) ``` * Thread Starter [neoktech](https://wordpress.org/support/users/neoktech/) * (@neoktech) * [1 year, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/duplicate-record/#post-18335927) * I see your log. I don’t have any plugins installed other than pd. * I did the debugging log – I see how the data is captured and stored but it didn’t detect the duplicates record. I don’t know if the php version will be the issue. * [[ - This reply was modified 1 year, 3 months ago by [neoktech](https://wordpress.org/support/users/neoktech/). - This reply was modified 1 year, 3 months ago by [neoktech](https://wordpress.org/support/users/neoktech/). * Plugin Author [rolandbarker](https://wordpress.org/support/users/rolandbarker/) * (@rolandbarker) * [1 year, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/duplicate-record/#post-18336033) * OK, so to drill down on this, compare what is in that query to what is in the database. Is it checking the correct field? Is it an exact match? * If it matches, then check again that you have the match preference set to show an error when a match is detected. * Since it is working in my tests, I don’t have any other way to help you other than to check on what is going on there and hopefully you’ll be able to see what the problem is. * Thread Starter [neoktech](https://wordpress.org/support/users/neoktech/) * (@neoktech) * [1 year, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/duplicate-record/#post-18336501) * Is it an exact match, What in the query matches exactly whats in the database. * yes, I set the match preference to show the validation msg. * Appreciate, as my self can’t seems to find the root cause. It used to work, then one day I noticed the duplicates.. been on this issue for over an yr now. I don’t have any other plug-in, using a default wp theme. So no extras. * thanks again. * Plugin Author [rolandbarker](https://wordpress.org/support/users/rolandbarker/) * (@rolandbarker) * [1 year, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/duplicate-record/#post-18336754) * OK, so when you test this…it shows the validation error message but saves the new record anyway? Or does it not show a validation error at all and behaves as though the submission was valid, showing the “thanks” message? * I assume you saw no errors in the debugging log…I don’t know what the issue is, I sure can’t make it do this in my tests. Did you try re-saving the settings? * Thread Starter [neoktech](https://wordpress.org/support/users/neoktech/) * (@neoktech) * [1 year, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/duplicate-record/#post-18336817) * It does not show any valadation message it just submit the data. * Plugin Author [rolandbarker](https://wordpress.org/support/users/rolandbarker/) * (@rolandbarker) * [1 year, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/duplicate-record/#post-18337610) * Are you doing this as an administrator on the backend? There is a setting that allows the admin to save records and skip validation. * Thread Starter [neoktech](https://wordpress.org/support/users/neoktech/) * (@neoktech) * [1 year, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/duplicate-record/#post-18337666) * front-end, the PD Sign-up shortcode form. * Plugin Author [rolandbarker](https://wordpress.org/support/users/rolandbarker/) * (@rolandbarker) * [1 year, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/duplicate-record/#post-18337738) * Well, I’m sorry, but I’m at the end of things I know to check. I mean if I could get the issue to show up here, I’d have a problem I could solve, but at this point all I can suggest is you try to debug it yourself. * If you have any suggestions for how I can duplicate the problem here I’d be happy to keep trying. * Thread Starter [neoktech](https://wordpress.org/support/users/neoktech/) * (@neoktech) * [1 year, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/duplicate-record/#post-18337788) * Appreciate, For almost a year, I have been emailing xnau support trying to figure out. My database is populated. It’s difficult to abandon or start over. If you can pass on an email alias I can work on granting you access if you have time. * But thanks again. For your time taken. * Plugin Author [rolandbarker](https://wordpress.org/support/users/rolandbarker/) * (@rolandbarker) * [1 year, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/duplicate-record/#post-18339585) * I’m sorry we haven’t been able to get to why this is happening, I’d like to know myself, but I can’t log in to your site and start changing code, just not a good idea in case something goes wrong. * Reinstalling the plugin could be helpful. You wouldn’t have to start over, you can reinstall the plugin without losing any data. Of course, you should have backups made by a WP backup plugin that makes a backup of all database tables. I posted an article that explains how to reinstall, keeping all of your settings and data intact. * [Reinstalling a WordPress Plugin](https://xnau.com/applying-manual-plugin-updates/) Viewing 13 replies - 1 through 13 (of 13 total) The topic ‘Duplicate Record’ is closed to new replies. * ![](https://ps.w.org/participants-database/assets/icon-256x256.jpg?rev=1389807) * [Participants Database](https://wordpress.org/plugins/participants-database/) * [Frequently Asked Questions](https://wordpress.org/plugins/participants-database/#faq) * [Support Threads](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/participants-database/) * [Active Topics](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/participants-database/active/) * [Unresolved Topics](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/participants-database/unresolved/) * [Reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/participants-database/reviews/) ## Tags * [duplicate](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/duplicate/) * 13 replies * 2 participants * Last reply from: [rolandbarker](https://wordpress.org/support/users/rolandbarker/) * Last activity: [1 year, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/duplicate-record/#post-18339585) * Status: not resolved