Blog
Practical guides on fuzzy matching and cleaning messy data. No fluff.
The Ultimate Guide to Data Deduplication in 2026 (Methods, Tools & Best Practices)
Everything you need to know about data deduplication: what it is, why it matters, the 5-step process, and how to pick between Excel, SQL, Python, and fuzzy-matching tools for your data.
Fuzzy Matching in Python: FuzzyWuzzy vs RapidFuzz vs Dedupe (2026 Comparison)
A hands-on comparison of the three main Python fuzzy matching libraries with runnable code, benchmarks, and a straight answer to "which one should I actually use?"
How to Merge Two CSV Files: 5 Methods (Excel, Python, SQL, Command Line & Fuzzy Matching)
Five practical ways to merge two CSV files — from a 30-second Excel copy-paste to a fuzzy-matching workflow that handles messy real-world data. With code and picking guidance.
How to Compare Two Excel Files and Find Matching Rows (Even When Data Doesn't Match Exactly)
VLOOKUP and Power Query need exact matches. Real-world spreadsheets never have them. Here's the fuzzy comparison workflow that actually finds the same records across two files in minutes.
How to Match an Apollo, ZoomInfo, or LinkedIn Sales Nav List Against Your CRM (Before You Import)
Every prospecting export overlaps with your CRM by 20-35%. Here's the RevOps workflow that splits the list into net-new, existing account, and do-not-contact before it hits Salesforce or HubSpot.
How to Find and Merge Duplicate Profiles in Klaviyo (Complete Cleanup Guide)
Klaviyo charges per active profile but has no real duplicate detection. Here's how to find duplicates across email, phone, and name variations — and stop paying for the same customer twice.
How to Match Product Catalogs Across Amazon, Shopify, and eBay (When SKUs Don't Match)
Three marketplaces, three SKU systems, none of them line up. Here's how to reconcile your listings into one master catalog in an afternoon using multi-column fuzzy matching on title, brand, and UPC.
How to Match Bank Transactions to Invoices with Fuzzy Matching (For Finance Teams)
Bank descriptions never contain your invoice numbers. VLOOKUP misses 70% of payments. Here's the fuzzy reconciliation workflow that cuts AR matching from days to minutes.
Fuzzy Match on Multiple Columns: How to Get Accurate Matches When One Column Isn't Enough
Matching on just Company Name or Product Name gets you false positives on real-world data. Here's how to match on two, three, or four columns at once with adjustable weights.
How to Match Pharmaceutical Products Across Different Suppliers (Even When Names Don't Match)
Every supplier names the same drug differently. Here's the step-by-step process wholesalers and pharmacies use to reconcile product catalogs without weeks of manual work.
How to Find and Remove Duplicate Items in Monday.com (Complete Guide)
Monday.com has no built-in duplicate detection. Here's how to find duplicate items it can't catch — including name variations, typos, and near-matches.
How to Find and Remove Duplicate Records in Airtable (Complete Guide)
Airtable has no built-in duplicate detection. Here's how to find duplicate records it can't catch — including company name variations, typos, and near-matches.
How to Find and Merge Duplicate Contacts in ActiveCampaign (Stop Paying Twice)
ActiveCampaign charges per contact but has weak duplicate detection. Here's how to find duplicate contacts it misses — and stop paying for the same person twice.
The Real Cost of Duplicate Data: Calculate What Bad Records Cost Your Business
Duplicate records cost businesses $12.9 million annually on average. Learn how to calculate the exact cost of bad data in your CRM.
How to Clean Your Contact List Before a Cold Email Campaign (So You Don't Waste Money)
Sending cold emails to a messy list burns money and kills deliverability. Here's the 15-minute cleanup process that doubles response rates.
How to Find and Merge Duplicate Contacts in Zoho CRM (Complete Guide)
Zoho CRM's duplicate detection misses most real duplicates. Here's how to find the duplicate contacts and accounts it can't catch — including name variations and typos.
How to Merge Customer Data After a Company Acquisition (Without Losing Anyone)
Company acquisition means combining two messy customer databases. Here's the step-by-step process to merge customer records without duplicates or data loss.
How to Find and Merge Duplicate Contacts in Pipedrive (Step-by-Step Guide)
Pipedrive's merge duplicates feature only catches exact matches. Here's how to find the duplicate contacts and organizations it misses — including typos, abbreviations, and name variations.
How to Find and Remove Duplicate Contacts in Mailchimp (Complete Guide)
Mailchimp charges by contact count but has no duplicate detection. Here's how to find duplicate subscribers hiding in your list and stop paying for the same person twice.
How to Find and Merge Duplicate Companies in HubSpot (The Complete Cleanup Guide)
HubSpot's duplicate management tool only catches exact matches. Here's how to find the duplicate companies it misses — including abbreviations, typos, and name variations.
How to Find and Merge Duplicate Vendors in QuickBooks (Without Breaking Your Books)
QuickBooks lets duplicate vendors pile up and only merges two at a time. Here's how to find every duplicate — even when names don't match — and merge them safely.
How to Match Tradeshow Attendee Lists Against Your CRM (Without Losing Your Mind)
Got a tradeshow attendee spreadsheet and need to identify existing customers vs prospects vs net-new leads? Here's the step-by-step process.
How to Deduplicate a Contact List Before Importing Into Your CRM
CRM duplicate detection doesn't catch company name variations. Here's the 10-minute pre-import process that prevents duplicate accounts.
How to Clean Up Your Vendor Master File: A Controller's Step-by-Step Guide
20-25% of records in the average vendor master file are anomalous. Here's a 9-step process to fix it without a six-figure consultant.
The 1099 Vendor Cleanup Checklist: Catch Duplicates Before January Wrecks Your Weekend
A controller's checklist for the May-October cleanup window. Avoid CP-2100 notices, duplicate filings, and January fire drills.
Why Month-End Reconciliation Takes Hours (And How to Cut It to Minutes)
Why VLOOKUP fails on real-world finance data and how controllers cut reconciliation time from hours to minutes.
How to Remove Duplicates in Excel When the Names Don't Match Exactly
Excel's Remove Duplicates only catches exact matches — useless when company names are spelled differently. Here's how to find the duplicates Excel misses.
I Had 4,000 Salesforce Accounts. Turns Out 1,200 Were Duplicates. Here's How I Fixed It.
Salesforce duplicate matching rules miss most real-world duplicates. Here's the cleanup process I used to find and merge 1,200 duplicate accounts.
How to Clean an Email List Before Sending a Campaign (Without Losing Good Contacts)
Sending to a messy email list tanks deliverability and wastes money. Here's a step-by-step process to clean your list before your next campaign.
Excel Power Query Fuzzy Merge Not Working? Here's What's Actually Going Wrong
Power Query's fuzzy merge sounds perfect for matching messy company names. In practice, it fails more than it works. Here's why.
Fuzzy Matching in Google Sheets: Why There's No Built-In Solution (And What to Use Instead)
Google Sheets doesn't have native fuzzy matching. Here's why, what workarounds exist, and what to use when you need to match company names.
How to Match and Merge Two Company Lists From Different Spreadsheets
Need to combine two company lists from different sources? Here's how to match records even when company names don't match exactly.
How to Clean Your CRM Data Before Importing (The Step Most Teams Skip)
Most CRM migrations fail because teams skip data cleaning. Here's a practical guide to preparing your company data before importing.
Fuzzy Matching Explained: How to Match "Acme Corp" to "ACME Corporation" Without Writing Code
What is fuzzy matching and how does it work? A plain-English guide to matching company names without being a programmer.
How to Remove Duplicate Company Names From a CSV File (Even When They Don't Match Exactly)
Excel's Remove Duplicates misses most real-world duplicates. Here's what actually works when company names are spelled differently.
Why VLOOKUP Can't Match Company Names (And What Actually Works)
VLOOKUP needs exact matches. Company names never match exactly. Here's why it fails and what to use instead.