--- schema_version: "1" id: 66123493733a77a20d5c01d423e4525caf2c830f7711dc87c99cd5dcb1793d76 title: Matching Rule Examples collection: admin version: current locale: en-us portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/sales/264-0-0/matching_rule_matching_examples.md canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sales.matching_rule_matching_examples.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 source_site: help.salesforce.com content_type: documentation content_hash: 5f00397aa04ec7397a4e4f2c441c9962f550aef60ebb6c7d50c0ae7705f90499 description: Review these examples to understand how records are compared and evaluated as duplicates. products: - Sales - Sales Enablement release: "264" --- # Matching Rule Examples Review these examples to understand how records are compared and evaluated as duplicates. ### Required Editions

Available in: Lightning Experience and Salesforce Classic

Available in: Essentials, Professional, Enterprise, Performance, Unlimited, and Developer Editions

![Custom Lead Matching Rule with Fuzzy Matching Methods](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-sales-data_quality-264-0-0-production-enus/abf88105-66d5-422e-983e-0592556338d7/images/icon_example.png) Custom Lead Matching Rule with Fuzzy Matching Methods

Matching Criteria
	Field	Matching Method
1	`Company`	`Fuzzy: Company Name`
2	`Email`	`Exact`
3	`Phone`	`Fuzzy: Phone`
	Matching equation is (`Company` OR `Email`) AND (`Phone`)

Based on these matching criteria, here’s how matching works. 1. Match key values are generated for existing leads. Based on the matching equation and the specified matching methods, two match keys are created. From these keys, match key values are generated.

Match Keys
Matching Equation in Standardized Format	Match Key	Sample Matching Field Values	Sample Match Key Values
(`Company` AND `Phone`) OR	Company (2,6) Phone	`Company` = Elite Sport `Phone` = 415-555-1234	elitesport415555
(`Email` AND `Phone`)	Email Phone	`Email` = john.doe@elitesport.com `Phone` = 415-555-1234	john.doe@elitesport.com415555

2. Match key values for the new record are generated. The values are generated when the new record is saved.

New Record
Matching Field Values	Match Key Values
`Company` = Elite Sports `Email` = john.doe@elitesport.com `Phone` = 1-415-555-1234	elitesport415555 john.doe@elitesport.com415555

3. Match key values for the new record are compared with values from existing records.

Existing Records Compared with New Record
Record	Matching Field Values	Match Key Values	Match?
1	`Company` = Elite Sports `Email` = john.doe@elitesports.com `Phone` = 1-415-555-1234	elitesports415555 john.doe@elitesports.com415555	No. Not considered a duplicate.
2	`Company` = Elite Sport `Email` = john.doe@elitesport.com `Phone` = 1-415-555-1234	elitesport415555 john.doe@elitesport.com415555	Yes. The first match key values don’t match. However, the second match key values are identical, so the record is considered a potential duplicate. Only one match key value match is needed.

4. Determine if the new record is a potential duplicate. Does the new record have the same match key value as an existing record? - Yes, the new record is considered a potential duplicate. It’s evaluated further using other matching resources, including matching algorithms. - No, the new record isn’t considered a duplicate. ![Custom Contact Matching Rule with Exact Matching Methods](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-sales-data_quality-264-0-0-production-enus/abf88105-66d5-422e-983e-0592556338d7/images/icon_example.png) Custom Contact Matching Rule with Exact Matching Methods

Matching Criteria
	Field	Matching Method
1	`City`	`Exact`
2	`Email`	`Exact`
3	`Phone`	`Exact`
	Matching equation is (`City` OR `Email`) AND (`Phone`)

Based on these matching criteria, here’s how matching works. 1. Match key values are generated for existing contacts. Based on the matching equation and the specified matching methods, two match keys are created. From these keys, match key values are generated.

Match Key
Matching Equation in Standardized Format	Match Key	Sample Matching Field Values	Sample Match Key Values
(`City` AND `Email`) OR	City Email	`City` = San Francisco `Email` = john.doe@elitesports.com	sanfranciscojohn.doe@elitesports.com
(`City` AND `Phone`)	City Phone	`City` = San Francisco `Phone` = 415-555-1234	sanfrancisco4155551234

2. Match key values for the new record are generated. The values are generated when the new record is saved.

New Record
Matching Field Values	Match Key Values
`City` = San Francisco `Email` = john.doe@elitesports.com `Phone` = 415-555-1234	sanfranciscojohn.doe@elitesports.com sanfrancisco4155551234

3. Match key values for the new record are compared with values from existing records.

Existing Records Compared with New Record
Record	Matching Field Values	Match Key Values	Match?
1	`City` = San Francisco `Email` = john.doe@elitesports.com `Phone` = 1-415-555-1234	sanfranciscojohn.doe@elitesports.comsanfrancisco4155551234	No. Not considered a duplicate.
2	`City` = San Francisco `Email` = john.doe@elitesports.com `Phone` = 1-415-555-1111	sanfranciscojohn.doe@elitesports.com sanfrancisco4155551234	Yes. The first match key values are identical, so the record is considered a potential duplicate. Only one match key value match is needed.

4. Determine if the new record is a potential duplicate. Does the new record have the same match key value as an existing record? - Yes—The new record is considered a potential duplicate. It’s evaluated further using other matching resources, including matching algorithms. - No—The new record is not considered a duplicate. Although this matching rule is within the field limit, it exceeds the row limit of 10 when written in the standardized format. Therefore, it can’t be saved. Refine the matching rule so that it uses fewer OR operators within groupings. ![Example](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-sales-data_quality-264-0-0-production-enus/abf88105-66d5-422e-983e-0592556338d7/images/icon_example.png) Example You get an error that your matching rule uses too many OR operators within groupings. The error is generated because a matching rule has a limit of 10 fields arranged into an equation. When a matching rule is saved, the equation is rewritten into a standardized format that translates the OR statements to AND statements. The standardized format has a limit of 10 rows. Suppose that your matching rule includes the following equation. (Field 1 OR Field 2) AND (Field 3 OR Field 4) AND (Field 5 OR Field 6) AND (Field 7 OR Field 8) It’s rewritten as follows. Although this matching rule is within the field limit, it exceeds the row limit of 10 when written in the standardized format. Therefore, it can’t be saved. Refine the matching rule so that it uses fewer OR operators within groupings. (Field 1 AND Field 3 AND Field 5 Field AND 7) OR (Field 1 AND Field 3 AND Field 5 AND Field 8) OR (Field 1 AND Field 3 AND Field 6 AND Field 7) OR (Field 1 AND Field 3 AND Field 6 AND Field 8) OR (Field 1 AND Field 4 AND Field 5 AND Field 7) OR (Field 1 AND Field 4 AND Field 5 AND Field 8) OR (Field 1 AND Field 4 AND Field 6 AND Field 7) OR (Field 1 AND Field 4 AND Field 6 AND Field 8) OR (Field 2 AND Field 3 AND Field 5 AND Field 7) OR (Field 2 AND Field 3 AND Field 5 AND Field 8) OR (Field 2 AND Field 3 AND Field 6 AND Field 7) OR (Field 2 AND Field 3 AND Field 6 AND Field 8)OR (Field 2 AND Field 4 AND Field 5 AND Field 7) OR (Field 2 AND Field 4 AND Field 5 AND Field 8) OR (Field 2 AND Field 4 AND Field 6 AND Field 7) OR (Field 2 AND Field 4 AND Field 6 AND Field 8)