When the Inbox flags a potential duplicate, you can merge the lead's profile into the user's. That merge is permanent: the lead profile is deleted and its data is folded into the user. Before it happens, Intercom shows you a preview of exactly what will change — which values survive, which are dropped, and how much of the lead's history moves across.

This article is for teammates working in the Inbox. If you're new to leads and users in Intercom, see how leads and users work in Intercom.

Note: Merging can't be undone. The lead profile is permanently deleted. Use the preview to check the result before you confirm. The preview only reads data — nothing is written until you select Merge.

How to open the preview

Open the conversation in the Inbox.
In the right-hand sidebar, select the duplicate warning in the User Data section.
Find the duplicate you want to merge and select Merge.
The Merge lead into user preview opens. Nothing has changed yet.
Review the table, then select Merge in the top right to confirm, or close the preview to cancel.

Note: The preview only covers merges you start manually from the Inbox. Merges that happen automatically aren't previewed.

How to read the preview

The merge preview table has four columns so you can compare each profile's current values and see exactly what the user profile will contain after the merge:

Column	What it shows
Data	The field or record type
Lead	The value on the lead profile today
User	The value on the user profile today
User after merge	What the user will have once you confirm

Screenshot of the merge lead into user preview table, showing fields from both profiles with green ticks marking values that will survive, struck-through values that will be dropped, and the User after merge column showing the combined result.

What does each row in the merge preview mean?

A green tick marks the value that survives.
A value shown struck through and greyed out will be dropped.
A dash means that profile has no value for that field.
When both values carry a tick, they're being combined — the User after merge column shows the combined result. This is what happens to fields that add up or join together, like tags.

Name, Email and Role are always shown at the top of the table, even when the merge doesn't change them, so you can confirm you're merging the right two profiles. If you've pinned attributes on your profiles, those appear near the top too.

Conversations, tickets, notes, tags, and phone calls appear as counts at the bottom of the table:

Lead — how many move across from the lead
User — how many the user already has
User after merge — the total the user ends up with

Only record types with something to move are listed.

Search filters the table by field name or by value — useful for contacts with a lot of custom attributes.

Note: The preview reflects both profiles at the moment you opened it. If either profile changes while the preview is open, the result can differ from what you saw.

When a duplicate can't be merged

Further down the duplicates list you may see duplicates whose Merge action is unavailable, with the reason shown next to them.

Screenshot of the duplicates list in the Inbox sidebar, showing two duplicate contacts with greyed-out Merge buttons and a reason displayed next to each explaining why the merge is unavailable.

These aren't temporary states — the merge isn't possible for those profiles.

Frequently asked questions

Can I undo a merge for a lead profile?

No. The merge is permanent — the lead profile is permanently deleted and its data is folded into the user profile. There's no way to reverse it after you confirm.

Does opening the merge lead into user preview make any changes to the profiles?

No. The preview only reads data. Nothing is written to either the lead or user profile until you select Merge.

What does a green tick mean in the merge preview table?

A green tick marks the value that will survive and carry over to the user profile after the merge.

What does a struck-through greyed-out value mean in the merge preview table?

A struck-through, greyed-out value in the merge preview table will be dropped from the user profile when the merge is confirmed.

What does a dash mean next to a field in the merge preview table?

A dash means that profile has no value for that field.

What happens when both the lead and user profiles have a value for the same field in the merge preview?

When both the lead and user profiles have a value for the same field, both carry a tick in the merge preview. This means they're being combined — the User after merge column shows the combined result. This applies to fields that add up or join together, like tags.

Why do Name, Email and Role always show at the top of the merge preview table?

So you can confirm you're merging the right lead and user profiles, even when the merge doesn't change those fields. Pinned attributes also appear near the top.

Can I search for a specific attribute in the merge lead into user preview?

Yes. The search bar in the merge preview filters the table by field name or by value — useful for contacts with a lot of custom attributes.

Do conversations, tickets and notes always appear in the merge preview?

Only record types with something to move are listed. When they do appear, conversations, tickets, notes, tags, and phone calls show as counts at the bottom of the merge preview table.

Can the merge preview become out of date while I have it open?

Yes. The merge preview reflects both profiles at the moment you opened it. If either the lead or user profile changes while the preview is open, the result can differ from what you saw.

Why is the Merge button unavailable next to some duplicate profiles in the Inbox?

The Merge button is unavailable when the merge isn't possible for those profiles. The reason is shown next to each duplicate in the duplicates list. These aren't temporary states.

Does the merge preview in the Inbox cover automatic lead merges?

No. The merge preview only covers merges you start manually from the Inbox. Merges that happen automatically aren't previewed.

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Preview what happens before you merge a lead into a user