A lead (someone known only by email) and a verified user (someone your widget identified) can turn out to be the same person: they emailed support before they ever logged in, for example. Merging folds the lead into the verified contact so the history is in one place.
When a merge is offered
HelpBento never merges automatically. When a lead and a verified user share an email address, a banner appears at the top of either contact's profile: "Possible same person: name (verified contact). Merge into the verified contact?"
Merging is only offered through this banner, and only in one direction: the lead is always absorbed into the verified user. There is no way to pick an arbitrary pair of contacts and merge them by hand.
Merge the contacts
- Open either contact's profile from Contacts.
- In the banner, click Merge.
The merge is immediate. Afterwards:
- Every support request and AI chat from the lead is re-pointed to the verified contact.
- The lead's notes move to the verified contact.
- The Inbox and Chats counters are added together, and First seen and Last seen cover both histories.
- A name, phone, or email missing on the verified contact is filled from the lead.
- The lead is deleted. The merge is recorded on the surviving contact's activity log.
What happens to future messages
Identity is decided per message, not by the merge:
- A chat where the widget identifies the visitor lands on the verified contact, as before.
- An email, or a chat where the visitor only typed their address, is keyed by email. Because an unverified email is never attached to a verified user, a new message from that address after the merge creates a fresh lead, and the "Possible same person" banner will appear again so you can merge it too.