--- title: How Exemplify Fixed Duplicate HubSpot Contacts in Dentistry (with Koalify) description: Discover how Exemplify fixed duplicate HubSpot contacts in dentistry using Koalify, cutting 50k to 20k records and reducing marketing costs. image: https://koalify.io/hubfs/How%20Exemplify%20Fixed%20Duplicate%20HubSpot%20Contacts%20in%20Dentistry%20%28with%20Koalify%29.png --- [Skip to content](https://koalify.io/blog/how-exemplify-fixed-duplicate-hubspot-contacts-in-dentistry-with-koalify#main-content) [![rectangle\_long\_koala\_with\_name\_bold\_200\_125\_white](https://koalify.io/hubfs/rectangle_long_koala_with_name_bold_200_125_white.png)](https://koalify.io) - Products Show submenu for Products - [Deduplication](https://koalify.io) - [Email Validation](https://koalify.io/hubspot-email-validation) - Pricing Show submenu for Pricing - [Deduplication](https://koalify.io/pricing) - [Email Validation](https://koalify.io/hubspot-email-validation-pricing-koalify) - [Partners](https://koalify.io/partners) - [Blog](https://koalify.io/blog) - Knowledge base Show submenu for Knowledge base - [Deduplication](https://koalify.io/knowledge-base) - [Email Validation](https://koalify.io/email-validation-knowledge-base) - Products Show submenu for Products - [Deduplication](https://koalify.io) - [Email Validation](https://koalify.io/hubspot-email-validation) - Pricing Show submenu for Pricing - [Deduplication](https://koalify.io/pricing) - [Email Validation](https://koalify.io/hubspot-email-validation-pricing-koalify) - [Partners](https://koalify.io/partners) - [Blog](https://koalify.io/blog) - Knowledge base Show submenu for Knowledge base - [Deduplication](https://koalify.io/knowledge-base) - [Email Validation](https://koalify.io/email-validation-knowledge-base) ![menu-toggle](https://21645388.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/21645388/menu-toggle.svg) ![menu-close](https://21645388.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/21645388/menu-close.svg) [Get Started Free](https://api.koalify.io/hubspot/install?utm_source=koalify&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=navigation) [HubSpot Data Quality](https://koalify.io/blog/tag/hubspot-data-quality) # How Exemplify Fixed Duplicate HubSpot Contacts in Dentistry (with Koalify) [By \- Jonas,](https://koalify.io/blog/author/jonas) Oct 03, 2025 ![ Featured Image](https://koalify.io/hs-fs/hubfs/How%20Exemplify%20Fixed%20Duplicate%20HubSpot%20Contacts%20in%20Dentistry%20%28with%20Koalify%29.png?width=932&height=521&name=How%20Exemplify%20Fixed%20Duplicate%20HubSpot%20Contacts%20in%20Dentistry%20%28with%20Koalify%29.png) **Dentists often share inboxes like** reception@practice.com **but in HubSpot, that breaks everything.** The platform requires each contact to have a unique email address, so shared inboxes lead to duplicate chaos, overwritten records, and inflated marketing contact costs. In this episode of *How I Fixed Your Data*, we spoke with **Ed Frame**, founder of [**Exemplify**](https://www.exemplify.com.au/)(a Platinum HubSpot Partner based in Melbourne, Australia). His team solved the duplicate nightmare for a dental client by redesigning how contacts were stored and using **Koalify** to safely merge duplicates. The result? Contacts reduced from ~50,000 to ~20,000, lower subscription costs, and far greater sales clarity. 🎥 Watch the full conversation with Ed Frame from Exemplify:   ## The Industry Problem: Shared Inboxes and Duplicate Chaos Dentistry is a perfect storm for duplicate contacts. Many practices rely on **shared inboxes**: - [reception@dentalpractice.com](mailto:reception@dentalpractice.com) - i[nfo@smileclinic.com](mailto:nfo@smileclinic.com)[mailto:nfo@smileclinic.com](mailto:nfo@smileclinic.com)[mailto:nfo@smileclinic.com](mailto:nfo@smileclinic.com) - admin@brightdentists.com That’s normal for the industry, but in HubSpot, where **email = unique identifier**, it breaks the CRM. - **Imports collapse**: Uploading dentists with the same email merges them into one record. - **Forms overwrite contacts**: A new dentist using the same inbox overwrites the previous contact. - **Sales confusion**: Sales reps lose visibility into which individual they’re speaking with. - **Marketing cost explosion**: Everyone ends up marked as a marketing contact, inflating subscription costs. As Ed explains: *“This isn’t just a data problem — it’s an **industry structure problem**. Dentists will always use the same inbox. You can’t change that; you have to architect around it.”*   ## The Fix – Stop Using Email as the Unique Identifier The first step was to stop relying on HubSpot’s default **Email** field. **Exemplify’s solution:** - Added a **custom property**: *Practice Email*. - All forms, imports, and integrations captured **Practice Email** instead of HubSpot’s Email. - For generic inboxes (reception@, info@, etc.), workflows created a **Generic Contact**: - First Name / Last Name = *Practice Name* + “Dental Contact.” - Marked as a **marketing contact** so campaigns could still target the shared inbox. - Prevented overwriting individual dentist contacts. This meant sales could still work with individuals, while marketing retained the ability to send to the shared inbox.   ## Smart Deduplication with Koalify With HubSpot’s default email matching disabled, the risk of duplicates increased, unless deduplication was done smartly. That’s where [**Koalify**](https://koalify.io/)came in. **Merge rules used:** - First Name + Last Name + City/Suburb - First Name + Last Name + Practice Name - First Name + Last Name + Phone/Mobile **Key safeguards:** - **Generic Contacts** excluded from merges. - City/Suburb made a **required property** on forms, ensuring enough context for safe matching. - Merges reviewed monthly or quarterly for accuracy. This balance of **automation + review** allowed Exemplify to maintain clean data without risking accidental merges of different people.   ## Results for the Client The impact was immediate and significant: - **Contacts reduced**: ~50,000 → ~20,000. - **Lower subscription costs**: far fewer unnecessary marketing contacts. - **Sales clarity**: Each dentist retained as a distinct contact, reducing confusion. - **Company-level cleanup**: Dental chains with 20+ locations were structured by *Practice Name + Suburb* rather than domain, fixing franchise duplicates. As Ed notes: *“Without Koalify, we’d be drowning. With it, merges are handled cleanly and we can keep live data usable.”*   ## Lessons Learned The biggest takeaway? Sometimes what looks like **bad data** is really an **industry pattern**. - HubSpot’s default assumptions (email = ID, domain = company) don’t always match reality. - You can’t ask every dentist to stop using reception@ — you need to adapt the data model. - The right fix is a combination of: - **Custom properties** (e.g., Practice Email). - **Workflows** (Generic Contact logic). - **Koalify deduplication rules** (context-aware matching). In Ed’s words: *“It’s not about blaming the client for messy data. It’s about designing creative solutions around industry realities.”*   ## FAQ **Q: How do HubSpot partners fix duplicates when email isn’t unique?** A: Use a custom property (e.g., Practice Email) instead of HubSpot’s Email field. Create a Generic Contact for shared inboxes, then use deduplication rules like First+Last+City with Koalify. **Q: What tools do HubSpot agencies use for deduplication?** A: Many partners use Koalify alongside HubSpot workflows. Koalify automates safe merges based on flexible rules while excluding generic contacts. **Q: Can I email a shared inbox in HubSpot without breaking contacts?** A: Yes. Store the shared inbox in a custom property, create a Generic Contact for marketing, and keep individual contacts separate for sales. ###### Category - [HubSpot Data Quality](https://koalify.io/blog/tag/hubspot-data-quality) - [HubSpot Email Validation](https://koalify.io/blog/tag/hubspot-email-validation) - [HubSpot Revenue Operations](https://koalify.io/blog/tag/hubspot-revenue-operations) - [HubSpot Integration Duplicates](https://koalify.io/blog/tag/hubspot-integration-duplicates) - [HubSpot Associations](https://koalify.io/blog/tag/hubspot-associations) - [HubSpot Deduplication](https://koalify.io/blog/tag/hubspot-deduplication) ###### Popular Post - [HubSpot best practices for contacts that leave a company](https://koalify.io/blog/hubspot-best-practices-for-contacts-that-leave-a-company) - [How to Bulk Merge HubSpot Duplicates: Contacts, Companies, Deals and More](https://koalify.io/blog/how-to-bulk-merge-hubspot-duplicates-contacts-companies-more) - [How to Merge Companies in HubSpot (Safely, Manually or in Bulk)](https://koalify.io/blog/how-to-merge-companies-in-hubspot-manual-or-in-bulk) - [HubSpot Deduplication: How to Find, Manage, and Remove Duplicates in HubSpot](https://koalify.io/blog/hubspot-deduplication-the-ultimate-guide-to-zero-duplicates-in-hubspot) - [How to Merge Duplicate Contacts in HubSpot Without Losing Data](https://koalify.io/blog/how-to-merge-contacts-in-hubspot-manual-or-in-bulk) ### Similar Blogs ![Instant Duplicate Checks in HubSpot](https://koalify.io/hs-fs/hubfs/that%20is%20my%20lead.jpg?width=352&name=that%20is%20my%20lead.jpg) #### [Instant Duplicate Checks in HubSpot](https://koalify.io/blog/instant-duplicate-checks-in-hubspot) By [Jonas](https://koalify.io/blog/author/jonas) 29 November 2023 The [Koalify plugin](https://koalify.io/) instantly checks for duplicates when contacts, companies and deals are created... 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