Overview
Twenty enforces uniqueness on certain fields to prevent duplicate records and ensure data integrity. Understanding these constraints is essential for successful imports.Default Unique Fields
| Object | Unique Fields |
|---|---|
| People | id, email |
| Companies | id, domain |
| Custom objects | id only (by default) |
The
id field is Twenty’s internal identifier, auto-generated for each record. It uses UUID format (e.g., c776ee49-f608-4a77-8cc8-6fe96ae1e43f).Custom Unique Fields
You can define additional unique fields under Settings → Data Model:- Go to Settings → Data Model
- Select the object
- Click on a field
- Enable Unique in field settings
Use Cases for Custom Unique Fields
- External IDs: Store IDs from other systems (Salesforce ID, HubSpot ID)
- Business identifiers: Employee numbers, customer codes
- Alternative contact info: LinkedIn profile, phone number
The field name
id is reserved for Twenty’s internal ID. Use a different name like externalId or legacyId for external identifiers.Import Behavior
Creating New Records
If a unique field value doesn’t exist, a new record is created.Updating Existing Records
If a unique field value matches an existing record, that record is updated with the new data.Soft-Deleted Records
Duplicate Detection During Import
During the validation phase:- Duplicates within your file are highlighted in yellow
- You can edit or remove duplicate rows from the UI before starting the import
Best Practices
- Remove duplicates from your file before importing
- Check for existing records in Twenty before importing
- Use external IDs when migrating from other systems
- Include unique fields if you want to update existing records