This article explains how to extend Plauti Deduplicate merge functionality by implementing the Merge Interface. You can use this interface to run custom logic before a merge is executed, after a merge has completed, or when a merge fails—based on the context provided by the system.

Overview

The Merge Interface allows you to insert custom logic into the duplicate record merge process. The trigger is a merge initiated by the Plauti Deduplicate tool (Either a manual merge, quick merge or auto merge).

Implementation

To implement the Merge Interface, create an Apex class that implements the dupcheck.dc3Plugin.InterfaceMerge interface. The primary methods to implement are:

beforeMerge(String objectPrefix, Sobject masterRecord, List<Sobject> mergedRecordList)
mergeFailed(String objectPrefix, Sobject masterRecord, Set<Id> mergedRecordIds, dupcheck.dc3Exception.MergeException exceptionData)
afterMerge(String objectPrefix, Sobject masterRecord, Set<Id> mergedRecordIds)

Supported Methods

The following methods help you understand the context in which your merge logic is executed:

flowchart LR
    A[Merge Initiated] --> B[**Call beforeMerge**]
    B --> C{Merge Executed}
    C -- Successful --> D[**Call afterMerge**]
    C -- Failed --> E[**Call mergeFailed**]
    D --> F[Merge Process Completed]
    E --> F

Each of these methods provides critical context:

• objectPrefix helps identify the type of record (for example, Leads have the prefix '00Q').
• masterRecord is the record that is intended to be the final, consolidated record.
• mergedRecordList/mergedRecordIds represents the records that are being merged into the master.
• exceptionData (in mergeFailed) provides details about why a merge operation did not succeed.

By implementing and enabling this Merge Plugin in your Deduplicate Setup, you gain granular control over the merge process for duplicate records.

Optional: Stopping a Merge

To stop a merge using the Merge Interface, implement your logic inside the beforeMerge method. This method is executed before the merge takes place. You can validate the records involved, such as querying fields or applying business rules, and if any condition is met that should prevent the merge, throw a custom exception. Throwing an exception will immediately cancel the merge, show an error to the user, and roll back any pending changes. This ensures that data integrity is preserved when certain conditions should block merging.

For a code example, see the Examples & Use Cases article.

Optional: Using NoProcessException for Alternative Merge Logic

NoProcessException is a special exception provided by the Plauti Deduplicate framework to bypass the merge process without causing an error. When you throw this exception inside beforeMerge, the framework treats the merge as successful, but skips the actual merge logic, no records are merged or deleted. This allows you to run custom logic instead of merging, such as creating hierarchies, setting relationships, or triggering workflows.

Important: Unlike a regular exception, NoProcessException does not stop the process with an error. It signals that you’ve handled the operation intentionally, and Plauti should skip the merge but continue the process flow. Use it when you want an alternate outcome instead of a failure.

For implementation examples, see the Examples & Use Cases article.