How Does Dext Prepare Handle Duplicate Documents?

You have three settings options to choose from to process duplicate items in Dext Prepare.

These three settings options can be set as a default system setting that will be applied across all suppliers, in bulk to multiple suppliers or individually to specific suppliers.

The three duplicate processing modes to choose from are:

  • Automatic – duplicate items will be automatically deleted once detected
  • Review – you will be notified in the costs inbox when an item is a suspected duplicate. You can then review the items and determine if there is a duplicate or not
  • Both OFF – both the automatic and Review modes will be OFF and duplicates will not be detected

Important: When you upload an item and it does not appear in the Costs inbox as expected it is likely that you have the automatic mode switched on and the item has been detected as a duplicate item. The item will be found in the Submission History. See the ‘Restoring Items Deleted in ‘Automatic’ Mode’ section below for the steps to follow to restore the item.


How Do the Different Modes Work?

If Automatic & Review mode are OFF: 

  • All items will be processed and sent to the Inbox WITHOUT indicating if there is a duplicate item.

If Review mode is ON: 

  • Suspected duplicate entries will have an amber circle icon next to them in the Inbox. You can then review the items to confirm if they are duplicates or not.
  • You can also use the filter at the top of the inbox page to search for items with duplicates.
  • Items that are a potential duplicate of an item that has been archived will be flagged in the cost workspace as a potential duplicate.

If Automatic is ON:

  • Duplicate items will automatically be reviewed and deleted. Deleted duplicates can be found in the submission history, from there they can be restored to the costs inbox if needed.

Items are recognised as duplicates when:

  • For receipts: The supplier, date, total amount and document owner are the same (including if neither item has a document owner).
  • For Invoices and Credit Notes: the supplier, total amount and reference number are the same.
  • If there are two (or more) items, and one is missing important fields such as the invoice number or the date then the two items will not be recognised as duplicates even if they are.

Configuring Your Settings

You can configure your settings to be applied:

  • Across all suppliers as a system setting
  • Individually for a specific supplier as a supplier rule
  • In bulk to several suppliers as a supplier rule

See how to configure each below:


To set the same mode for every supplier as a general system setting:

1. Go to My profile > System Settings
2. Then Duplicate Cost Items
3. Select the desired mode from the dropdown list
When a mode is selected, it will be the default system setting across your account


To set a mode individually for an specific supplier:

1. Go to Suppliers in the sidebar
2. Click on the supplier
3. Then go to Duplicate Cost Items
4. Select the desired supplier level rule from the dropdown list


To apply a mode in bulk to multiple suppliers:

  1. Go to Suppliers in the sidebar
  2. Select multiple suppliers via the checkboxes to the left of the supplier name
  3. Click Bulk Edit at the top of the page
  1. Select supplier level rule from dropdown list labeled Duplicate Cost Items

5. Select line item extraction setting if desired, then click Apply


Restoring Items Deleted in ‘Automatic’ Mode

When automatic mode is switched on, duplicate items will automatically be detected and deleted. The deleted duplicates can then be found in the submission history, where they can also be reviewed and restored to the costs inbox if needed.

Important: When you upload an item and it does not appear in the Costs inbox as expected it is likely that you have the automatic mode switched on and the item has been detected as a duplicate item. The item will be found in the Submission History.

To restore a deleted duplicate item:

  1. Go to My Profile, then Submission History in the sidebar.
  2. Find the item you wish to restore, and in the Action column, click Restore.
  1. The item will then be moved to the Costs inbox.

Using ‘Review’ Mode

Suspected duplicate entries will have an amber circle icon next to them in the Inbox. You can then review the items to confirm if they are duplicates or not.

  1. To review duplicate items go to either:
  • The Costs workspace, hover over the amber pulsar next to the item and click Review items
  • Or the Item Details page and click Review items in the information box

  1. The Review duplicate items page will then show you the items side by side

3. At the bottom of the page you can confirm if the item is a duplicate or not:

If the item is not a duplicate:

  • Click No, it’s a different purchase if the items are for different purchases

          The items will then be shown as two separate items in the Costs inbox.

If the item is a duplicates of the same purchase:

  • Click Yes, it’s the same purchase button
  • Then Delete image (the second image will be deleted*)
  • Attach image to original purchase (both images will be attached to the original purchase)

Deleted duplicates can be found by going to Profile > Submission history, where they can be restored back to the costs inbox if needed. See more about how to restore deleted items in the ‘Restoring Items Deleted in ‘Automatic’ Mode’ section above.


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