Resolve identities absorbed by a merge

Purpose

Old references can identify the survivor and cannot recreate an absorbed record identity.

How It Works

An absorbed record leaves an alias in the merge transaction. The alias retains its original number and external identity alongside the survivor and merge details. When that survivor is merged again, earlier aliases point directly to the new survivor. Clients therefore need only one resolution step. The database rejects creation using an absorbed identity of the same type in the same workspace. The alias lookup requires merge-read authority. Number and origin lookups can also find the record through its alias. Old console links navigate to the survivor with an explanation. Hard deletion of a survivor currently leaves a dangling destination, which remains a defect. The product should expose alias information to reporting applications so their retained historical references can show the survivor.

Relationships

Execution writes and updates aliases. Entities owns merged-record responses on record routes. Merge history uses absorbed identities to include earlier outcomes.

Show evidence (sources, provenance, origins, pinned commits)

The Formal Contract

The narrative above explains; the sections below are authoritative — the rules, scenarios and tests this document binds.

Outcomes: Older references identify their destination rather than silently recreating an absorbed identity.Absorbed identities cannot be reassigned to new same-type workspace records.Console navigation explains the destination of an older record link.
Surfaces: apiconsole
Intent sources: services-crm:docs/merging/decisions.md#D3 (decided 2026-10-11: option 1)services-crm:docs/milestones/CRM-M4-duplicates-and-merge.md#D-20services-crm:docs/merging/experience/functional-requirements.md#IND-6, SUR-5 (package approved by Andrew 2026-10-13)

Controls

17 controls apply, from the corpus control catalogue.

TC-AZ-001 TC-AZ-002 TC-AZ-003 TC-AZ-004 TC-AZ-006 TC-DAT-001 TC-DAT-002 TC-DAT-003 TC-LOG-004 TC-LOG-005 TC-PI-001 TC-PI-005 TC-PRV-001 TC-PRV-002 TC-TEN-001 TC-TEN-002 TC-TEN-003

Permissions

Key	Checked at	Scope
`crm.merges.read`	api	tenant

Business Rules

10 rules, 9 to be proved before approval. A rule's product intent is derived from its origin: 10 confirmed by a product decision, the rest inheriting this capability's confirmed.

Id	Rule	Kind	Enforced at	Provenance
`01`must prove Confirmed	Each deleted participant receives one alias atomically with its merge, retaining survivor, merge, time, original number, origin and external identity. origin: services-crm:docs/merging/decisions.md#D3 (decided 2026-10-11: option 1) proved by `ATS-CRM-DQ-018-01`, `ATS-CRM-DQ-018-09`, `ATS-CRM-DQ-018-18`, `TST-CRM-DQ-181`	invariant	service, database	test services-crm:modules/merges/tests/integration/db/merged-record-aliases.table.integration.spec.js#refuses a second alias of the same merged id, so following one is never a choice
`02`must prove Confirmed	When a survivor is absorbed later, its inbound aliases redirect to the new survivor while preserving their original merge references, allowing direct resolution. origin: services-crm:docs/merging/README.md#Status (architecture and plan approved by Andrew 2026-10-11) proved by `ATS-CRM-DQ-018-02`, `ATS-CRM-DQ-018-10`, `ATS-CRM-DQ-018-18`, `TST-CRM-DQ-181`	lifecycle	service	test services-crm:modules/merges/tests/integration/services/persistence/merged-record-aliases.integration.spec.js#leaves C holding both aliases, so the survivor can say what it is made of
`03`must prove Confirmed	An absorbed identity cannot be reused for its record type in the same workspace, but remains independent of identities in other workspaces or record types. origin: services-crm:docs/merging/README.md#Status (architecture and plan approved by Andrew 2026-10-11) proved by `ATS-CRM-DQ-018-03`, `ATS-CRM-DQ-018-18`, `TST-CRM-DQ-181`	invariant	database	test services-crm:modules/merges/tests/integration/db/merged-id-reuse.integration.spec.js#refuses the contact a client asks to create under it, which is the path a chosen id arrives by
`04`must prove Confirmed	Alias lookup returns survivor, merge and time for either type with merge-read authority, and returns not found for identities never absorbed. origin: services-crm:docs/merging/decisions.md#D3 (decided 2026-10-11: option 1) proved by `ATS-CRM-DQ-018-04`, `ATS-CRM-DQ-018-18`, `TST-CRM-DQ-183`	policy	api	test services-crm:modules/merges/tests/e2e/merges.e2e.spec.js#says where an id the merge took away went, and through which merge
`05`must prove Confirmed	Alias reads and writes remain within their workspace; another workspace's absorbed identity returns not found. proved by `ATS-CRM-DQ-018-05`, `ATS-CRM-DQ-018-18`, `TST-CRM-DQ-181`, `TST-CRM-DQ-183`	invariant	api, database	test services-crm:modules/merges/tests/e2e/merged-records.e2e.spec.js#answers 404 in this tenant for an id merged away in another, whose merge is not ours to disclose
`06`must prove Confirmed	Lookups using an absorbed record's number or origin identity resolve its survivor through the alias. origin: services-crm:docs/merging/README.md#Status (architecture and plan approved by Andrew 2026-10-11) proved by `ATS-CRM-DQ-018-06`, `ATS-CRM-DQ-018-18`, `TST-CRM-DQ-181`	policy	service	test services-crm:modules/merges/tests/integration/services/persistence/merged-record-aliases.queries.integration.spec.js#answers the alias of the record that had that number, whole
`07`must prove Confirmed	The application cannot delete or rewrite aliases except to redirect survivors, and workspace purge removes them with the workspace. origin: services-crm:docs/merging/decisions.md#D4 (decided 2026-10-11: option 1) proved by `ATS-CRM-DQ-018-07`, `ATS-CRM-DQ-018-12`, `ATS-CRM-DQ-018-13`, `ATS-CRM-DQ-018-18`, `TST-CRM-DQ-181`	invariant	database	test services-crm:modules/merges/tests/integration/db/merged-record-aliases.table.integration.spec.js#may not erase an alias, which would make a merged id answerable and reusable again
`08`must prove Confirmed	Old console record links navigate to the survivor with a notice identifying both record numbers, while stale explorer, recent, bookmark, search and saved-view references resolve or report failure. origin: services-crm:docs/milestones/CRM-M4-duplicates-and-merge.md#D-20 proved by `ATS-CRM-DQ-018-08`, `ATS-CRM-DQ-018-18`, `TST-CRM-DQ-176`	policy	console	test react-console:acceptance/crm/playwright/journeys/merging/CRM-ACC-0267.spec.ts#CRM-ACC-0267
`09`must prove Confirmed	The product should keep alias destinations live; hard-deleting a survivor currently leaves unresolved destinations. origin: services-crm:docs/merging/architecture.md#14.1 Non-negotiable invariants proved by `ATS-CRM-DQ-018-11`	invariant	service	unknown FND-CRM-DQ-022
`10` Confirmed	The product should expose survivor resolution to other applications' reports so retained absorbed identities can display the surviving name.	policy	service	unknown OQ-CRM-DQ-003

Scenarios

Id	Given	When	Then	Provenance
`01`	A record merges into a second record, which later merges into a third.	A client resolves the first identity.	Its alias points directly to the third record while retaining the first merge reference.	test react-console:acceptance/crm/playwright/journeys/merging/CRM-ACC-0261.spec.ts#CRM-ACC-0261
`02`	An integration submits creation with an absorbed contact identity.	The create reaches identity validation.	That contact create fails, while the same identity remains independent for organizations and other workspaces.	test react-console:acceptance/crm/playwright/journeys/merging/CRM-ACC-0268.spec.ts#CRM-ACC-0268

Planning

Implementation

Resolve identities absorbed by a merge ​

Purpose ​

How It Works ​

Relationships ​