Duplicate events on Timeline

Overview

Duplicates often appear when the same document is uploaded twice, similar events are suggested automatically, or merges were skipped. Timeline tools help you merge or clean without losing the underlying files.

Why this feature exists

A clear chronology is easier to share with counsel than a noisy list of near-copies.

Symptoms

• Two or more events for the same date and story
• Same document linked more than once
• Near-identical titles with tiny wording differences

Likely causes

• Uploading the same file multiple times
• Automatic suggestions plus a manual event
• Partial OCR creating alternate titles
• Missed merge during cleanup

Step-by-step

1. 1

   Identify true duplicates

   Open each event and compare dates, descriptions, and linked evidence before changing anything.

2. 2

   Merge overlapping events

   Use Timeline merge when two entries describe the same occurrence.

3. 3

   Remove or edit the weaker copy

   Keep the clearer title and strongest evidence links; Move to Trash only what you are sure you do not need.

4. 4

   Avoid re-uploading identical files

   Search Evidence first. If a file already exists, link it instead of uploading again.

5. 5

   Run cleanup when offered

   Use Timeline cleanup suggestions carefully — review before accepting bulk changes.

Best practices

• Prefer one strong event with multiple evidence links over many thin events.
• Standardize titles (“Order received — …”) for scanability.

Productivity tips

• After big uploads, review What Sera Found for organization suggestions before hand-editing everything.

Common mistakes

• Deleting an event that still holds the only good evidence link.
• Merging unrelated events that share a date only by coincidence.

When to contact support

Contact support if merge or cleanup fails repeatedly on the same events after refresh.

Frequently asked questions

Screenshots

Helpful links

• Timeline
• Evidence
• What Sera Found

Related articles

• Timeline not updating

  Get Timeline to reflect new documents and events after uploads or edits.

• Missing documents

  Locate files that seem to disappear after upload, case switches, or Move to Trash.

• Can I restore deleted files?

  Yes — during the Trash recovery window. After that window, deletion becomes permanent.

• OCR problems

  Improve text extraction when scans are unreadable, empty, or poorly recognized.