# Merge duplicates and announce shipped ideas

> Keep an ideas board tidy, and tell everyone who asked when an idea ships.

On a busy board, people post the same idea twice. And when you ship an idea, the people who asked for it want to know. Two tools handle both.

## Merge a duplicate

**Merge into…** works on ideas, questions and discussion posts.

1. In **Content** → **Items**, open the duplicate.
2. Select **Merge into…** at the top of the page.
3. Pick the item to keep, from the same collection. The list starts with items whose titles match the duplicate's, and you can search for others.
4. Check the summary, such as "12 votes and 3 followers move to …", and select **Merge**.

What happens:

- Votes and followers move to the item you keep. Someone who voted on both keeps one vote.
- Replies stay on the duplicate.
- The duplicate no longer shows in portal lists or search, and its replies are closed. Anyone who opens its link is pointed to the item you kept.
- A merge can't be undone.

## Announce an idea when it ships

A News post can name the ideas it ships. When it goes live, the people who follow those ideas get an email.

1. In **Content** → **Items**, create or open a post in a News collection (one with the **Timeline** layout).
2. Under **Ideas this ships**, search for the ideas and pick them. Only published ideas from your ideas boards are listed, most votes first until you type.
3. Below the field, check how many followers will get an email.
4. Set **Status** to **Published** and **Visibility** to **Public**, then save.

When the post first goes live, each follower gets one email naming every shipped idea they follow. Ideas you add after the post is live don't send email. On the portal, the post lists them under **Built from your feedback**.

Shipping a post doesn't change an idea's stage. Move the idea to **Done** from its **Discussion** card, so the roadmap matches.

## Related

- [Set up a community or ideas board](https://support.help.ai/portals/set-up-a-community-or-ideas-board)
- [Follow posts and email updates](https://support.help.ai/portals/follow-posts-and-email-updates)

<Tip>
Merge as soon as you spot a duplicate. Votes on one item give a truer picture of demand than votes split across two.
</Tip>